The miracle of the embryo is finally yielding to scientific analysis, and we are on the verge of understanding the molecular and cellular interactions underlying development. Examples will be drawn primarily from animals most intensively investigated, such as Drosophila, frog, sea urchin, and mouse. The fundamental question of development is how differences arise between cells and tissues in the embryo.
Embryos are amenable to a wide range of manipulations of their tissues, cells and molecules.
We will examine how these manipulations help to define the timing and mechanisms involved in generating embryonic structures, and we will consider what further can be done. The course will be presented in two lectures and one tutorial hour each week. The tutorials will be used in a variety of ways. In some, you will examine living and fixed embryos related to the lectures. In others, you will present seminars and discuss journal articles important in the analysis of the embryo.