- Developmental Biology

Catalog description

Developmental biology is focused on understanding the process by which cells achieve their final fate and reach their final destination during embryogenesis to generate a species-specific morphology. The discipline also seeks to understand how reproduction is achieved so that the species persists from one generation to the next. Recently, the discipline has become more interdisciplinary with new areas of focus such as understanding how molecular pathways have evolved to produce morphological diversity among species, as well as how the environment can impact the outcome of embryonic development. This course provides an overview of the main stages of animal embryogenesis, while exploring a few specific topics in depth to gain appreciation for the complexity of the four-dimensional process that transforms a fertilized egg into an adult.