Introduction: What is Developmental Biology?

History and Basic Concepts

The Two Broad Questions of Developmental Biology

How a fertilized egg gives rise to the adult organism How the adult produces gametes to create another adult

Four General Problems

Differentiation Morphogenesis Growth Reproduction

[Evolution] [Environmental Inuences]

The Problem of Development: Epigenesis vs. Preformation Malpighis drawing of chick embryo 1673; Hartsoekers Homonculus 1694

Cell Theory and Invention of Microscope

Observations of Eggs and Sperm Embryos are formed from cell divisions of zygote Epigenesis

Germ Cells and Somatic Cells: Offspring inherit characteristics only from germ cells (eggs and sperm), not from somatic cells. August Weismann [Wolpert et al., Fig. 1.6]

How do cells become different from one another?

Illustration of August Weismanns Theory of Nuclear Determinants (1880) [Wolpert et al., Fig. 1.7]

Wilhelm Rouxs experiment to investigate Weismanns theory of development. [Gilbert 7th ed. Fig. 3.14]

Drieschs experiment demonstrating Regulation [Wolpert Fig. 1.9]

More Results from Hans Drieschs experiments on Sea Urchin embryos [Gilbert 7th ed. Fig. 3.15]

Induction: Cell-cell interactions during development

[Wolpert Fig. 1.10]

Basic Concepts linking Genetics and Developmental Biology

Genes are unaltered as cell differentiation proceeds Cells are different because different genes are expressed