Developmental Biology
Introduction
Developmental Biology vs Embryology
Embryology observational biology experimental manipulations Developmental Biol expands embryological studies using molecular techniques used genetic approaches to study model systems
Developmental Biology Approaches in Other Fields
Cancer Biology
Neuroscience The answers to questions in these fields
require knowing when during development particular events occur
Developmental Biology is Defined by the Questions Asked
Differentiation
Morphogenesis
Growth Reproduction Evolution Environmental
Integration
Developmental Biology is Defined by the Questions Asked
Differentiation Morphogenesis Growth Reproduction Evolution Environmental Integration
What goes on as an embryo develops from a single, pluripotent cell into a complete organism? Majority of dev systems are multicellular Single-celled systems used to study cellular differentiation
Developmental Biology is Defined by the Questions Asked
Differentiation
Morphogenesis Growth Reproduction Evolution Environmental Integration
Cell movements & tissue reorganizations How do differentiated cells move and reorganize during development to generate functional organisms? Major point of study for classical embryology
Developmental Biology is Defined by the Questions Asked
Differentiation
Morphogenesis
Growth Reproduction Evolution Environmental Integration
What are the limiting factors for cell division Allometric growth - varying rates of mitosis in regions of the embryo Isometric growth- equal rates of mitosis throughout embryo
Developmental Biology is Defined by the Questions Asked
Differentiation
Morphogenesis
Growth
Reproduction Evolution Environmental Integration
The germ plasm Gametogenesis - formation and maintenance of pluripotent, haploid germ cells (gametes) Recognition & interaction of gametes at fertilization
Developmental Biology is Defined by the Questions Asked
Differentiation
Morphogenesis
Growth Reproduction
Evolution Environmental Integration
Survivability of evolutionary mutations is limited by restraints of embryogenesis Evolutionary changes must be small changes for the embryo What are the evolutionary relationships between groups of organisms
Developmental Biology is Defined by the Questions Asked
Differentiation
Morphogenesis
Growth Reproduction Evolution
Environmental
Early development of many organisms is influenced by environmental cues Examples: color/shape of butterfly larvae (caterpillars) diapause in invertebrates in vernal pools
Integration
Early Embryologists
Aristotle (300BC) credited with 1st notions on embryology
William Harvey (mid 1600s) hypothesized that all animals originate from an egg Marconi Malpighi (late 1600s) drew 1st micrographs of developing chick embryos ignited debate between preformationist and epigenesists
Preformation vs Epigenesis
Preformation Embryonic structures are preformed within the gamete (either egg or sperm) Epigenesis the embryonic structures arise anew from the interaction of substances within the gametes
Preformation vs Epigenesis
Malpighi found embryonic structures in
unincubated eggs
these eggs were left in the warm sun of southern Italy during the summer months So although they were unincubated, they were not unfertilized and some embryonic development occurred
Malpighis observation spurned the
preformationist
Preformationist vs Epigenesis
Unusual Hypotheses of Preformationists a tiny preformed being present in the gamete
This being would also have even tinier beings within its embryonic germ cells
and those tinier beings would have tinier still beings within their gametes and so on and so on
and so on and so on
and so on and so on
and so on and so on
and so on and so on
Preformation vs Epigenesis
Pervasiveness of preformationist ideas Fertilization had never been observed There was as yet (1600s) no cell theory to give a lower limit to the size a cell could have
The First Embryologists ca1820
Christian Pander visualized epigenesis of embryonic germ layers
Karl Ernst von Baer described notochord, discovered mammalian egg, proposed 4 laws of development Heinrich Rathke described pharyngeal arches, skull formation
First Embryologists
Germ Layers (Pander)
Ernst von Baers Laws
1. general characters of a [genus] appear earlier during development than characters of [species] 2. more specific characters derive from more general characters 3. the embryo of a given species diverges form the adult form of lower animals rather than passing through the adult forms of lower animals 4. early embryos of higher animals never looks like a lower animal, but does resemble the embryo of lower animals
First Embryologists
Rathkes Skull Studies
Lineage Tracing
Observations of pigmented cells in living
Tunicate embryos (E.G. Conklin, 1905)
Conklins Drawings of Tunicate Embryogenesis: Tracing Muscle Lineage
Lineage Tracing in Amphibian Embryos with Vital Dyes
Lineage Tracing in Zebrafish with Fluorescent Dyes
Lineage Tracing in Xenopus with Fluorescent Dyes
