Growth and Development

Course Description

This is a professional core course designed to help students understand the growth and development of organisms from varied taxa. We investigate the varied processes involved from fertilization up until birth, and the role of hormones during this process. Students are introduced to the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie early organismal development with a focus placed on the genes and proteins involved in controlling the behavior of cells in the processes of differentiation, morphogenesis, and growth. Developmental mechanisms and processes are examined in genetic model organisms such as the fruit fly (D. melanogaster) and the worm (C. elegans) as well as in vertebrates such as the frog (X. laevis), chicken, mouse, and humans.