Developmental Biology M - Z

The course aims to provide an in-depth knowledge on the general characteristics and significance of the different stages of embryonic development in invertebrates and Vertebrates; the mechanisms underlying cell differentiation are also considered. The course also includes a descriptive analysis of the early stages of embryonic development of some invertebrate and vertebrate organisms used as a model of study.

Lessons and labs.

Should teaching be carried out in mixed mode or remotely, it may be necessary to introduce changes with respect to previous statements, in line with the programme planned and outlined in the syllabus.

Learning assessment may also be carried out on line, should the conditions require it.

The origins of developmental biology. Reproduction: meaning and methods. General characteristics and significance of meiosis and mitosis. Spermatogenesis and spermiogenesis. Morphology and structure of the spermatozoon. Capacitation. Oogenesis. Interaction between oocyte and accessory cells. Organization of the egg cell and its maturation. Types of egg and ovular coatings. Fertilization: general characteristics. Mechanisms of interaction between gametes: recognition between sperm and egg; attraction of the spermatozoon; sperm activation. Contact and fusion of gametes. Notes on in vitro fertilization. The metabolic activation of the egg and its meaning: early reactions and late reactions. Phosphatidylinositol cascade. Cytoplasmic determinants: their genesis and segregation during egg activation of Nematodes, Insects, Mollusks, Echinoderms, Tunicates and Amphibians. Segmentation: holoblastic (radial, spiral, bilateral and rotational) and meroblastic (discoid and superficial). Distribution of cytoplasmic determinants during segmentation. Types of blastules: celoblastule and sterroblastule; presumptive territories. Gastrulation. The morphogenetic movements. The embryonic sheets and their derivatives. Neurulation and formation of the general plan of the body. Early stages of the embryonic development of: sea urchin, amphioxus, amphibians, birds and mammals. The embryonic annexes. Cell differentiation mechanisms: preformism and epigenesis. Germ plasma theory. Mosaic and regulatory development: polyembryony. Primary and secondary induction: organizers and competence; regional specificity of induction; molecular mechanisms of induction. Center of Nieuwkoop and induction of the mesoderm. Nuclear transplants: general information. Equivalence of the genome and differential gene expression.

Developmental Biology, Developmental Biology, Scott F. Gilbert, Michael J. F. Barresi, 2016, ISBN: 9781605354705

Notes provided by professor