BIOMG 6850

Developmental Biology

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2025-2026 Catalog.

This course is primarily concerned with the causal basis of developmental events, mainly focusing on animal development. We will be learning how a fertilized egg becomes an animal. Topics covered will include embryonic organization, role of genes in development, inductive interactions, morphogenesis and pattern formation. Subject matter will include not only what we know about development but also how we learned it.

Prerequisites/Corequisites Prerequisite: BIOMG 2800 or permission of instructor.

Last 4 Terms Offered 2025FA, 2024FA, 2023FA, 2021FA

Outcomes

• Explain the pros and cons of the major animal model systems used in development biology, such as C. elegans, Drosophila, amphibians, fish, mouse, and human cells.
• Understand the nature of experimental research as the basis for our current understanding in developmental biology.
• Interpret results of developmental biology experiments, and draw conclusions from them.
• Describe general developmental mechanisms, including terms and concepts of developmental biology (e.g., induction, autonomous specification, morphogens, differential adhesion, etc.).
• Discuss biological information that underlies ethical issues such as stem cells and human cloning.
• Read critically primary literature on a chosen topic through literature enrichment exercises.

When Offered Fall.

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