The course will follow animal and plant development (invertebrates and vertebrates) from the egg to the embryo to certain specific tissues/organs. Basic concepts of developmental biology as also principles and mechanisms that help form and shape the organism will be taught and discussed. Important concepts in plant and flower development will also be discussed.
- Introduction to positional information, axes, coordinates and morphogen gradients
- Commonly used Experimental methods in developmental biology
- Generation and Interpretation of gradient information and Pattern formation
- Physics and Mathematics of morphogen gradients and their interpretation
- Modes of cell-cell interactions during tissue organization: Self-organization, lateral inhibition, induction, and recruitment
- Growth and differentiation
- Evolution of body plan
- Stem cell biology and tissue repair
- Literature (papers, reviews, lectures) will be made available online and throughout the course recent papers in the area of developmental biology will be read to update the class on recent research discoveries.
- Flower structure
- Plant embryogenesis
- Pattern formation
- Meristems and plant development
- Developmental pathways
kasturi.pal@ashoka.edu.in
