Gene Differentiation & Gamete Biology

Introduction to  animal development

• Problems  and scope of developmental biology
• Development in unicellular eukaryotes
• Developmental patterns in Metazoans

Developmental mechanism of evolutionary changes

Spermatogenesis

Oogenesis & vitellogenesis

• Morphology
• Endocrinology
• Ovarian follicular growth and differentiation

Ovulation and ovum transport in mammals

Fertilization

Creating multicellularity

• Cleavage types and Blastulation
• Gastrulation in tetrapods

Early Vertebrate development(till differentiation)

• Neurulation and ectoderm

Mesoderm and endoderm

Cytoplasmic determinants and autonomous cell specification

• Cell commitment and differentiation
• Cell specification in nematodes
• Germ cell determinants
• Germ cell migration
• Progressive cell -cell interaction

Body axes

• Establishment of body axis in mammals and birds
• Genetics of axis specifications in Drosophila

Homeobox concept

Tetrapod limb development

• Specification of the Limb feids:Hox genes and Retinoic acid
• Induction of the early Limb bud : Fibroblast Growth factors
• Specification of Forelimb or Himdlimb:Tbx4 and Tbx5
• Induction of the apical Ectodermal ridge
• Generating the Proximal –Distal axis of the limb
• Specification of the Anterior –Posterior limb
• Generation of  the Dorsal –Ventral axis of the limb
• Cooordination of the three axis
• Cell Death and the formation of the digits and Joints

Hormones as mediators of development

• Amphibians Metamorphosis: Morphological Changes, Biochemical Changes associated with metamorphosis and Hormonal Control
• Insect Metamorphosis: Types of insect metamorphosis, Hormonal control

Chromosomal sex determination in mammals: Testis determining genes, Ovarian genes

Secondary sex determination in mammals

Environmental sex determination

 Significance of  Stem Cells

Teratology