Invertebrate and Vertebrate Development
Students will be able to generally describe the early development (from fertilization to axis formation) of one invertebrate and one vertebrate model organism.
Embryonic Development
Students will be able to generally describe the concepts of cellular competence, induction, specification, commitment and differentiation in embryonic development.
Organogenesis
Students will be able to give two examples of organogenesis, including genes and signal transduction pathways that lead to organ system formation.
Embryonic Patterning
Students will be able to explain embryonic patterning, using examples that include genes known to act in patterning events.
Interdisciplinary Developmental Biology
Students will be able to explain at least two concepts in developmental biology that overlap with other sciences, such as stem cell research, cancer research, evolutionary sciences, or neuroscience.
Research and Literature Summary
Students will be able to discern and summarize the current state of knowledge on a given topic, construct pioneering research questions on that topic, and propose experiments aimed at answering those questions.