Developmental Biology
This MIT OpenCourseWare course examines the molecular mechanisms that regulate animal development, aimed at graduate and advanced undergraduate students. Lectures and literature discussions cover early body plan formation, cell type determination, organogenesis, morphogenesis, stem cells, and cloning, with emphasis on evolutionary mechanisms and relevant human diseases. Vertebrate models (mouse, chick, frog, fish) and invertebrate models (fly, worm) are used to illustrate developmental processes. Materials include lecture notes, readings drawn from primary research literature, and assignments, published under MIT's open license for free use. The course is designed for students who already have a foundation in molecular and cell biology and want a deeper look at how genetic programs build complex organisms, and how disruptions in those programs cause disease.