DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
Assigned Questions, Fall 2008

Aug 29 (chapters 1 and 2: pp 3-23, 25-26)

  1. Outline the basic steps in development (chapter 2, pages 25-26).
  2. Compare epigenesis with preformation.  How does this relate to current thinking?
  3. What are the primary germ layers and what types of structures do they develop into?
  4. What is a fate map?  Describe one method for determining a fate map.
  5. Describe von Baer's principles.  What might these principles say about the progress of evolutionary development?
  6. What basic cellular processes result in morphogenesis in epithelial and mesenchymal cells?
  7. Define homology and analogy.  Give an example of each.
  8. What is a teratogen?  Why does a teratogen have a different effect depending on when it is present?
  9. How can Turing's reaction-diffusion model result in pattern formation?

Sept 03 (chapter 3: pages 49-66)

  1. Discuss one example of how the environment affects development.
  2. Describe autonomous specification and discuss one example.
  3. What is syncitial specification?
  4. Describe conditional specification.  Why did Roux's experiments suggest autonomous specification while Driesch's suggested conditional?
  5. Define prospective fate, prospective potency.
  6. What are morphogens?  What effect does a gradient of these have?  Discuss the experiments demonstrating Nodal's action in zebrafish.
  7. What is a morphogenetic field? 

Sept 05 (chapter 3: pages 66-74; Chapter 4: pp 81-83)

  1. Define stem cells.  Differentiate between pluripotent stem cells, committed stem cells and progenitor cells.
  2. What are the basic questions to be asked in regards to morphogenesis?
  3. Describe the reconstitution experiments that support the differential affinity hypothesis.
  4. How does the thermodynamic model explain the reconstitution experiments?
  5. Discuss the structure of cadherins and how they function, in general. Choose two types of cadherins and describe their use.
  6. Give a developmental example of how cadherins are used in morphogenesis.
  7. What is nuclear totipotency? 
  8. Describe the process of amphibian cloning.  How successful is it? 

Sept 08 (chapter 4: pp 83-98)

  1. How was Dolly cloned?  What mammals have been cloned? How perfect of a copy is a cloned mammal?
  2. Discuss some benefits and some potential problems of animal cloning.
  3. What is differential gene expression?  What are the 3 postulates regarding differential gene expression?
  4. Read about polytene chromosomes and how they support the idea of differential gene expression.
  5. Read website section 4.5 (don't write and answer) about how the immunoglobulin genes provide an exception to the rule of nuclear totipotency.
  6. What is a Northern blot, RT-PCR, microarray, and in situ hybridization?  How can these be used to demonstrate differential gene expression?
  7. How are embryonic stem cells are derived?
  8. What are chimeric, transgenic and knockout animals and how can they be used to study the function of a gene during development?
  9. How can RNA expression be blocked?  Why would you do this?

Sept 10

Sept 12

Sept 15

Sept 17

Sept 19

Sept 22

Sept 24: No Questions; Exam I

Sept 26

Sept 29

Oct 01

Oct 03

Oct 06

Oct 08

Oct 10

Oct 13

Oct 15: No Questions; Exam II

Oct 17: No Class; Reading Day

Oct 20

Oct 22

Oct 24

Oct 27

Oct 29

Oct 31

Nov 03

Nov 05

Nov 07

Nov 10

Nov 12: No Questions; Exam III

Nov 14

Nov 17

Nov 19

Nov 21

Nov 24

Nov 26

Nov 28: No Class; Thanksgiving Break

Dec 01

Dec 03

Dec 05