Basic concepts of development : Potency, commitment, specification, induction, competence,
determination and differentiation; morphogenetic gradients; cell fate and cell
lineages; stem cells; genomic equivalence and the cytoplasmic determinants;
imprinting; mutants and transgenics in analysis of development
Gametogenesis, fertilization and early development: Production of gametes,
cell surface molecules in sperm-egg recognition in animals; embryo sac
development and double fertilization in plants; zygote formation, cleavage,
blastula formation, embryonic fields, gastrulation and formation of germ layers
in animals; embryogenesis, establishment of symmetry in plants; seed formation
and germination.
Morphogenesis and organogenesis in animals : Cell aggregation and
differentiation in Dictyostelium;
axes and pattern formation in Drosophila,
amphibia and chick; organogenesis – vulva formation in Caenorhabditis elegans, eye lens induction,
limb development and regeneration in vertebrates; differentiation of neurons,
post embryonic development- larval formation, metamorphosis; environmental regulation
of normal development; sex determination.
Morphogenesis and organogenesis in plants: Organization of shoot and root apical meristem;
shoot and root development; leaf development and phyllotaxy; transition to flowering,
floral meristems and floral development in Arabidopsis
and Antirrhinum
Programmed cell death, aging and senescence