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Unit 22: Developmental biology
About this unit
This unit is part of the Biology library. Browse videos, articles, and exercises by topic.
How does your body end up with a wide array of cell types, from the smell receptors in your nose to the detoxifying cells in your liver? Learn how cells become more and more specialized over development, taking on the patterns of gene activity that give them their "fate."
Ever seen a fly with legs growing out of its head? How about two newts joined at the belly? If not, read (and watch) on! In this section, we'll explore how molecular signals and transcription factors play key roles in guiding the development of multicellular organisms, and how alterations in these signals can produce starting results.
Did you know that your hands and feet started out like paddles? Your fingers and toes are the result of apoptosis, or the orderly, programmed death of cells. Learn more about apoptosis and how it is important in development (and in the adult body).
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