Wnt/Β-Catenin Signaling Pathway Analysis

2) Why are onion root tip and whitefish blastula areas that are ideal to view mitosis?

Using these three articles (or more), you should tell the story of the discovery and developmental function (including the relevant signaling pathway) -

The octopus has several main organs that are vital to its survival; the brain for its intelligence; the ink sack for its defense; and the arms for capturing its prey. This paper will discuss these different organs and how they have evolved physiologically to its environment.

I learned to read through current literature that combines theories from fluid dynamics to understand morphogenesis. Based on these findings, we discussed the ramifications and potential for the future and what it means to understand these systems from these approaches. All in all, I have come to have a greater appreciation and interest in integrating these different tools towards

animal in the early stages of growth when it’s basic structure and organ development is forming.

MacKay JO, Soanes KH, Srivastava A, Simmonds A, Brook WJ, Bell JB. An in vivo analysis of the vestigial gene in Drosophila melanogaster defines the domains required for Vg function. Genetics. 2003;163(4):1365-1373.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a cellular process that is essential for normal processes in many organisms, including embryonic development and wound healing, and is recapitulated in human disease, contributing to organ fibrosis and cancer progression (Thiery et al. 2009; Yang and Weinberg 2008). EMT describes the conversion of a cell with an epithelial phenotype to one with mesenchymal characteristics and can be a partial or complete transformation. Epithelial cells form the borders of tissues and organs, and are characterized by apical-basal polarity, contact with a basement membrane, and strong adherence to other epithelial cells through intercellular junctions including adherens junctions, tight junctions, and desmosomes. Conversely, mesenchymal cells have front-rear polarity and generally lack cell-cell contact, allowing them to be motile. During human embryonic development, EMT is essential for the formation of a variety of tissues, including mesoderm, neural crest, somites, palate, pancreas, liver, reproductive tracts, and heart valves (Thiery et al. 2009; Yang and Weinberg 2008). After development, partial EMT also contributes to wound healing (Thiery et al. 2009). However, EMT can also play a more insidious role by factoring into tumour progression.

gills sprouting small feather-like appendages. Although colloquially known as a ‘walking fish’, it is in fact

Brine shrimp are used as live food for aquatic life in aquariums. Brine shrimp are usually easy to hatch out, but water types may make a difference in their viability. This study is being conducted in order to see if there is any significant difference in the types of water used in hatching out brine shrimp eggs. In which type of water do brine shrimp eggs hatch best? By studying the different types of water that could be used and knowing which one provides a better hatch rate, a benefit will be seen by using the best type of water to hatch out future brine shrimp. I believe this project will set out to prove that brine shrimp eggs will hatch best in ocean water.

The following section was entitled “What Does Developement Tell Us,” and in it, Jeffery described the developmental phases of Astyanax because “evolutionary changes proceed through alterations in development.” By describing the different phases, Jeffery was able to point out the places where the development of the eyes in cavefish morphologies is different from the surface-dwelling fish. The first phase of eye development in both forms of the Astyanax is the appearance of optic vesicles, and with this appearance and other simultaneous mechanisms, the eye primordia, consisting of the lens vesicle, an optic cup with an inner retinal layer and an outer retinal pigment epithelium layer, and optic stalk, forms. I found it extremely important

Using a sea urchin, showed that each cell in the early embryo can grow into a full organism because it has its own set of genetic makeup

Exogenous feeding signals trigger the transition from prolarval to larval stage. The anal plug is shed and the post-yolk sac larva (22 mm) can be identified by the prominent lateral band extending the entire length of the body.

However males can fertilize multiple females before dying. Females lay seven to eight eggs within a capsule and deposit such capsules on the substrate. Egg capsules are common among other squid and resemble pods of plants; the amount of eggs present in each capsule is usually more abundant in other species of squid. After hatching from the capsules, the juveniles reach maturity in approximately 6 months. The female finds a mate by picking the largest male, then the male swims around the female until she accepts him. The male attaches a sticky patch of sperm to female’s body, later the female takes the packet and places it into her semnal receptacle, then dies. When a reef squid is in danger, it squirts out ink to distract the enemy then jets away. The Caribbean Reef squid mostly resembles the Cuttle Fish; they’re usually green or brown while the ventral is camouflage. For camouflage and for surprisingly complex communication Reef Squid can rapidly change skin color and pattern by sending nerve pulses to receptors called chromatophores. For example, if a female squid were alarmed by a male squid attempting to mate, the female squid would change to a different color, while the male squid would jet water towards her to try to calm

It’s completely dark and the ocean wind sends chills through every layer of my clothing- the biologist leading our team packs up his drill and finishes his evaluation of that night’s horseshoe crab mark- and- recapture event. I aimlessly scan the sand around my feet and am taken aback by something noticeably different; virtually indistinguishable from the sand are tiny, pale green horseshoe crab eggs- millions of them among huge stretches in every direction. Inspecting a few of the paler eggs, I was shocked to see that within each was a nearly microscopic, moving embryo of the arthropods. Never was I more aware of the sheer abundance of life around me than in that moment, something that will remain as a source of inspiration for many years

The zebrafish, another marine model organism, was also selected due to its short life cycle and rapid embryological development. Moreover, the zebrafish have nearly transparent embryo cells, making the embryos easily accessible, and allowing developmental events to be easily observed. As a result of numerous similarities in development when compared to other vertebrates, the zebrafish has solidified its position as a model organism. Most importantly, the zebrafish is an effective model organism because both experimental embryologic methods and genetic analysis can be easily applied to it (Grunwald and Eisen 2002).