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| The Beginning of Life: Sea Urchin fertilisation and development |
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Authors:
Peter Lenart, Alexandra Manaia, Jan Ellenberg (EMBL)
Description:
In this activity the sea urchin is used as a model animal
to gain insight on the process of egg fertilization,
the trigger that initiates life.
The initial steps of development are strikingly similar
within the animal kingdom. Therefore the information
gathered through experimentation in a particular model
can be applied to a large span of organisms, from jellyfish
to humans. Sea urchins are particularly well suited
to study early embryogenesis because fertilization is
external, gametes are of considerable size and are produced
in large quantities, and the embryos are transparent,
allowing direct observation of internal and external
structures.
Sea urchin gametes will be mixed together to initiate
the complex developmental process leading to the formation
of a new organism. You will have the chance to observe,
explore and record the fascinating events occurring
immediately after fertilization – from the block
of polyspermy to the first cell divisions of the embryo
and its initial development.
Objective:
Explore the basic concepts underlying the initial steps
of embryonic development.
Biological Model:
Sea Urchin
Materials:
Protocol:
When sperm meets egg [PDF]
Tutorial
1: Fertilization and block of polyspermy [PDF]
Tutorial
2: Sea urchin early development [PDF]
Results
[PDF]
Glossary
Sea
urchin websites |
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