BIOL332 Embryology (2,2)        3 (Alternate Years) A study of pattern formation and morphogenic processes in animals, with an emphasis on vertebrates. The laboratory portion of the course emphasizes descriptive ontogeny of representative vertebrates. Prerequisites: BIOL131 and BIOL132. (BIOL243 is highly recommended.) I first taught embryology in 1992, and have been fascinated with the 'elegant complexity' of developmental biology ever since.  I focus on developmental processes in lecture while using the laboratory to survey embryological development of selected vertebrates. In response to scheduling overlaps with other microscope-intensive courses, I experimented in the mid 90s with digitizing embryology photomicrographs and teaching the lab using computers rather than  microscopes.  However, imaging systems and  storage capacity were limiting factors, and I ultimately resumed using microscopes. By 2005, advances in technology prompted an updated version of the digital approach to the lab.  I thus began development of the Digital Atlas of Vertebrate Embryology (DAVE).  While my earlier endeaver consisted of approximately 120 representative images from various serial sections, DAVE includes over 5500 images, comprising complete serial sections of each embryo at multiple developmental stages.  Each image is digitally enhanced and incorporated into an interactive Flash© movie.  These movies enable one to quickly locate a specific region of the embryo and then step through section by section.  DAVE also makes it easy to switch between whole mounts, sagittal, transverse, and frontal sections. The difference between DAVE and the earlier version goes beyond mere numbers of images.  By including every image in each serial section and providing tools to move rapidly between images, students acquire a better understanding of the 3-dimensional nature of the embryo – typically the most difficult aspect of this lab. updated 11/18/2010