Developmental biology has undergone rapid growth in recent years and is becoming a central organizing discipline that links cells and molecular biology, evolution, anatomy and medicine. We are now beginning to have a molecular understanding of fascinating questions such as how cells decide their fate, how patterns are created, how male and females are distinguished, and how organisms came to be different. We have also discovered how the misregulation of important development regulatory genes can lead to a variety of known cancers and degenerative diseases in humans. In this course we will examine these and related topics combining a rich classical literature with modern genetic and molecular analyses. Format: lecture/discussion/laboratory, six hours per week. Evaluation will be based on hour exams, short papers, and a final exam. Prerequisites: Biology 202 or permission of instructor. Enrollment limit: 24 (expected: 15).