The course aims at providing knowledge on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of the development of invertebrates and vertebrates. Starting from morphological and functional aspects of animals, a description of the different patterns of embryonic developmental and information on the main genetic and molecular control mechanisms will be provided. The significance of biological cycles and experimental animal models will be illustrated and the relationships between embryonic development and evolution will be analyzed.
The analysis of the cellular components, extracellular matrix, cellular differentiation and then of the processes that drive the structural organization of the animal body will allow the student to develop conceptual abilities that will enable him to obtain an integrated view of cellular functioning depending on the degree of differentiation. The student will be able to independently investigate the processes by which genes regulate cellular activity during differentiation and development. Moreover, he will acquire the ability to evaluate and elaborate the international literature on developmental biology.

At the end of the course the student will acquire skills on some fundamental topics for a biologist as to evaluate the organization of animals, to describe the mechanism used for the development of an organism, to understand the cellular, molecular, and genetic mechanisms that lead to the development of the main animal models, and to correlate the organizational plan of the main body structures to adaptive and evolutionary aspects.