Integration of Embryology and Molecular Biology

To understand how structural birth defects arise in humans, it is essential to have not only a detailed knowledge of descriptive embryology, but also a comprehensive knowledge of the molecular genetic mechanisms underlying embryonic development. The understanding of birth defects provides a practical reason for the medical or dental student to learn human embryology. To understand the molecular genetic basis of embryology, the student must understand the basic principles of cell and molecular biology and must learn the relevant signaling pathways, animal models, and experimental approaches used in developmental biology. Some examples of how this material is taught to medical and dental students in human embryology courses to gain a molecular genetic understanding of normal and abnormal development will be presented. For disclosure purposes, Dr. Schoenwolf is the senior author of the 4 th Edition of Larsen's Human Embryology. Examples will be chosen from this text.