Living organisms, from bacteria to vertebrates, are well known to generate sophisticated multicellular patterns. Numerous recent interdisciplinary studies have focused on the formation and regulation of these structures. Advances in automatized microscopy allow the time-resolved tracking of embryonic development at cellular resolution over an extended area covering most of the embryo. The resul...

The morphological specifications play a substantial role in classification and breeding programs of various plant taxa. In the current study, some macro- and micro-morphological features of Salvia nemorosa, Salvia syriaca, Salvia frigida and Salvia virgata (three accessions), were investigated using scanning electron microscopy and image analysis program. The completely randomized design (CRD) ...

The haploid-diploid life cycle of the filamentous brown alga Ectocarpus involves alternation between two independent and morphologically distinct multicellular generations, sporophyte gametophyte. Deployment developmental program requires TALE homeodomain transcription factors OUROBOROS SAMSARA. In addition, generation has been shown to secrete a diffusible factor that can induce uni-spores swi...

Cnidarians are phylogenetically basal members of the animal kingdom (>600 million years old). Together with plants they share some remarkable features that cannot be found in higher animals. Cnidarians and plants exhibit an almost unlimited regeneration capacity and immortality. Immortality can be ascribed to the asexual mode of reproduction that requires cells with an unlimited self-renewal ca...

W ithout bacteria, life on earth could not exist in its present form. Bacteria are key play­ ers in many geochemical processes, including the fundamental nitrogen, carbon and sulfur cycles, which are critical to the circulation of life's basic elements. If these processes were to grind to a halt, the planet's soils, wa­ ters and atmosphere would become inhospitable for life. Yet in spite of suc...

This paper describes experiments performed using a multicellular test-bed, the Evolutionary Developmental System (EDS). The EDS is an objectoriented model of biological development designed for the study of 3D multicellular development and differentiation. Genetic regulatory networks are used to specify and control the construction of varied multicellular morphologies. The construction of these...