This free online course takes you through the captivating development of animals and plants. We lay out the scope of developmental biology and explain topics like the biology of regeneration, asexual reproduction, metamorphosis and the growth and differentiation of stem cells in adult organisms. Biologists appreciate how developmental biology informs our understanding of evolution. Do you want to answer questions that have puzzled scientists for years? This course helps you to do so and examines cell division and organization into structures such as limbs and brains before delving into the causes of congenital disabilities. These topics illustrate the importance of developmental biology.

We then trace the development of species through the ages. Developmental biology seeks to answer some of humanity’s most asked questions regarding life. We explain how a fertilized egg becomes an adult and how adults produce eggs. Have you ever wondered why males don't produce eggs and how our biological sexes are decided? This course takes you through the life cycles and evolution of developmental patterns and differential gene expression to make clear the biological distinctions between healthy and unhealthy states. We study the work of famous scientists who paved the way for contemporary biology and examine their experimental methods to understand the role of trial and error in research.

Developmental biology remains crucial to finding solutions for diseases and medical conditions like infertility, neonatal mortality and congenital disabilities. In earlier times, many people died of what we now call the ‘common’ cold as the fight against disease focused on superstition, myth and religion. Our ancestors had little understanding of how the body works so many women died at childbirth and children born with defects were not accepted. Developmental biology offers solutions to such problems, for example through vaccines. This course suits anyone curious about how the human body functions, especially those considering a medical field. Sign up to join the search for answers to the eternal questions about the nature of life itself and learn how such research can keep us healthy in the future.