Explore how a tiny snail’s early cells build a complete animal, from initial cleavage to larval form.
This nonfiction work presents a careful study of the early steps of development in Crepidula, focusing on how the egg divides, how germ layers form, and how the embryo aligns with the future body plan. It compares species, explains key concepts in embryology, and discusses the significance of cleavage and cell lineage for understanding normal and regenerative development. The text emphasizes ground-truth observation and the logical connections between early cell events and later organs.
- How the egg divides and forms distinct cell lineages that become body parts
- Formation of the germ layers and how they relate to the developing embryo
- Development of the velum, shell gland, foot, and other organs
- How orientation, axes, and shell asymmetry arise during early development
Ideal for readers of embryology, Mollusca biology, and students seeking a clear, methodical look at early development.