Early development in Dendraster

These micrographs illustrate interesting features of cleavage stages in the local sand dollar, Dendraster excentricus. Please note: images on this page belong to George von Dassow. You are welcome to use them in your own presentations/lectures as long as you provide an appropriate credit, but please do not use them otherwise without consulting him. All were taken using a 20x multi-immersion lens, mild DIC shading, and QImaging's MicroPublisher camera.

If you prefer, you may download a montage of the entire set, ordered by developmental age, in the following sizes:

The thumbnail images below link to expanded images that will open in a new window, 600 x 700 pixels [approx. 40 KB].

dendraster oocyte 1, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

01-oocyte
(George von Dassow)

dendraster unfertilized, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

02-unfertilized
(George von Dassow)

dendraster fertilized membrane 1, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

03-fertmembrane1
(George von Dassow)

 
dendraster fertilized membrane 2, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

04-fertmembrane2
(George von Dassow)

dendraster fertilized membrane 3, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

05-fertmembrane3
(George von Dassow)

dendraster zygote, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

06-zygote
(George von Dassow)

dendraster spermaster, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

07-spermaster
(George von Dassow)

dendraster pronuclei, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

08-pronuclei
(George von Dassow)

dendraster streak, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

09-streak
(George von Dassow)

dendraster first metaphase, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

10-1stmetaphase
(George von Dassow)

dendraster first anaphase 1, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

11-1stanaphase1
(George von Dassow)

dendraster first anaphase 2, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

12-1stanaphase2
(George von Dassow)

 
dendraster first cleavage 1, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

13-1stcleavage1
(George von Dassow)

dendraster first cleavage 2, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

14-1stcleavage2
(George von Dassow)

dendraster first cleavage 3, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

15-1stcleavage3
(George von Dassow)

dendraster two cells 1, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

16-2cell1
(George von Dassow)

dendraster two cells 2, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

17-2cell2
(George von Dassow)

dendraster second anaphase, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

18-2ndanaphase
(George von Dassow)

dendraster second cleavage, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

19-2ndcleavage
(George von Dassow)

dendraster four cells 1, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

20-4cell1
(George von Dassow)

dendraster four cells 2, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

21-4cell2
(George von Dassow)

 
dendraster third cleavage, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

22-3rdcleavage
(George von Dassow)

dendraster eight cells, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

23-8cell
(George von Dassow)

dendraster fourth cleavage 1, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

24-4thcleavage1
(George von Dassow)

dendraster fourth cleavage 2, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

25-4thcleavage2
(George von Dassow)

dendraster 16 cells, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

26-16cell
(George von Dassow)

dendraster micromeres, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

27-micromeres
(George von Dassow)

dendraster 32 cells 1, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

28-32cell1
(George von Dassow)

dendraster 32 cells 2, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

29-32cell2
(George von Dassow)

dendraster morula 1, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

30-morula1
(George von Dassow)

 
dendraster morula 2, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

31-morula2
(George von Dassow)

dendraster early blastula 1, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

32-earlyblastula1
(George von Dassow)

dendraster early blastula 2, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

33-earlyblastula2
(George von Dassow)

dendraster blastula 1, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

34-blastula1
(George von Dassow)

dendraster blastula 2, thumbnail link to larger image in new window.

35-blastula2
(George von Dassow)


simulations   •   live-label movies   •   time-lapse movies   •   C. elegans   •   Dendraster   •   confocal 3D movies   •   still images   •   green urchin MTs   •   purple urchin MTs   • invert embryology   • plankton   •