Chapter 17 Time–Lapse Cinephotomicrography, Videography, and Videomicrography of the Avian Blastoderm

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the time-lapse cinephotomicrography, videography, and videomicrography of the avian blastoderm. Morphogenetic movements can be revealed by time-lapse cinephotomicrography or videography. Time-lapse cinephotomicrography or videography is now in widespread use in research and is an essential tool in the modern teaching of developmental biology. The goal of the research is to understand the mechanisms and dynamics of morphogenetic movements during gastrulation and neurulation. For the study described in the chapter, the setups for time-lapse videography and videomicrography were developed. Videography has superseded cinephotomicrography because sequences are copied faster, tape does not break as easy as film and does not scratch, video sequences can be observed forward and backward and as still images, and editing video sequences is less time-consuming. Video registrations have led to the new concept of mitotic pressure as a major mechanism of morphogenetic movements during gastrulation and neurulation. Video registration is a basic technique in the study of developmental biology as only video registration allows morphogenetic movements to be observed directly. It allows access to the fourth dimension: the evolution of shape in time, as morphogenesis may be called.