2000 Volume 40 Issue 3-4 Pages 158-165
A questionnaire survey on high school biology education revealed that university students felt difficulties in the understanding of normal amphibian development and of the significance of fate maps, probably due to a lack of adequate teaching materials. In order to improve these conditions, I drew 3-dimensional fate maps of newt gastrulae and visualized movements of presumptive areas during gastrulation. These figures clearly showed that the presumptive areas of ectodermal organs gradually enlarged to cover the whole surface of the embryo and that those of mesodermal organs moved inside of the embryo to underlie the ectoderm by the end of the neurula stage. Another questionnaire survey suggested that the constructed 3-dimensional figures would work as an effective teaching material. The presented figures were discussed in relation to student’s understanding of the concept of fate maps, presumptive areas and determination.
