Invertebrate animals span a huge biological realm of form and function, and have evolved many unique characteristics. The wealth of variety within this diverse group not only contributes to the health of the ecosystem, but also provides a virtually unlimited potential for biological discovery. Models for basic research originally included a large number of invertebrates. However,over the past few decades, most research has focused on a limited number of systems, such as flies and worms, for which molecular genetic technology is easily available. Nevertheless, two things have recently changed this focus:the development of RNA interference (RNAi) techniques to perturb gene expression in diverse organisms and a renewed interest in the evolution of developmental mechanisms. One main caveat to being interested in diverse organisms is the comparable paucity of technical information regarding the handling of tissues and cells from these organisms. Knowing where to begin with any new animal system requires...

You do not currently have access to this content.