Royal Institution Christmas Lectures - Life Fantastic (2013) Part 1 Where Do I Come From?

Dr Alison Woollard explores the frontiers of developmental biology.

Part 1: Where Do I Come From?

Dr Alison Woollard from the University of Oxford reveals just how the incredible transformation from a single cell into a walking, talking, multi-trillion-celled organism that we call the human body takes place. Using live experiments she shows how each of those trillions of cells knows what to do, when to do it and how to organise themselves to carry out vital specialist roles in the body. In the lecture theatre we witness the creation of life, following the 'real-time' embryonic development of a tiny worm on its journey to adulthood. Alison is passionate about what these tiny creatures can tell us about developmental biology. Joining her on this journey is Sir Paul Nurse, who won his Nobel Prize for his work on yeast. Such organisms may seem a long way from us, yet by understanding how cells divide and function, they have helped scientists make significant advances in the treatment of cancers.

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