Series

Building a Body

Multicellular organisms evolved over millennia into a dazzling array of differently adapted creatures. With each generation, tiny worms, lavishly plumed birds, and even humans must create themselves anew from a single cell. To do so, they require a plan. This multimedia story collection explores the myriad of ways in which an organism's development is orchestrated. Click the links below to read and watch.

Four lab animals — a fly, a plant, a planarian and a zebra fish — wear hardhats and look at blueprints.

Multimedia stories

The blueprint of a body

Evolution + Development

July 20, 2022

An intricate set of processes govern how cells know where to go and what to become during development. In this article, learn how Whitehead Institute researchers are investigating the various biological mechanisms that serve as the architects of life forms.

Illustration of egg with sperm swimming toward it

Sharing the blueprints for the next generation

Development and regeneration

July 12, 2022

Human body development starts with one fertilized egg cell, but that’s not really the beginning of the story. Long before sperm meets egg, the bodies that will make them have been preparing to create the next generation—in fact, they have been preparing since they themselves were embryos.

An illustration of a two-headed scientist, one head looking at a microscope and the other listening to a patient's chest with a stethoscope.

When the blueprint shifts: research at Whitehead Institute into developmental disorders, diseases, and differences

Development and regeneration

July 25, 2022

Whitehead Institute research projects continue to provide important insights into human biology, and they are paving the way for future treatments to address developmental disorders and diseases.

How plants manage difficult decisions

Plant Biology

July 27, 2022

Plants may not “think” the way humans do, but they have a trick up their sleeves when it comes to making decisions. In this installment of our Building a Body story collection, learn about how plants decide when to sprout, when to flower, and how to create seeds that grow into the next generation.

"Mapping" the body with single-cell RNA sequencing

July 27, 2022

Single-cell RNA sequencing allows scientists to capture unique gene expression information in dozens, hundreds, or even hundreds of thousands of cells. Learn how Whitehead Institute scientists are applying this technology to a variety of model organisms to uncover a rich diversity of cells.