RUI: Reciprocal Thyroidal/Melatonin Influences During Development

变形是一个发展过程， 以非生殖器官的形态和生理变化为特征 新的生态位的占用。 在两栖动物中，变态的内部和外部变化 发生在时间关系中，似乎取决于 血液中甲状腺激素水平逐渐升高。 此外，变质事件发生的速率也是 受环境因素的影响，如每天的变化， 光明与黑暗 由于褪黑激素，一种产生和 由松果体分泌，在信号传递中起着重要作用 光周期变化，赖特博士将确定它是否 与甲状腺激素相互作用， 过程 使用体外和体内方法，她将 研究昼夜节律对相互的影响， 褪黑素和甲状腺激素之间的相互作用 蝌蚪的发育 两栖动物作为主要的模型， 胚胎学和发育研究以及绝大多数 我们对两栖动物发育生物学的了解 直接适用于我们对人类发展的理解。 因此，这些结果可能会提供新的见解， 激素在早期发育中的作用 此外，调查结果 将与保护生物多样性有关， 确定影响的环境和激素因素 发展可能有助于理解最近全球 两栖动物种群 Wright博士负责这项研究 在本科院校，因此，一个主要目标， 这个项目是要把学生引入科学过程 并为他们的专业科学生涯做好准备。

Metamorphosis is a developmental process that is characterized by changes in form and physiology of non-reproductive structures to allow for the occupation of new ecological niches. In amphibians, the internal and external changes of metamorphosis occur in temporal relationships that appear to depend on a progressively-rising level of thyroid hormones in the blood. Moreover, the rate at which metamorphic events occur is also influenced by environmental factors such as the daily changes of light and darkness. Since melatonin, a hormone produced and secreted by the pineal gland, plays a major role in signalling photoperiodic changes, Dr. Wright will determine whether it interacts with thyroid hormone in the regulation of the metamorphic process. Using both in vitro and in vivo approaches, she will examine the influence of circadian rhythms on the reciprocal interactions between melatonin and thyroid hormones in the development of the tadpole. Amphibians serve as primary models for embryological and developmental studies and the vast majority of what we have learned about the developmental biology of amphibians is directly applicable to our understanding of human development. Therefore, these results are likely to provide new insights into the role of hormones in early development. Moreover, the findings will be related to conservation of biological diversity since identifying the environmental and hormonal factors that influence development may help in understanding the recent global decline in amphibian populations. Dr. Wright is supervising this research at an undergraduate institution and, therefore, a major goal of this project is to introduce students into the scientific process and to prepare them for professional scientific careers.