The cell biology and molecular genetics of avian gonadal development

The chicken embryo is a widely used model for vertebrate development. In the field of sex determination, the chicken model has made a major contribution to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underpinning testis versus ovary formation. The over-arching aim of this thesis was to enhance our understanding of gonadal sex differentiation in the avian model. This thesis describes the cell biology and molecular genetics of chicken gonadal development. These results indicate that, just as the genetic trigger for sex differs across vertebrate groups, cell lineage specification in the gonad may also vary substantially.