Presented below is a color mapped image of a Drosophila embryo, featuring stripes of the engrailed gene, which circle the embryo. The engrailed gene helps to direct fruit fly wing development, and mutations in this gene can affect how the wings appear in adult flies.

Fruit Fly Embryo Color Mapped Specimen: Drosophila Embryo Technique: Fluorescence (Color Mapped)

Embryonic development takes place in four distinct stages. First, the cleavage stage involves mitosis, or the separation of the duplicates of each cell's chromosomes. Next, patterning occurs as the cells organize themselves in layers. Third, the cells differentiate to form the specialized structures with specific functions that will be carried out in adulthood. Finally, once cell differentiation is complete, a period of continued growth follows.