Strongylocentrotus purpuratus

Strongylocentrotus purpuratus is a purple sea urchin native to the Pacific coast of North America. Its embryos and sequenced genome make it a major model organism in developmental biology.

Sea urchin: A marine echinoderm with a globular body, a rigid test, and movable spines. S. purpuratus is one species within this group of spiny marine invertebrates.
Sea urchin embryogenesis: The sequence of developmental events that transforms a sea urchin egg into a larva. S. purpuratus embryos make these events accessible to experimental study.
Model organism: A species studied intensively to reveal biological processes that inform broader research. S. purpuratus offers accessible embryos, established methods, and a well-studied genome.
Theodor Boveri: A German biologist whose work established that chromosomes carry hereditary information and studied sea urchin development. Boveri used sea urchin embryos in influential experiments on chromosomes and development.
Lytechinus variegatus: A green sea urchin native to the western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, used in developmental research. It is a prominent alternative sea urchin model with a different species and habitat.
Echinoderm: A marine invertebrate in a group that includes sea stars, brittle stars, and sea urchins. Its five-part adult body plan and water vascular system are shared echinoderm traits.
Gene regulatory network: A system of interacting genes and regulatory elements that controls gene expression and cell behavior. Sea urchin experiments helped map networks that direct embryonic cell-fate decisions.
Sea urchin genome project: The research effort that produced and analyzed the Strongylocentrotus purpuratus genome sequence. It established genomic resources that expanded the species’ use in molecular biology.
Sea urchin fertilization: The union of sperm and egg that initiates development in sea urchins. Large, externally fertilized eggs made S. purpuratus a practical subject for early embryology.
Arbacia punctulata: A sea urchin native to the western Atlantic, historically used in fertilization research. Its use in classic fertilization studies contrasts with S. purpuratus’s strong genomic research tradition.

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Sunflower sea starRelated: It is a key prey item whose abundance can rise when sunflower sea stars disappear.