Abstract
A primary question in biology is – how is organ size determined and maintained throughout life? Organ size must be determined by the balance of proliferation/differentiation and apoptosis during development, during which the eventual size is attained. Following this, stem cells must repopulate the differentiated cells to maintain a stereotypical number. In some cases organ size and cell composition can change dependent upon the life-cycle stage of the organism, or in response to the environment. Using the mammalian anterior pituitary gland as a model system, we will attempt to determine the fundamental processes of organ growth and homeostasis.
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