The regulation of cell growth and proliferation during organogenesis

Abstract

Both growth (increase in mass) and proliferation (increase in cell number) contribute to the formation of multicellular organisms. We would like to understand the mechanisms that normally regulate growth and proliferation because breakdown of these mechanisms may be the basis for uncontrolled growth and proliferation that are associated with cancerous transformation and tumor progression. We review here classical and recent literature from diverse experimental systems that pertains to the regulation of mass and cell number.