Gastrulation is an inherently complicated process involving a well-orchestrated series of collective cellular behaviours that lead to the emergence of the body plan of the organism. A convenient method to explore the mechanical and chemical interactions that underpin this process, is to isolate specific tissues and to allow them to develop in isolation or in a novel environment. These approaches are the essence of experimental embryology and have enabled an understanding of the underlying principles of embryogenesis, in a way that observation alone could not. The recent rise of 3D culture systems using Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs) has enabled the extension of this approach to mammalian systems. Here, we argue that these ESC based methods are consistent with the program of experimental embryology, and discuss the insights that can be gained from this perspective, particularly focussing the process of gastrulation and the associated emergence of the body plan.

中文翻译：

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原肠胚形成实验：多能干细胞作为一种新的模型系统。

原肠胚形成是一个内在复杂的过程，涉及一系列精心策划的集体细胞行为，这些行为导致生物体的身体计划的出现。探索支撑该过程的机械和化学相互作用的一种方便方法是分离特定组织并允许它们在隔离或新环境中发育。这些方法是实验胚胎学的精髓，使人们能够以单独观察无法理解的方式理解胚胎发生的基本原理。最近使用胚胎干细胞 (ESC) 的 3D 培养系统的兴起使这种方法能够扩展到哺乳动物系统。在这里，我们认为这些基于 ESC 的方法与实验胚胎学程序一致，