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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2009 Oct 11.
Published in final edited form as: Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol. 2009;25:197–220. doi: 10.1146/annurev.cellbio.24.110707.175242

Figure 1. The development of Drosophila imaginal discs.

Figure 1

Larval development begins at 24 hours after egg laying (AEL). Top panels, larvae from each of the three instars are shown above. Larval instars are designated by L1, L2, and L3 and the approximate time of molting is noted. Puparium formation (PF) begins at approximately 120 hours AEL (in animals raised at 25°C). L3 larvae are noted by dotted box. Bottom panels, L3 wing discs dissected from L3 larvae at the times indicated below. The wing disc grows rapidly and increases its size through cell proliferation, and patterning of cell fates occurs simultaneously. At wandering stage the growth of the wing disc slows, and the larva forms a puparium in response to hormones. The final size of the wing is largely determined by the time the animal enters pupal development.