The avian embryo in fetal alcohol research.

The avian embryo has proven utility for studying ethanol's damaging effects upon the embryo. Chicken and quail are long-established models for developmental biology research; much of what we know regarding limb, craniofacial, neural crest, hindbrain, and cardiac morphogenesis was first established with avian models. These models also are for popular mechanistic studies of teratogens, including ethanol. Avian models have been used to explore ethanol's effects on neurogenesis, cardiogenesis, intracellular signaling, neurobehavior, and apoptosis. Presented here are several of these methodologies for adaptation by interested researchers.