Much of the impetus for studying development of the palate is
derived from observations that its perturbation by environmental
agents produces the congenital malformation, cleft palate. In order to
understand how such agents (termed teratogens) produce the birth
defect, much effort has been expended in understanding the developmental
mechanisms involved in palatogenesis. The objectives of this
volume of Current Topics in Developmental Biology are to describe both
current research in secondary palate development during the time of
growth, reorientation, and fusion of the palate and research on the
mechanisms of some selected teratogens that cause cleft palate