Book Description
The Eighth Edition of Developmental Biology expands itscoverage of the mechanisms of development, the roles that environmentalfactors play in development, the medical applications of our knowledge ofdevelopment, and the roles that development plays in evolution,highlighting all the incredible advances that have been made in the lastthree years. Written primarily for undergraduate biology majors, it alsoserves to introduce graduate students and medical students to developmentalbiology.

A completely updated text integrates classical developmental biology withcontemporary techniques, including new material on: stem cells niches;microRNAs; sperm-egg attraction and binding; induction and maintenance ofpluripotency; pioneer transcription factors and the recruitment ofnucleosome remodeling proteins; left-right gene expression asymmetry; heartchamber specification; neural crest cell specification and differentiation;somite formation; human brain growth genes; the syndetome; new sources ofmuscle precursor cells; newly discovered mechanisms of teratogenesis; theeffects of endocrine disruptors on human development; sex determinationpathways in the brain; the effects of maternal nutrition on gene expressionand disease susceptibility in the adult offspring; controversies over digitspecification in birds and dinosaurs and whether mammalian blastomere fateis biased at the first division; and much more. Included with every copy of the book is Vade Mecum2: An Interactive Guideto Developmental Biology. In addition to a wealth of interactive content,this updated version includes a new Teachers' and Student's Resource withPowerPoint® slides of chick whole mounts and serial sections. A searchablePDF file on the CD contains full citations for the book's literature cited,with links to PubMed. The CD also includes Mary Tyler's laboratory manual,Developmental Biology: A Guide for Experimental Study, Third Edition, inelectronic (PDF) format. textbook and provides more information for advanced students, historical,philosophical, and ethical perspectives on issues in developmental biology,movies, interviews, Web links, and updates. The website includes the fullbibliography of literature cited in the book (over 5,000 references), mostof which are linked to their PubMed citations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

It is impossible.
I had this mail to review a book that I would love to read. However I still did not receive it. And nobody is able to explain what happened to my book that bought the book in August. It will be my last purchaise at amazon.

Comprehensive, interesting and well illustrated
With a clear prose and a CD with links to all source material, this book is agreat source for any biologist interested in the development of organisms, and how it was all figured out.

Needs streamlining
This book is a decent developmental textbook, but it focuses too little on explanation and too much on storytelling.While this style is appropriate in group talks, it wastes time when someone is trying to learn quickly and makes it difficult to find the useful pieces of information.The only way I have been able to use this book is with a highlighter at all times.

The text could also benefit from a reorganization.It seems that in order to get a good picture of the pathways that are recurring themes in development, one has to read the book out of order, and that can be confusing.

Other than that, it is factually accurate for the most part and has a sturdy binding, so it will last.The paper it's printed on isn't too great and ink/highlighter can show through, but not too badly.

Overall this is a good introduction to developmental biology, but it is not very useful as a quick reference or for someone trying to learn a specific organism quickly.

great
This book is easy to follow with great details about techniques and special topics in embryology. The CD is of great use for class and lab.

miss
This book offers a nice historical look at biology, but very little (if anything) about embryology is covered.The same can be said for the important development of anatomy.Sometimes it's best to read other reviews to find out if purchasing a book is the right decision or not.In this case, listen to the negative reviews.They're correct. ... Read more

Book Description
Fred Wilt and Sarah Hake's Principles of Developmental Biology is a modern new text for the undergraduate course in developmental biology, informed by the molecular and cell biology revolutions that have changed the field over the last fifteen years. Designed for the one-semester undergraduate course, Principles of Developmental Biology stresses fundamental concepts, a select number of instructive experiments and cases, and contemporary research in its historical context. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

short and to the point!
This is a great textbook for developmental biology students, or for people looking for general information on the subject!The text contains background "boxes" with information on genetics and biochemistry so you dont really need background knowledge in those subjects to understand the content of the book.It is short, so it doesn't go into too much detail but there's enough information to understand the concepts!This text is not like most texts where they are so boring and hard to read that you just give up.It's fairly easy reading and keeps things interesting enough to read the assigned pages. ... Read more

Book Description
TO ACCESS THE DEDICATED TEXTBOOK WEBSITE, PLEASE VISIT www.blackwellpublishing.com/slack.

Essential Developmental Biology, 2nd Edition, is a concise and well-illustrated treatment of this subject for undergraduates. With an emphasis throughout on the evidence underpinning the main conclusions, this book is suitable as the key text for both introductory and more advanced courses in developmental biology.

• Includes new chapters on Evolution & Development, Gut Development, & Growth and Aging.
  
• Contains expanded treatment of mammalian fertilization, the heart and stem cells.
  
• Now features a glossary, notated further reading, and key discovery boxes.
  
• Illustrated with over 250 detailed, full-color drawings.
  
• Accompanied by a dedicated website, featuring animated developmental processes, a photo gallery of selected model organisms, and all art in PowerPoint and jpeg formats (also available to instructors on CD-ROM).

Customer Reviews (1)

BIOLOGICAL EYE!!
Are you studying and working in the area of developmental biology of animals? If you are, this book is for you! Author J. M. W. Slack, has written an outstanding 2nd edition of a book about basic ideas and facts of modern developmental biology of animals.

Slack, begins with an overview of modern biological research and how the mechanisms of development are very simple for animals, including humans. Then, he explains how the structure of organisms changes over time. The author continues by discussing how all of the genes in the genome have functions that are specifically concerned with development. In addition, he also discusses why it was the experimental embryologists who gave most thought to mechanism. The author also considers a further set of techniques that are derived from cell and molecular biology, but that have particular relevance to the study of development. Then, the author focuses on a very small number of animal species which are often described as model organisms. Next, he explores the experimental production of Xenopus. Then, the author focuses on the zebrafish-specific features rather than repeating the description of the common features. Next, he reviews the visible course development of the chick, and how it is superficially very different from the lower vertebrates and is much closer to the mammalian type. The author continues by describing how the developmental biology of the mouse has depended to a much greater extent on genetic manipulation. He also discusses why the first organism whose development was understood in molecular detail was the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. In addition, he also discusses Caenorhabditis elegans, which is a small, free-living soil nematode and has been used for developmental biology research since the 1960s. Next, he deals with the chief tissue types found in the vertebrate body with special attention to their cellular renewal. Then, the author explores the enormous overall complexity of the vertebrate nervous system. Next, he discusses why the invertebrate mesoderm does not show the same regional subdivision as vertebrate mesoderm. The author continues by describing how the endoderm is the innermost of the three germ layers formed during gastrulation. He also discusses the metamorphosis of Drosophila imaginal discs. In addition, he explores the overall growth, aging and the development of cancer in cells. Next, the author discusses the ability to regrow missing body parts. Finally, the author discusses the interface between developmental biology and evolutionary biology.

Special attention has been given to keeping this most excellent book compact and concise. New findings in the evolving fields of stem cells, regeneration, and aging should make this book attractive to a wide range of readership.
... Read more

Book Description
Unlike anything currently available in the market, Dr. Sally A. Moody and a team of world-renowned experts provide a groundbreaking view of developmental genetics that will influence scientific approaches in embryology, comparative biology, as well as the newly emerging fields of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. Principles of Developmental Genetics highlights the intersection of developmental biology with new revolutionary genomic technologies, and details how these advances have accelerated our understanding of the molecular genetic processes that regulates development. This definitive resource provides researchers with the opportunity to gain important insights into the clinical applicability of emerging new technologies and animal model data. This book is a must-have for all researchers in genetics, developmental biology, regenerative medicine, and stem cell biology.

· Includes new research not previously published in any other book on the molecular genetic
processes that regulates development
· Chapters present a broad understanding on the application of animal model systems, allowing
researchers to better treat clinical disorders and comprehend human development
· Relates the application of new technologies to the manipulation of stem cells, causes of
human birth defects, and several human disease conditions
· Each chapter includes a bulleted summary highlighting clinical aspects of animal models ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An Exellent Resource
This new photographic atlas is head and shoulders above the alternatives in the marketplace.

1) Color photos, and lots of them
2) Intact embryos as well as extensive serial sections
3) Good labeling
4) Useful diagrams (also color)
5) Extensive descriptions of developmental processes
6) Descriptions of some visualization techniques to observe particular structures/systems

BUT. . .

There are some important omissions.
1) No zebrafish
2) No Drosophila ... Read more

Book Description
Matthew Guille assembles a hands-on collection of basic and essential molecular and embryological techniques for studying Xenopus and zebrafish. Easily reproducible and designed to succeed, these detailed methods include cellular techniques, techniques for the quantitative and spatial analysis of mRNA and proteins, and techniques for the expression of gene products in embryos. More specialized methods enable users to analyze promoters and transcription factors during early development, and include gel shift assays, as well as in vitro and in vivo footprinting. Molecular Methods in Developmental Biology: Xenopus and Zebrafish affords newcomers rapid access to a wide variety of essential, state-of-the-art techniques in developmental studies, and offers experienced researchers time-saving tips and new techniques from experts who have fine-tuned them for best results. ... Read more

Book Description
The completely revised and updated New Edition delivers comprehensive, clearly written coverage of the development of the human embryo from conception to birth. Using a classical morphological approach to embryology, it offers mechanistic explanations for both normal and abnormal human development, enabling readers to understand development in terms of cellular and molecular controls. And, a wealth of reader-friendly features make this resource exceptionally user friendly.

The smart way to study!
Elsevier titles with STUDENT CONSULT will help you master difficult concepts and study more efficiently in print and online! Perform rapid searches. Integrate bonus content from other disciplines. Download text to your handheld device. And a lot more. Each STUDENT CONSULT title comes with full text online, a unique image library, case studies, USMLE style questions, and online note-taking to enhance your learning experience. ... Read more

Book Description

The new field of evolutionary developmental biology is one of the most exciting areas of contemporary biology. The fundamental principle of evolutionary developmental biology ("evo-devo") is that evolution acts through inherited changes in the development of the organism. "Evo-devo" is not merely a fusion of the fields of developmental and evolutionary biology, the grafting of a developmental perspective onto evolutionary biology, or the incorporation of an evolutionary perspective into developmental biology. Evo-devo strives for a unification of genomic, developmental, organismal, population, and natural selection approaches to evolutionary change. It draws from development, evolution, paleontology, ecology, and molecular and systematic biology, but has its own set of questions, approaches, and methods.

Keywords and Concepts in Evolutionary Developmental Biology is the first comprehensive reference work for this expanding field. Covering more than fifty central terms and concepts in entries written by leading experts, Keywords offers an overview of all that is embraced by this new subdiscipline of biology, providing the core insights and ideas that show how embryonic development relates to life-history evolution, adaptation, and responses to and integration with environmental factors.

Book Description
Bones and Cartilage provides the most in-depth review ever assembled on the topic. It examines the function, development and evolution of bone and cartilage as tissues, organs and skeletal systems. It describes how bone and cartilage is developed in embryos and are maintained in adults, how bone reappears when we break a leg, or even regenerates when a newt grows a new limb, or a lizard a tail.

This book also looks at the molecules and cells that make bones and cartilages and how they differ in various parts of the body and across species. It answers such questions as Is bone always bone? Do bones that develop indirectly by replacing other tissues, such as marrow, tendons or ligaments, differ from one another? Is fish bone the same as human bone? Can sharks even make bone? and many more.

* Complete coverage of every aspect of bone and cartilage
* Full of interesting and unusual facts
* The only book available that integrates development and evolution of the skeleton
* Treats all levels from molecular to clinical, embryos to evolution
* Written in a lively, accessible style
* Extensively illustrated and referenced
* Integrates analysis of differentiation, growth and patterning
* Covers all the vertebrates as well as invertebrate cartilages
* Identifies the stem cells in embryos and adults that can make skeletal tissues ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Nice and comprehensive review in the field of developmental skeletal biology
It is nicely written and comprehensive book for readers, who want to go deep in the field of developmental skeletal biology. It provides impressive information about basic processes of skeletongenesis and interspecies' evolution. Unfortunately there is no too much about the last news of the underlying molecular bases but obviously this was not the major aim of the authors. However, as compensation they always refer to appropriate titles for further information.

... Read more

Book Description
The field of evolutionary biology arose from the desire to understand the origin and diversity of biological forms. In recent years, however, evolutionary genetics, with its focus on the modification and inheritance of presumed genetic programs, has all but overwhelmed other aspects of evolutionary biology. This has led to the neglect of the study of the generative origins of biological form.

Drawing on work from developmental biology, paleontology, developmental and population genetics, cancer research, physics, and theoretical biology, this book explores the multiple factors responsible for the origination of biological form. It examines the essential problems of morphological evolution--why, for example, the basic body plans of nearly all metazoans arose within a relatively short time span, why similar morphological design motifs appear in phylogenetically independent lineages, and how new structural elements are added to the body plan of a given phylogenetic lineage. It also examines discordances between genetic and phenotypic change, the physical determinants of morphogenesis, and the role of epigenetic processes in evolution. The book discusses these and other topics within the framework of evolutionary developmental biology, a new research agenda that concerns the interaction of development and evolution in the generation of biological form. By placing epigenetic processes, rather than gene sequence and gene expression changes, at the center of morphological origination, this book points the way to a more comprehensive theory of evolution. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Documents the major problems with neo-Darwinism
Origination of Organismal Form: Beyond The Gene In Developmental And Evolutionary Biology is a collection of excellent essays by scientists who assume Darwinian evolution, but whose work reveals various major evidential and conceptual problems with the theory. They are part of a growing number of scientists who find major problems with Darwinism but are not any type of creationist. The problems with Darwinism are usually buried deep in technical publications but they are there if one looks. Anyone with the training and inclination to read this book could benefit greatly from it.I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in evolutionary biology. We can no longer ignore these problems. They are too great and must be dealt with. This book is an excellent introduction to these problems. A must read book!!!

In Search of a Theory of Evolution
The public Darwin debate doesn't really match the progress of biological research. And experts in the field seem reticent to point to the limits of the standard theories. Here we are told plainly,Darwinism has no theory of the generative. And the breakthroughs in developmental genetics fail to explicate the sources of organismic form. The text acknowledges that concern with the gene has overshadowed all other aspects of the discussion.
This highly interesting, not too technical, work explores the work being done on evolutionary innovation. A theory of evolution should explicate both innovation and diversification.But natural selection can only explain how what already exists is maintained or transformed in the process of ecological survival. The standard explanations of variation and natural selection do not really explain this '
source of form' aspect of evolution, and we are presented with ambiguous statements about an evolutionary toolkit, in the developmental version, whose origins could not spring from the processes described in the Neo-Darwinian Synthesis. It seems an advance that a technical work by experts in the field would point this out. This is a very useful glimpse of the real work needed in biology, and should prove a useful refuge from the confusing public discourse on evolution that is generally less than helpful. ... Read more

Book Description
Drawing on state-of-the-art cellular and molecular techniques as well as new and sophisticated imaging and information technologies, this comprehensive, three-volume collection of cutting-edge protocols provides readily reproducible methods for studying and analyzing the events of embryonic development. volume 1 (ISBN: 089603-574-3) contains techniques for establishing and characterizing several widely used experimental model systems, for the study of developmental patterns and morphogenesis, and for the examination of embryo structure and function. There are also step-by-step methods for the analaysis of cell lineage, the production and use of chimeras, and the experimental and molecular manipulation of embryos, including the application of viral vectors. volume 2 (ISBN: 0-89603-575-1) describes state-of-the-art methods for the study of organogenesis, the analysis of abnormal development and teratology, the screening and mapping of novel genes and mutations, and the application of transgenesis, including the production of transgenic animals and gene knockouts. No less innovative, volume 3 (ISBN: 0-89603-576-X) introduces powerful techniques for the manipulation of developmental gene expression and function, the analysis of gene expression, the characterization of tissue morphogenesis and development, the in vitro study of differentiation and development, and the genetic analysis of developmental models of diseases. Highly practical and richly annotated, the three volumes of Developmental Biology Protocols describe multiple experimental systems and details techniques adopted from the broadest array of biomedical disciplines.

... Read more

Book Description
Developmental Biology: A Guide for Experimental Study, Second Edition is a laboratory manual for college-level courses in developmental biology. It teaches students to work as independent investigators on problems in development, and provides extensive background information and instructions for each experiment. It emphasizes the study of living material, intermixing developmental anatomy in an enjoyable balance, and allows students to make choices in their work. The manual contains challenging experiments requiring minimal equipment that are suitable for both large and small classes. Recipes for solutions, annotated bibliographies, and lists of scientific suppliers are also included. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Book
This book covers many of the experiments that are covered in a Developmental biology coursework. Great hands on Lab manual!! ... Read more

Book Description
The completely revised and updated New Edition delivers comprehensive, clearly written coverage of the development of the human embryo from conception to birth. Using a classical morphological approach to embryology, it offers mechanistic explanations for both normal and abnormal human development, enabling readers to understand development in terms of cellular and molecular controls. And, a wealth of reader-friendly features make this resource exceptionally user friendly. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

so-so
I teach developmental biology and study invertbrate devlopment and evolution.For my course I use Scott Gilbert's excellent text and teach my course as a general introduction.I just became pregnant and purchased this book to exapand my knowledge on human development.

I'm rather disppointed.It's not detailed enough and while the illustrations are nice, there are several diagrams that illustrate paracrine factor targets but are never mentioned in the text or explained. why diagram them then?Even more disturbing is a underlying teological bias that many intelligent designers would salivate over reading.For instance page 209 "a master blue print" is used to describe the interactions of several tissue types to form the limbs.It's disturbing to think that our MD's might be using this text for their human embryology courses- its a very basic pass frought with poor word choices that would satisfy any creationist.

The best embryology book
I use the book to my embryology class and I have to say that is the best book of embryology I find. The contents are very up-date, and handle much information of the molecular basis of the development and the genes that are expressed in every step of the human development. The book have a very good redaction and the gene information of the book is the best one. It's a very up-dated book.

It is a good basic book in developmental biology.
Carlson's "Human embriology and developmental biology" is a good book for biology and, most of all, medicine students, who want to understand the basical principles of development. It doesn't have a lot of developmental anatomy, but it explains clearly and simply the ultimateadvances in experimental embriology. If you are for the first time studyingdevelopmental biology, you should read it. It also contains at the end ofeach chapter a lot references, which will help you if you want to learnmore about any specific topic. ... Read more

Book Description
Never Highlight a Book Again! Cram101 Textbook Outlines give the student all of the highlights, notes, and practice-tests for their textbook. Only Cram101 is Textbook Specific, not generic. ... Read more

Book Description

In the compiling of this book, the vast literature dealing with the descriptive morphology, histology and cytology of teleost development has been combed and integrated. The book is divided into 21 chapters, starting with the egg and embryonic development up to hatching. This is followed by a description of ectodermal, mesodermal and entodermal derivatives and the development of various organs. The subject index, species index and the abundant illustrations add extra value to this long awaited book.

Book Description
Evolutionary developmental biology, or 'evo-devo', is the study of the relationship between evolution and development. Dealing specifically with the generative mechanisms of organismal form, evo-devo goes straight to the core of the developmental origin of variation, the raw material on which natural selection (and random drift) can work. Evolving Pathways responds to the growing volume of data in this field, and its potential to answer fundamental questions in biology, by bringing together contributions that represent a diversity of approaches. Topics range from developmental genetics to comparative morphology of animals and plants alike, and also include botany and palaeontology, two disciplines for which the potential to be examined from an evo-devo perspective has largely been ignored until now. Researchers and graduate students will find this book a valuable overview of current research as we begin to fill a major gap in our perception of evolutionary change. ... Read more

Book Description
Applying current theory and research, this book links the development of sex differences in cognition to biological foundations and multiple social processes and contextual factors. Areas covered include evolutionary biology, neuroscience, social roles, and cultural contextualism to the issues of the onset, causes and developmental trajectories, and patterns in children's and adolescents' thinking, problem-solving, academic performance, and social conditions that are related to behaviors in each of these areas. An edited volume with chapters by leading scholars, the book is meant for use by graduate students, researchers, and practitioners in the fields of developmental psychology, cognitive, learning and socialization, biology, and education. Cognitive domains addressed include language and verbal abilities, mathematical and quantitative abilities, spatial abilities, and social cognition. ... Read more

Book Description
This lab manual is designed for upper level undergraduates or graduate students, to introduce them to the field of developmental biology.After spending two weeks learning how to handle and manipulate a variety of embryonic organisms, students will begin a series of experiments that more or less keep pace with the sequence of most developmental biology textbooks (axial patterning, plant cell totipotency, fertilization, early plant development, morphogenesis, cell adhesion, embryogenesis, gametogenesis, regeneration and metamorphosis.The manual is heavily illustrated and gives students a solid grounding in classic developmental biology as well as modern techniquesin immunohistochemistry and homeobox gene expression.Appendices of recipes, needed chemicals, and sources for animals are included. ... Read more