Product Description
Comprised of essays by top scholars in the field, this volume offers detailed overviews of philosophical issues raised by biology.

• Brings together a team of eminent scholars to explore the philosophical issues raised by biology
• Addresses traditional and emerging topics, spanning molecular biology and genetics, evolution, developmental biology, immunology, ecology, mind and behaviour, neuroscience, and experimentation
• Begins with a thorough introduction to the field
• Goes beyond previous treatments that focused only on evolution to give equal attention to other areas, such as molecular and developmental biology
• Represents both an authoritative guide to philosophy of biology, and an accessible reference work for anyone seeking to learn about this rapidly-changing field

Product Description
The animals loosely termed fish constitute more than half of all known vertebrate species. There are approximately 27,000 described living species of bony fishes (Euteleostomi = Osteichthyes), about 70 species of hagfishes and some 34 species of lampreys. Approximately 970 species are chondrichthyans, the sharks and their relatives, which were the subject of volume 3 in this series. It is perhaps because fishes live in a buoyant medium, whether it be fresh or sea water, that they show a diversity in body shapes that is unparalleled by other vertebrates. There is also a unique diversity in the modes of reproduction, whether by external or internal fertilization, and this, with the morphology and fine structure of the reproductive system and its components, is the subject of Part A. Part B deals with complementary topics: testes, sperm, and sperm competition; endocrinology of reproduction; pheromones and reproduction; copulatory structures: taxonomic overview and the potential for sexual selection; sexual selection: signaling and courtship; adaptation and evolution of reproductive mode in copulating cottoid species; fertilization; sex determination; parental care; reproduction in relation to conservation and exploitation of marine fishes; Cryopreservation of Gametes; Embryogenesis and Development; and Molecular Genetics of Development. ... Read more

Product Description
Current Topics in Developmental Biology provides a comprehensive survey of the major topics in the field of developmental biology. The volumes are valuable to researchers in animal and plant development, as well as to students and professionals who want an introduction to cellular and molecular mechanisms of development. The series has recently passed its 30-year mark, making it the longest-running forum for contemporary issues in developmental biology.

This volume contains nine important contributions from leading minds in developmental biology.

* Presents major contemporary issues and astonishing discoveries at the forefront of modern developmental biology, stem cells, cloning, and regenerative medicine
* Series Editor, Gerald Schatten, is one of the leading minds in reproductive and developmental science
* The longest-running forum for current issues in developmental biology with over 30 years of coverage ... Read more

Product Description

The nutritive endosperm of angiosperms is mankind’s most important source of food, livestock feed and industrial raw material. This book is the first comprehensive overview of the developmental and molecular biology of endosperm. The text covers cereal endosperm development from fertilization to maturity, including molecular and cell biology of the syncytial phase. It also goes into the cellularization process and cell fate specification of the embryo surrounding region cells, the basal transfer cells, the starchy endosperm and aleurone cells.

Product Description

Highlighting latest advances in genetics and biochemistry, the completely revised Third Edition reviews the field from basic science, clinical, epidemiological, and regulatory perspectives. Contributions from top opinion leaders in the field bring together developments in molecular embryology and cell biology as they apply to problems in developmental toxicology. It covers testing of pharmaceutical and environmental agents and interpretation of developmental toxicology data, highlighting mathematical and statistical techniques, as well as the effects of toxic exposure on the functional development of various organs.

Product Description

Product 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.

... Read more

Product Description

In recent years, the discovery of functional small RNAs has brought about an unprecedented revolution within the field of molecular biology. This volume describes strategies for the discovery and validation of small RNAs. It provides a snapshot of our current understanding of the different mechanisms triggered by small RNAs and the variations encountered in different organisms.

Customer Reviews (1)

State of the art on reproductive biology of chondrichthyes
It is a very complete and up-to-date reference on the study of these type of fish. The book contains 16 chapters written very well on subjects that exactly sustain the title of the book. I consider that the editor has a great credit when selecting the scientists in the subject that results in an excellent work. The book contains photographs of high quality showing a level of detail that visually allows to reinforce all the written information. The presented/displayed information is of great academic and scientific value, and useful also for conservation and chondrichtyan fisheries management. ... Read more

Product Description

Hox Gene Expression starts with the amazing discovery of the homeobox twenty-three years ago and follows the exciting path thereafter of a series of breakthroughs in Genetics, Development and Evolution. It deals with homeotic genes, their evolution, structure, normal and abnormal function. Researchers and graduate students in biology and medicine will benefit from this integrated overview of Hox gene activities.

Product Description
This book considers in detail the mechanisms of a major human problem. Chromosome imbalance affects all stages of life in ways ranging from spontaneous abortion and retardation to behavioural problems and malignancy. In The Consequences of Chromosome Imbalance: Principles, Mechanisms, and Models, Charles J. Epstein concerns himself with how and why a particular chromosome imbalance produces a specific phenotype. His fundamental goal is to connect chromosome aberrations with functional abnormalities in terms of gene expression, developmental and cell biology, and metabolism. Through his examination of this relationship, we learn more about normal development and function. The book begins with an exploration of several human autosomal aneuploid phenotypes, with particular emphasis on the relationship between genotype and phenotype. In the next part, broad theoretical considerations of the mechanisms which generate these phenotypes are examined with reference to studies on man and other organisms such as bacteria and mice. Experimental approaches to study the effects of aneuploidy are presented next with special attention paid to the development of model systems for studying human aneuploidy. ... Read more

Product Description
Technological advances have given us increased life expectancy, conquest ofdisease and hunger, provided us the wherewithal to explore other worlds, andour inner selves. Yet, we owe a certain pessimism to the materialism of the mind.Beyond Biology transposes brain science from mere description of diseases and lesions, into a realm of limitless possibility. The brain, mediator for all behavior, is the springboard of all human capacity, taking us far beyond our physical and biological limitations.Do computers and other tools extend mental and physical capacities?For science, music, architecture, all of civilization,our brain is theirlaunching pad. Beyond Biology views physicality as the mere beginning of human potential, not its end. Scientific understanding, far from being just reductionist, must ignite a new spiritual awakening. This work seeks to transport the reader into the metaphysical world through the lens of brain biology ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

It is a complex book that is worth the effort!
In 1956, Dr.Roger Williams published BIOCHEMICAL INDIVIDUALITY.
His thesis was based on dissection of thousands of rabbits and as an
anatomy professor, human cadavers.

In "BEYOND BIOLOGY: Metaphysical Brain Science", 2010, Dr.
Charles S. Yanofsky has brought us up-to-date about human uniqueness
using DNA analysis, an explanation of neuroanatomy, and what actually
happens in each individual cell to make us aware of the complexity of
our body and mind, while giving us an impetus to maximize our???

It is a complex book that is worth the effort! If it does
nothing more than begin to sensitize and make you listen more
carefully and thoughtfully to your body and mind, the good doc has
done his job. It could make you healthier. It could even save your
life.

For teachers, it will make a huge difference in how you see and
treat each student. For anyone, the more you understand how the brain
works, the more you will "see" and more creatively respond to
everything.

If the contents were common knowledge, we'd have a more effective, different world.

A choice pick for metaphysical readers, very highly recommended
What is the full extent to humanity's potential? "Beyond Biology: Metaphysical Brain Science" looks into the potentials of the human mind, and asks many questions, like the nature of biology and technology as extensions of the human brain and where it can lead. Hoping to use technology and science as a means to a greater state of mind, "Beyond Biology" is a choice pick for metaphysical readers, very highly recommended.

Aristotle and the Brain

This is a perfect text for any healthcare philosopher/theologian.A delicate combination of evidence based medical teaching and philosophy which sparks many intriguing questions throughout the book.This book works well as journal club pick or conceptual-thinker book club. ... Read more

Product Description
Cellular polarization is key to all cellular functions. Our perceptions, which are derived from our senses, depend on the proper cellular polarization of our sense organs, such as the eyes or ears. Much of this book examines the different aspects in cellular polarization and its researched role in the Drosophila, where the first planar cellular polarity (PCP) gene was discovered over 20 years ago. Topics also include: From flies to man: how we are polarized, Marking an embryo work, Cellular polarization at its functional best, Hearing and seeing your environment, and From a cell to an organ.
This series represents timely issues in developmental biology. It provides annual reviews of selected topics, written from the perspectives of leading investigators in the field of development.

* Presents many various organisms such as flies, fish, frogs and mice
* Offers over 40 exceptional illustrations
* First of its kind to include new data and detailed models on cell planar polarization ... Read more

Product Description
This updated third edition addresses the difficulties that the autistic syndrome presents for the clinician, with diagnostic aids and clear guidelines for medical evaluation. These two world authorities provide detailed explanations of current knowledge of the molecular biology and genetics of the syndrome. New chapters discuss adults with autism, behavior complexes, and neurology. Other features are reviews of available medical therapies and updates on other interventions, such as psychoeducation and behavioral modification procedures. The authors encompass all aspects of the syndrome and its management and conclude with an essential integration of current knowledge from diverse fields. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Comments by Mary Coleman M.D.
This third edition of The Biology of the Autistic Syndromes finally puts fully in place the new paradigm of autism which knocks down the two major myths about autism. 1)Autism is NOT caused by poor parenting - the parents are, if anything, the victims of this psychoneurological disease -- and 2)autism is NOT one disease -- it is many different diseases. The symptoms of autism are due to neurodevelopmental errors in the fetal brain. Modern neuroimaging techniques have shown that virtually every brain region is affected in autism.

Approximately three-quarters of the children diagnosed as autistic have one of the disease entities of autism, discussed in Chapter 10. Another quarter of the children have a double syndrome, that is an autistic syndrome in addition to a second, well-established medical syndrome, discussed in Chapter 11. Correct diagnosis of each individual child, as outlined in Chapter 16, is the essential first step toward accurate medical therapy.

There are chapters on Asperger syndrome, epidemiology, neuropsychology, epilepsy, biochemistry, neuropathology and molecular genetics.

The new paradigm of autism is changing the future for children with autism. ... Read more

Product Description
Evolutionary science is critical to an understanding of integrated human biology and is increasingly recognized as a core underpinning discipline by medical and public health professionals. Advances in the fields of genomics, epigenetics, developmental biology and epidemiology have led to the growing realization that incorporating evolutionary thinking is essential for medicine to achieve its full potential. This is the first integrated and comprehensive textbook to explain the principles of evolutionary biology from a medical perspective and to focus on how medicine and public health might utilize evolutionary biology. It is written in a style which is accessible to a broad range of readers, whether or not they have had formal exposure to evolutionary science.

Principles of Evolutionary Medicine is divided into three sections: the first provides a systematic approach to the principles of evolutionary biology as they apply to human health and disease, using examples specifically relevant to medicine. It incorporates chapters on evolutionary processes, molecular evolution, the evolution of humans, life history theory, and evolutionary-developmental biology. The second part illustrates the application of these principles to our understanding of nutrition and metabolism, reproduction, combatting infectious disease and stress, and human behaviour. The final section provides a general framework to show in practical terms how the principles of evolutionary medicine can be applied in medical practice and public health.

This novel textbook provides the necessary toolkit for doctors and other health professionals, medical students and biomedical scientists, as well as anthropologists interested in human health, to gain a better understanding of the evolutionary processes underlying human health and disease. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great book for a growing field
Bought this book for an undergrad course in a new growing way of applying medicine. Its a great introductory text, especially by linking genetics and the bigger picture of medicine, disease, and evaluating disease. A must consider for future doctors, especially with the idea that genetics plays a larger role in disease risk! ... Read more

Product Description
While neo-Darwinism has considerable explanatory power, it is widely recognized as lacking a component dealing with individual development, or ontogeny.This lack is particularly conspicuous when attempting to explain the evolutionary origin of the thirty-five or so animal body plans, and of the developmental trajectories that generate them. This significant work examines both the origin of body plans in particular and the evolution of animal development in general. Wallace Arthur ranges widely in his treatment, covering topics as diverse as comparative developmental genetics, selection theory, and Vendian/Cambrian fossils. He places particular emphasis on gene duplication, changes in spatio-temporal gene-expression patterns, internal selection, coevolution of interacting genes, and coadaptation. The book will be of particular interest to students and researchersin evolutionary biology, genetics, paleontology, and developmental biology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Different evolutionary contexts when body plans originated
Let's see, my take on the book in a nutshell: the conditions under which evolution operated during the Cambrian/Vendian times were different from the conditions following that time in two main ways, and these differences can potentially account for the origin of the many animal body plans during those early periods and the lack of new ones since.

First, ~550 million years ago most animals were very much simpler (fewer cells, for example) than they are today, so changes to their developmental programs would have been better tolerated.The more complex any system is (the more parts it has, the more coordinated and well-matched those parts must be, etc.), the more rigidly constrained and less amenable to a given magnitude of change it is.So the simpler developmental processes (simpler adult-form end product, fewer interactions between developmental genes, etc.) of early animals would have allowed for a 'large-scale' change to be incorporated into that animal's ontogeny, though if a change of the same magnitude were to occur today, it would be too disruptive to the complex developmental program and would be eliminated (note that 'large-scale change' refers to the adult form: the actual change that caused that altered end result could be a typical small scale mutation, in an early developmental stage).The author is not proposing Goldschmidt's "hopeful monsters" that occur due to 'macromutations', but rather an intermediate position between that and the "only micromutations" view of gradualistic neo-Darwinism.And, as just mentioned, mutations in developmental processes (even ones that resulted in 'macromutations' in the adult form) would have been more tolerated in the simpler animals that existed ~550 mya than they would be in today's.

Second, ~550 million years ago animal diversity was extremely more limited than it is today, so there was a huge number of open niches: a plentitude the likes of which has never again existed on our planet.An organism that happened to find itself in one of the multitude of open niches (by means of a "semi-macro" mutation, the product of a change in a developmental gene) would have faced little if any competition.The reduced external competition would potentially allow the morpholigical variation(s), that would otherwise likely have been eliminated, to persist. (The sudden change could leave the organism with a lower level of internal coordination: over time, internal cooadaptation could evolve to 'catch up' with the change in morphology: these internal adjustments would leave no trace in the fossil record).

Combining these two ideas produces a reasonable explanation of the 'explosion' in new body plans in Vendian/Cambrian times.

Of course there's much more to the book than my above "nutshell" presentation.The Evo-Devo perspective presented in the book allowed me to view evolution in a new way: it gave me a better understanding of the "creative" side of evolution than I had before when viewing things solely from a gradualistic, neo-Darwinian frame of reference.

PS:The book is "aged" (1997) but is not outdated.

Body plans, hox genes, and developmental biology
This work is a technical introduction to evolutionary developmental biology and introduces a very different perspective on evolution from what one is used to in the usual biology texts. In spite of its moderate difficulty, to a non-specialist, it is actually much clearer than simplified versions of Darwinism, and one can recommend it strongly as a perspective on the separate current to the Neo-Darwinian synthesis that has flowed from its nineteenth century origins parallel to Darwin. In the age of the Genome this dark side of the moon as to theoretical paradigms is coming into full view. The book starts with an exhortation to the reader "to believe that current evolutionary theory based on natural selection and adaptation in natural lineages is, at the very least, incomplete..." The author asks, did "evolution really have an early 'morphogenetic' phase during which most major body plans originated?" The difficulty of explaining the fact that no phylum-level body plans have arisen in the last 500 my becomes one of the starting points of the book. In general this perspective asks for the creative aspect of development beyond the destructive aspect of natural selection models. From there the book proceeds to the issues of cladism, body plans, genetic regulation, and many other topics in a comprehensive presentation.The crucial significance of all this for understanding evolution and extricating oneself from disinformation in the Darwin debate are obvious. Much of the boilerplate and blah-blah of the public discourse on evolution can be left behind in a fast getaway into some better fare than the current offerings. We are beginning to catch a glimpse of a new world of evolution, one that has been with us all along in embryo, as forseen by such biologists as Soren Lovtrup in Darwinism: Refutation of a Myth. That day is now arriving. ... Read more