Although scientists have discovered many fundamental physiological and behavioral mechanisms that comprise the stress response, most of current knowledge is based on laboratory experiments using domesticated or captive animals. Scientists are only beginning, however, to understand how stress impacts wild animals - by studying the nature of the stressful stimuli that animals in their natural environments have adapted to for survival, and what the mechanisms that allow that survival might be. This book summarizes, for the first time, several decades of work on understanding stress in natural contexts. The aim is two-fold. The first goal of this work is to place modern stress research into an evolutionary context. The stress response clearly did not evolve to cause disease, so that studying how animals use the stress response to survive in the wild should provide insight into why mechanisms evolved the way that they did. The second goal is to provide predictions on how wild animals might cope with the Anthropocene, the current period of Earth's history characterized by the massive human remodeling of habitats on a global scale. Conservation of species will rely upon how wild animals use their stress response to successfully cope with human-created stressors.

Sphingolipids are involved in a wide range of physiological and pathological processes none only as signalling molecules but also as key structural components regulating the lateral organisation of cellular membranes. In this book, exciting new approaches that open a window to further characterise sphingolipid-enriched domains in cell membranes during both physiological and pathological processes are reviewed. Furthermore, sphingolipids (SLs) are especially important in the central nervous system (CNS) where they are a necessary structural component of membranes of brain cells or signalling molecules. Ceramides are the core constituent of most sphingolipids. The authors review the possible sources of ceramides in the central nervous system (CNS) and present information about recent preclinical clinical trials of therapies targeting the ceramide pathway in the brain. Data about significant alteration in levels of ceramides in brain cells during the development of different neurodegenerative disease are also discussed, such as in with Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease multiple sclerosis, cerebral ischemia, Gaucher's and Farber's disease.

Two new volumes of Methods in Enzymology continue the legacy of this premier serial with quality chapters authored by leaders in the field. Circadian Rhythms and Biological Clocks Part A and Part B is an exceptional resource for anybody interested in the general area of circadian rhythms. As key elements of timekeeping are conserved in organisms across the phylogenetic tree, and our understanding of circadian biology has benefited tremendously from work done in many species, the volume provides a wide range of assays for different biological systems. Protocols are provided to assess clock function, entrainment of the clock to stimuli such as light and food, and output rhythms of behavior and physiology. This volume also delves into the impact of circadian disruption on human health. Contributions are from leaders in the field who have made major discoveries using the methods presented here.

Morphology--the study of form--is often regarded as a failed science that made only limited contributions to our understanding of the living world. Challenging this view, Lynn Nyhart argues that morphology was integral to the life sciences of the nineteenth century. "Biology Takes Form" traces the development of morphological research in German universities and illuminates significant institutional and intellectual changes in nineteenth-century German biology.
Although there were neither professors of morphology nor a morphologists' society, morphologists achieved influence by "colonizing" niches in a variety of disciplines. Scientists in anatomy, zoology, natural history, and physiology considered their work morphological, and the term encompassed research that today might be classified as embryology, systematics, functional morphology, comparative physiology, ecology, behavior, evolutionary theory, or histology. Nyhart draws on research notes, correspondence, and other archival material to examine how these scientists responded to new ideas and to the work of colleagues. She examines the intertwined histories of morphology and the broader biological enterprise, demonstrating that the study of form was central to investigations of such issues as the relationships between an animal's structure and function, between an organism and its environment, and between living species and their ancestors.

Evolutionary biomechanics is the study of evolution through the analysis of biomechanical systems. Its unique advantage is the precision with which physical constraints and performance can be predicted from first principles. Instead of reviewing the entire breadth of the biomechanical literature, a few key examples are explored in depth as vehicles for discussing fundamental concepts, analytical techniques, and evolutionary theory. Each chapter develops a conceptual theme, developing the underlying theory and techniques required for analyses in evolutionary biomechanics. Examples from terrestrial biomechanics, metabolic scaling, and bird flight are used to analyse how physics constrains the design space that natural selection is free to explore, and how adaptive evolution finds solutions to the trade-offs between multiple complex conflicting performance objectives. Evolutionary Biomechanics is suitable for graduate level students and professional researchers in the fields of biomechanics, physiology, evolutionary biology and palaeontology. It will also be of relevance and use to researchers in the physical sciences and engineering.

Three distinct types of contractions perform colonic motility functions. Rhythmic phasic contractions (RPCs) cause slow net distal propulsion with extensive mixing/turning over. Infrequently occurring giant migrating contractions (GMCs) produce mass movements. Tonic contractions aid RPCs in their motor function. The spatiotemporal patterns of these contractions differ markedly. The amplitude and distance of propagation of a GMC are several-fold larger than those of an RPC. The enteric neurons and smooth muscle cells are the core regulators of all three types of contractions. The regulation of contractions by these mechanisms is modifiable by extrinsic factors: CNS, autonomic neurons, hormones, inflammatory mediators, and stress mediators. Only the GMCs produce descending inhibition, which accommodates the large bolus being propelled without increasing muscle tone. The strong compression of the colon wall generates afferent signals that are below nociceptive threshold in healthy subjects. However, these signals become nociceptive; if the amplitudes of GMCs increase, afferent nerves become hypersensitive, or descending inhibition is impaired. The GMCs also provide the force for rapid propulsion of feces and descending inhibition to relax the internal anal sphincter during defecation. The dysregulation of GMCs is a major factor in colonic motility disorders: irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and diverticular disease (DD). Frequent mass movements by GMCs cause diarrhea in diarrhea predominant IBS, IBD, and DD, while a decrease in the frequency of GMCs causes constipation. The GMCs generate the afferent signals for intermittent short-lived episodes of abdominal cramping in these disorders. Epigenetic dysregulation due to adverse events in early life is one of the major factors in generating the symptoms of IBS in adulthood. Table of Contents: Introduction / Regulatory Mechanisms / Colonic Motility in Health / Colonic Motility Dysfunction / References

The unique architecture and physiology of the mammalian intestine, together with a tightly coordinated regulatory system, allows for the handling and absorption of as much as 9 L of fluid a day with 98% or greater efficiency. Advances in the past 40 years have made inroads into revealing the intricacies and interplay of numerous ion transporters and their modulators that are responsible for intestinal electrolyte and water transport. Studies of two devastating diseases, the virulent infectious disease cholera and the autosomal recessive disease cystic fibrosis, were largely responsible for this information explosion. These advances have been critical in the development of new therapeutic strategies to combat life-threatening diseases of varying etiologies ranging from enteric infections to cystic fibrosis and inflammatory bowel diseases. Yet, the story is far from complete, and progress needs to continue on translating information gained from reductionistic cell and tissue culture models, in vivo models, and ultimately human studies and on improving therapeutic approaches. This book reviews the current status of our knowledge of fluid transport across the intestine, including the complexities of transcellular and paracellular ion transport down the length of the intestine and how aberrations of normal physiological processes lead to disease. Table of Contents: Overview / Epithelial Cell and Tissue Architecture / Principles of Transepithelial Electrolyte and Water Movement / Intestinal Architecture and Electrolyte Transport / Electrolyte Transporters--Pumps, Carriers, and Channels / Water Transport / Regulation / Intestinal Disorders and Advances Toward Better Treatment of Intestinal Disorders / Conclusion / References

Perceiving in Depth is a sequel to Binocular Vision and Stereopsis and to Seeing in Depth, both by Ian P. Howard and Brian J. Rogers. This three-volume work is much broader in scope than previous texts and includes mechanisms of depth perception by all senses, including aural, electrosensory organs, and the somatosensory system. The work contains three extensively illustrated and referenced volumes. Volume 1 reviews sensory coding, psychophysical and analytic procedures, and basic visual mechanisms. Volume 2 reviews stereoscopic vision. Volume 3 reviews all mechanisms of depth perception other than stereoscopic vision. Together, these three volumes provide the most detailed review of all aspects of perceiving the three-dimensional world. Volume 3 addresses all depth-perception mechanisms other than stereopsis. The chapter starts with reviews of monocular cues to depth. These cues include accommodation, vergence eye movements, perspective, interposition, shading, and motion parallax. A perceptual constancy is the ability to judge a feature of a stimulus as constant in spite of variations in the retinal image. Constancies in depth perception, such as the ability to perceive the sizes, and 3-D shapes of objects as they move or rotate are reviewed. The ways in which different depth cues interact are discussed. They can complement each other, compete, or interact so as to increase the range of depth perception. The next chapter reviews sources of information, such as changing disparity, image looming, and vergence eye movements, used in the perception of objects moving in depth. Various pathologies of depth perception, including visual neglect, stereoanomalies, and albanism are reviewed. Visual depth-perception mechanisms through the animal kingdom are reviewed, starting with insects and progressing though crustaceans, fish, amphibians, retiles, birds, and mammals. Most animals respond to image looming, and many use perspective and motion parallax to detect depth. Stereoscopic vision based on binocular disparity has evolved in some insects, frogs, and mammals. The chapter includes a discussion of the way in which stereoscopic vision may have evolved. The next chapter describes how visual depth perception is used to guide reaching movements of the hand, avoiding obstacles, and walking to a distant object. The next three chapters review non-visual mechanisms of depth perception. Auditory mechanisms include auditory localization, echolocation in bats and marine mammals, and the lateral-line system of fish. Some fish emit electric discharges and then use electric sense organs to detect distortions of the electric field produced by nearby objects. Some beetles and snakes use heat-sensitive sense organs to detect sources of heat. The volume ends with a discussion of mechanisms used by animals to navigate to a distant site. Ants find their way back to the nest by using landmarks and by integrating their walking movements. Several animals navigate by the stars or by polarized sunlight. It seems to be established that animals in several phyla navigate by detecting the Earth's magnetic field.

This text book on Physiology of Animals is intended to be useful for elementary animal physiology course in colleges of agriculture, zoology, veterinary and animal sciences. In all s, the aim has been to present a clear and concise account of the functioning of various systems of domestic animals. Where appropriate, examples from human and non domestic animals such as rat and rabbit have been cited. Physiology has now grown into a vast discipline. The book covers and explains the following deeply: o Nature and Scope of Physiology o Body Fluids: Water, Electrolyte and Acid Base Balance o Respiration o Blood o Circulatory System o Structure & Functions of the Kidney o Rumen Function o Digestion & Metabolism o Vitamins and Minerals o Endocrine Glands and Their Secretions o Reproduction in the Male o Female Reproduction o Lactation o Nervous System o Bone, Skin and Special Senses o Physiology of Temperature Regulation

Biology is often viewed today as a bipartisan field, with molecular level genetics guiding us into the future and natural history (including ecology, evolution, and conservation biology, ) chaining us to a descriptive scientific past. In Darwinian Detectives, Norman Johnson bridges this divide, revealing how the tried and true tools of natural history make sense of the newest genomic discoveries. Molecular scientists exploring newly sequenced genomes have stumbled upon quite a few surprises, including that only one to ten percent of the genetic material of animals actually codes for genes. What does the remaining 90-99% of the genome do? Why do some organisms have a much lower genome size than their close relatives? What were the genetic changes that were associated with us becoming human? As molecular biologists uncover these and other new mysteries, evolutionary geneticists are searching for answers to such questions. Norman Johnson captures the excitement of the hunt for our own genetic history. Through lively anecdotes, he explores how researchers detect natural selection acting on genes and what this genetic information tells us about human origins.

Traditionally, behaviour and physiology have been considered two separate fields of biology with the majority of available literature focusing on one or the other. Recently the need for a multidisciplinary approach to these topics has been realised, highlighted by some of the sessions to be held at the 2003 annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology such as 'regulation of behaviour' and' mechanisms of behaviour'. The proposed volume aims to bring together these disciplines in a comprehensive review of the available literature. Volume 24 will be novel in actively bridging these two areas of fish biology together and considering them as inextricably linked. The progression of chapters focuses on different aspects of the life history of a fish, from predator avoidance through to reproduction, each written by scientists currently bridging the gap between behaviour and physiology in their own specialised subdiscipline.
* Multidisciplinary and integrative research in fish biology
* Written by internationally recognized researchers
* Encompasses the whole life span of fish
* A wide variety of inter-related topics presented in a cohesive format

David E. Alexander's fascination with the many animals and plants that have harnessed the air is evident in "Nature's Flyers: Birds, Insects, and the Biomechanics of Flight," a detailed account of our current scientific understanding of the primary aspects of flight in nature.

Instead of relying on elaborate mathematical equations, Alexander explains the physical basis of flight with sharp prose and clear diagrams. Drawing upon bats, birds, insects, pterosaurs, and even winged seeds, he details the basic operating principles of wings and then moves progressively through more complex modes of animal flight, including gliding, flapping, and maneuvering. In addition to summarizing the latest thinking about flight's energy costs, Alexander presents a holistic view of flight and its ramifications as he explores the ecology and evolution of flying animals, addressing behaviorally important topics such as migration and navigation. With somewhat surprising answers, the author then concludes his study by examining the extent to which natural flight has been inspiring or instructive for the architects of human flight--airplane designers and engineers.

The story—and the science—of nature's greatest engine.

Whether we blink an eye, lift a finger, throw a spear or a ball, walk, run, or merely breathe, we are using muscle. Although muscles differ little in appearance and performance across the animal kingdom, they accomplish tasks as diverse as making flies fly, rattlesnakes rattle, and squid shoot their tentacles.

Our everyday activities turn on the performance of nature's main engine: we may breathe harder going uphill, but we put more strain on our muscles walking downhill. Those of us who are right-handed can tighten screws and jar lids more forcibly than we can loosen them. Here we're treated to the story of how form and performance make these things happen—how nature does her work.

Steven Vogel is a leader in the great new field of bioengineering, which is rapidly explaining the beauty and efficiency of nature. His talents as both scientist and writer shine in this masterful narrative of biological ingenuity, as he relates the story—and science—of nature's greatest engine.

"An entertaining and compelling overview of what we know about muscle."—Science News

"Manages to educate, enlighten, and entertain....fascinating reading."—Science, Sharon Swartz

"A book that should be enjoyed and understood by intelligent non-scientists as much as by scientists...entertaining and illuminating."—Nature, R. McNeill Alexander

"Muscle is a wonderful lens through which to study evolution and human history."—Washington Post Book World, David Brown

"Biomechanics comes alive in a discussion blending science, health, history, and mechanical insights."—Bookwatch

"A thorough and engaging account of how muscles work and how their physiology has influenced the development of human culture."—Exploratorium Magazine

"Fascinating.... [Vogel's] interests seemingly know no bounds, and he takes the readers along with him on a complex, absorbing journey of exploration notable for its unexpected twists and turns."—Kirkus Reviews starred review

"Positively gripping."—Booklist

This fully-revised new edition of the best-selling Equine Clinical Medicine, Surgery and Reproduction is supported by over 1800 illustrations of the highest quality: colour photographs, diagnostic images including MRI and CT, and diagrams. System-based, the chapters introduce each individual system with precise information on the relevant basic anatomy and physiology, standard clinical examination techniques and useful differential diagnostic aids. This is followed by diseases and disorders that are pertinent to that system, grouped together either anatomically or based on presenting clinical signs. Each condition is described using consistent headings: definition/overview, etiology and pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, differential diagnoses, management/treatment, and prognosis. Additional chapters deal with the foal and wounds. New to the second edition: - All chapters are updated throughout - Additional chapters on the axial musculoskeletal system (neck, back and pelvis) and muscle diseases and problems - A whole new section on soft tissue injuries of the foot - More information on diagnostic tests including over-ground endoscopy, chest and liver ultrasonography, head CT, and foot MRI - Material on equine dentistry, neurology, endocrine system, the foal, and the liver has been considerably expanded - All illustrations and photographs have been reviewed and many replaced with higher quality images. The focus throughout remains on providing clinically relevant information required for practical case management, plus sufficient background on causes and disease processes to enable readers to understand the conditions and the rationale for diagnostic and treatment options. An international group of respected clinicians have come together under the editorship of Dr Graham Munroe to create a textbook that will be of lasting value as a teaching and training resource for equine clinical teachers and their students in veterinary medicine and related equine courses, as well as a ready reference for non-specialist mixed or equine clinical practitioners

An entertaining guide to the exotic sensory abilities of the Earth's nonhuman creatures. Certain insects and animals such as bees, birds, bats, fish, and dolphins possess senses that lie far beyond the realm of human experience. Examples include echolocation, internal navigation systems, and systems based on bioelectricity. In this book Howard C. Hughes tells the story of these "exotic" senses. He tells not only what has been discovered but how it was discovered-including historical misinterpretations of animal perception that we now view with amusement. The book is divided into four parts: biosonar, biological compasses, electroperception, and chemical communication. Although it is filled with fascinating descriptions of animal sensitivities-the sonar system of a bat, for example, rivals that of the most sophisticated human-made devices-the author's goal is to explain the anatomical and physiological principles that underlie them. Knowledge of these mechanisms has practical applications in areas as diverse as marine navigation, the biomedical sciences, and nontoxic pest control. It can also help us to obtain a deeper understanding of more familiar sensory systems and the brain in general. Written in an entertaining, accessible style, the book recounts a tale of wonder that continues today-for who knows what sensory marvels still await discovery or what kind of creatures will provide the insights?

What is it that stops the process of eating? This deceptively simple question lies at the centre of Satiation: From Gut to Brain, and the book succeeds in answering it comprehensively while incorporating the latest scientific research. Unless we stop eating by choice-for medical or social reasons-an unconscious physiological process is triggered through negative feedback from ingested food as it travels from the mouth through the stomach and on to the small intestine. This process is called satiation. Recent scientific evidence has revealed that food stimuli activate this process before the actual absorption of digested food, which significantly changes the traditional perspective that satiation depends on the post-absorptive repletion of metabolic fuels. This volume presents the first detailed account of the neurobiological mechanisms of satiation. The ten chapters of the book detail the neural, endocrine, and cellular underpinnings of the process. Authors expert in different aspects of satiation have compiled a critical overview of recent advances and current problems in this field. The inclusion of a chapter on the satiation of alcohol is unique in a book on food intake, and shows the convergence of ideas on satiation in these two areas. Comprehensive in scope and accessible to a wide array of advanced students and professonals, Satiation: From Gut to Brain is an authoritative and up-to-date review of every aspect of this important physiological process. Although intended primarily for neuroscientists, nutritionists, and psychobiologists, who will find it most pertinent to their work, the book will also be useful for physiologists, pharmacologists, and psychologists concerned with eating and its disorders.

Any intelligent debate on the ethical treatment of animals hinges on understanding their mental processes. The idea that consciousness in animals is beyond comprehension is usually traced to the 17th-century philosopher Ren. Descartes whose concept of animals as beast machines lacking consciousness influenced arguments for more than 200 years. But in reviewing Descartes' theory of mind, Daisie and Michael Radner demonstrate in "Animal Consciousness" that he did not hold the view so frequently attributed to him. In fact, they contend that Descartes distinguished two types of consciousness, which make it easier to discuss the conscious experiences of animals and to trace the debate into the post-Darwinian era.

The deep ocean is home to some of the most unusual of all fishes. This book is the first Fish Physiology volume devoted to these bizarre undersea creatures. Practically every organ system is affected by the constraints imposed by benthic pressure, the absence of light, and the relatively scarce supply of both food and mates. Deep Sea Fishes demonstrates how these fishes living in extremely harsh conditions metabolize, behave, and evolve.

The ethics of animal genetic engineering, and controversies surrounding animal experimentation and welfare, are discussed in this book. Over 20 scientists, civil servants, biotechnology entrepreneurs, animal welfare campaigners and philosophers explore the various sides of the debate.

Emotional Stress in Monkeys

This thoroughly updated text will continue to serve the needs of students in introductory neuroscience courses as well as many other readers. Among topics highlighted in the third edition are the superfamily of molecules responsible for membrane signalling, the molecular basis of sensory perception and the pasticity of both sensory and motor circuits. The twin themes of organizational levels and comparative systems provide a unifying conceptual framework.

Since the appearance of the second edition of Sydney A. Asdell's widely used Patterns of Mammalian Reproduction in 1964, the field of reproductive physiology has expanded dramatically. Accordingly, this revision adopts a different structure from previous editions, substituting empirical delineations for physiological interpretations. With the emphases now on a presentation of the published facts of mammalian reproduction, it provides a thorough compilation of what is known about the basic reproductive biology of each of the 4300 mammalian species.To gather information, the authors examined more than 20,000 publications, dating up to 1992. They used primary sources as much as possible, supplementing them with English translations of Russian, Finnish, Chinese, and Japanese journals. The data are presented in taxonomic order. Each familial account summarizes the pattern of reproduction for the family and provides lists of citations arranged by topic of the literature on the endocrinology, reproductive anatomy, and reproductive physiology of the family. Following each account is a tabular listing of species-specific data for neonatal mass and size, weaning mass and size, litter size, age at sexual maturity, estrous cycle length, gestation length, lactation length, number of litters per year, and seasonality of reproduction. For each of these reproductive variables, the range of data gleaned from the literature is given, together with the source of each value listed.Virginia Hayssen is Assistant Professor of Biology at Smith College. Ari Van Tienhoven is Professor of Animal Physiology, Emeritus, at Cornell University. Ans Van Tienhoven assisted in the compilation of data for the book.

Here is a uniquely modern approach to the study of physiological diversity that builds on the tradition established by C. Ladd Prosser's Comparative Animal Physiology. Responding to the need for a rigorously up-to-date, comprehensive survey of function and integrative systems in a variety of species, which is also easily accessible to the user, Dr. Prosser has delivered a thoroughly revised Fourth Edition in a convenient two-volume format. This carefully designed framework lets each volume zero-in on distinct aspects of comparative physiology normally studied as a whole unit. From the study of genetically replicating molecules to investigations of adaptive modulation, these two companion volumes offer an all-encompassing view of the field. With their contemporary approach, scholarly editing, flexible format, and detailed contents, Neural and Integrative Animal Physiology and Environmental and Metabolic Animal Physiology will stand together as the authoritative source in the field.

The Tai Chimpanzee Project (Tai National Park, Cote D'Ivoire) has yielded unprecedented insights into the nature of cooperation, cognition, and culture in our closest living relatives. Founded in 1979 by Christophe and Hedwige Boesch, the project has entered its 40th year of continuous research. Alongside other famous long-term chimpanzee study sites at Gombe and Mahale in East Africa, the tireless work of the team at Tai has contributed to the fields of behavioural ecology and anthropology, as well as improving public awareness of the urgent need to protect this already endangered species. Encompassing important research topics including chimpanzee ecology, reproductive behaviour, tool use, culture, communication, cognition and conservation, this book provides an engaging account of how Tai chimpanzees are adapted to African jungle life and how they have developed unique forms of cooperation with less violence, regular adoptions and complex cultural differences between groups.

Addressing principles associated with breeding animals for enhanced health and resistance to specific diseases, this new edition provides an updated review of the field and is illustrated with examples covering many diseases of importance to livestock production across all major livestock species. Authored by experts in the field, the book covers techniques and approaches, viruses, TSEs, bacteria, parasites, vectors, and broader health issues seen in production systems, including metabolic diseases. The book will be an essential reference for professionals in the field, scientists and researchers, students, breeders, vets, agricultural advisors and policymakers.