The first thing children ask about sex is typically, "Where do babies come from?" This, the most perplexing scientific question of all time, was hailed by the ancient Greeks as "the mystery of mysteries". Throughout history the most intelligent and well-educated men and women have struggled to understand how we reproduce, and the full picture is far from complete. In the mid-17th century, a theory of reproduction - preformation - sparked a heated debate that continued for over 100 years. Preformation proposed that miniature creatures waiting to be born existed inside each potential parent much like a Russian nesting doll. It was thought that God placed these beings during Creation and predetermined the precise moment that each would unfold and exist. In "The Ovary of Eve", Clara Pinto-Correia traces the history of this much-maligned theory, ultimately revealing its critical influence on the modern view of conception. Opinion on preformation was sharply divided. "Ovists" believed that preformed individuals existed in the egg, but "spermists" argued that the locus of perfection before birth was in the sperm. This controversy ranged beyond the narrow confines of biology. Most scholars were reluctant to allow perfection to women. After all, these debates occurred in a culture which held women responsible for the Fall and original sin and which saw women as imperfect or incomplete males. Yet spermism entailed a moral dilemma, - why would God allow millions of preformed individuals to die with each ejaculate? Pinto-Correia recounts this controversy in all its complexity, revealing the religious, cultural and social climate of the day. Acknowledging that several modern authors have presented preformation as little more than an entertaining interlude in the study of reproduction, Pinto-Correia nonetheless seeks to recast preformation as an important theory with a precious legacy. Her book shows that the basic tenets understood by the old preformationists are still a crucial part of developmental biology and effect such state-of-the art techniques as cloning.

This book provides a synthetic overview of all evidence concerning the evolution of the morphology of the human pelvis, including comparative anatomy, clinical and experimental studies, and quantitative evolutionary models. By integrating these lines of research, this is the first book to bring all sources of evidence together to develop a coherent statement about the current state of the art in understanding pelvic evolution. Second, and related to this, the volume is the first detailed assessment of existing paradigms about the evolution of the pelvis, especially the obstetric dilemma. The authors argue that there are many 'dilemmas', but these must be approached using a testable methodology, rather than on the proviso of a single paradigm. The volume clearly contributes to greater scientific knowledge about human variation and evolution, and has implications for clinicians working within reproductive health. A thought-provoking read for students, researchers and professionals in the fields of biological anthropology, human evolutionary anthropology, paleoanthropology, bioarchaeology, biology, developmental biology and obstetrics.

In this authoritative three-volume reference work, leading researchers bring together current work to provide a comprehensive analysis of the comparative morphology, development, evolution, and functional biology of the skull.

In this authoritative three-volume reference work, leading researchers bring together current work to provide a comprehensive analysis of the comparative morphology, development, evolution, and functional biology of the skull.

This updated, streamlined, generously illustrated Fifth Edition of the classic text combines comparative vertebrate anatomy and embryology into one easy reference source. Provides an overview of vertebrate evolution, a preview of vertebrate embryology, six chapters on vertebrate development, and then goes through each organ system from both a morphogenesis and comparative anatomy standpoint. Also includes extensive discussions of vertebrate evolution, a large section on developmental preliminaries, an extensive glossary and a new bibliography.

Scientists investigating germ cells have, over the past 15 years, originated discoveries and innovations that give us valuable insights into the mechanisms that regulate not just stem cell function, but human development in its widest sense. With contributions from some of the leading researchers in the field, Male Germline Stem Cells: Developmental and Regenerative Potential assesses the implications of these discoveries for understanding the fundamental biology of germline stem cells as well as their potential for human stem cell-based therapies. This monograph covers many of the fundamental issues now being explored by today's generation of stem cell researchers, including the field's potential for regenerative medicine. Ranging from an assessment of the pluripotency of primordial germ cells and their possible applications in treating testicular cancer, to the recovery of once-mordant fertilization-competent sperm, this volume has it all. It is a reference point for any scientist involved in related research as well as being a timely summation of what could prove to be a hugely exciting and very fruitful area of inquiry.

"Ein einzigartiges Buch, das nur von einem Mann wie Ernst Mayr geschrieben werden konnte, der nicht nur einer der bedeutendsten Evolutionsbiologen dieses Jahrhunderts, sondern auch ein grosser Philosoph, Biologiehistoriker und aussergewohnlicher Schriftsteller ist. Kein anderes Buch erzahlt so klar und kritisch die Evolution der Ideen, die zur modernen Biologie fuhrten."
("Nobelpreistrager Francois Jacob")"

This book introduces readers to the fascinating interaction of specialized gamete cells, forming the early embryo and a blueprint of new life. Readers will gain a thorough understanding of the complex physiological events and mechanical processes - such as ionic regulation, metabolism and intracellular signalling - to decipher cause and effect in fertilization. Wide-ranging in its approach, this book describes fertilization as a highly conserved mechanism throughout the animal kingdom, taking case studies from echinoderms, ascidians, amphibians and mammals through to other phyla. An excellent companion to undergraduate and postgraduate students of medicine, veterinary and biological sciences, this text provides an underpinning of the mechanisms of fertilization that inform assisted reproduction practice and research in medicine and agriculture. It explores the detailed phases before fertilization: the oocyte as a quiescent cell, attracting its partner gamete, followed by a cascade of pre-determined physiological events, to form the dynamic zygote cell; setting the scene for the early embryo, and beyond.

Knochenfische, Amphibien und Reptilien besitzen in ausgedehntem Masse extracutane Pigmentierungen. Bei diesen niederen Vertebraten kommen Pigment zellen nicht nur in der Epidermis und reich ausgebildet im Corium vor, sondern auch an vielen Organen des Koerperinneren, in teilweise weiter Ausdehnung. So sind die Dura mater und die Leptomeninx, das parietale Peritonaeum und die Mesenterien, Gefasse undN erven, der Darm und die Keimdrusen, dasfettspeichernde Bindegewebe, das Periost und das Knochenmark mit Chromatophoren versehen, und zwar in jeweils spezifischer Auswahl der pigmentierten Strukturen bei der einzelnen Art. Bei den Voegeln und besonders bei den Saugern sind extracutane Pigmentierungen selten, nur vereinzelt sind Chromatophoren an inneren Organen zu finden, und ausgedehnte Pigmentierungen wie bei niederen Wirbeltieren sind ganz selten. Diese Verhaltnisse waren den alten Autoren zum Teil bekannt, in alten und neueren vergleichend-anatomischen Werken sind Angaben uber die Pigmentierung einzelner Organe verstreut (LEYDIG, 1857; HoFFMANN, 1890; EcKER-GAUPP, 1899 und 1904; HARDER, 1964). In den zahlreichen und eingehenden Arbeiten uber die Chromatophoren der Haut, uber die Entwicklung der Pigmentzellen und uber ihre Biologie finden sich, ebenso wie in manchen speziellen anatomischen Publikationen, gelegentlich An gaben uber extracutane Pigmentzellen, mitunter ist auch eine Abbildung bei gefugt (ZENNECK, 1894; BOLK, 1910; WERNER, 1911; FUCHS, 1914; FlSCHEL, 1920; BIEDERMANN, 1926, 1928a und b; BALLOWITZ, 1931; THUMANN, 1931; HALLER voN HALLERSTEIN, 1934; ScHALTENBRAND, 1955; RAWLES, 1960; FIORONI, 1961; SoKOLOV, 1962; STARCK, 1964; PEHLEMANN, 1967 a).

HOWARD C. TAYLOR, JR. Medicine, through its long history, has continually striven to enlarge its scope. Success in these endeavors has come in sudden bursts with long intervals of relative quiescence between. As a result of the spectacular discoveries in the basic sciences during the last decades, medicine is again in a period of revolutionary advance in many fields. One of these is the subject of this report, "The Intrauterine Patient." Until recently the fetus signalized his presence only by the mother's enlarging abdomen and by his own movements, perceived by the preg- nant woman herself and evident to the examining midwife and physician. Later, the sounds of the fetal heart heard by auscultation and the varia- tions in its rate became the single important means by which the welfare of the fetus might be roughly determined and threats to his survival per- haps detected. Otherwise, the fetus remained isolated, his condition unknown and any therapy consequent on diagnosis, except for the induc- tion or termination of labor, nonexistent.

Recapitulating The Stem Cell Niche Ex Vivo, Volume Six in the Advances in Stem Cells and their Niches series, highlights new advances in the field, with this new volume presenting interesting chapters on a variety of topics, including Recapitulating the bone marrow stem cell niche ex vivo, The generation of the liver ex vivo, Recapitulating the thymic stem cell niche ex vivo, Recapitulating the intestinal epithelium stem cell niche ex vivo, Recapitulating the lung stem cell niche in vitro, Recapitulating mammary tissue in vitro, and Recapitulating muscle in vitro.

This book comprehensively summarizes the biological mechanisms of coloration and pattern formation of animals at molecular and cellular level, offering up-to-date knowledge derived from remarkable progress in the last 10 years. The brilliant coloration, conspicuous patterns and spectacular color changes displayed by some vertebrates and invertebrates are generally their strategies of the utmost importance for survival. Consists of mainly three parts, starts with introductory chapter, such as Pigments and Pigment Organelles, Developmental Genetics of Pigment Cell Formation, Adult Pigment Patterns, and Color Changes, this book introduces new pigment compounds in addition to classically known pigments and organelles, explains how the generation of multiple types of pigment cell is genetically controlled, describes the mechanisms underlying the zebrafish stripe formation as well as other animals and also summarizes the mechanism of physiological and morphological color changes of teleost, amphibian and cephalopod. Written by experts in the field, this book will be essential reading for graduate students and researchers in biological fields who are interested in pigmentation mechanisms of animals.

Dieser Buchtitel ist Teil des Digitalisierungsprojekts Springer Book Archives mit Publikationen, die seit den Anfangen des Verlags von 1842 erschienen sind. Der Verlag stellt mit diesem Archiv Quellen fur die historische wie auch die disziplingeschichtliche Forschung zur Verfugung, die jeweils im historischen Kontext betrachtet werden mussen. Dieser Titel erschien in der Zeit vor 1945 und wird daher in seiner zeittypischen politisch-ideologischen Ausrichtung vom Verlag nicht beworben.

Dieser Buchtitel ist Teil des Digitalisierungsprojekts Springer Book Archives mit Publikationen, die seit den Anfangen des Verlags von 1842 erschienen sind. Der Verlag stellt mit diesem Archiv Quellen fur die historische wie auch die disziplingeschichtliche Forschung zur Verfugung, die jeweils im historischen Kontext betrachtet werden mussen. Dieser Titel erschien in der Zeit vor 1945 und wird daher in seiner zeittypischen politisch-ideologischen Ausrichtung vom Verlag nicht beworben.