Dies ist ein Open Access Buch. Wir haben immer mehr Alte, immer weniger Kinder. Dank wissenschaftlicher Fortschritte verlangert sich die Lebenserwartung standig. Erkenntnisse aus der Naturwissenschaft in der post-genomischen AEra deuten darauf, dass diese Entwicklung trotz der Zunahme altersassoziierter Krankheiten und Behinderungen noch nicht am Ende angekommen ist. Droht diese Flut von Alten, Rentnern und "Konsumenten des Lebens" zum Verlust des Zusammenhalts der Gesellschaft zu fuhren? Nach der Bestandsaufnahme der jungsten Errungenschaften der Forschung hat das interaktive Symposium sich mit den Chancen und Gefahren der "gewonnenen Jahre" auseinandergesetzt. Die Referentinnen und Referenten sind herausragende Vertreter der Biologie und Medizin. Meinungsbildner der Geisteswissenschaften und Persoenlichkeiten aus der Politik kamen ebenfalls zu Wort.Dies ist ein Open-Access-Buch.

Development of the Nervous System, Fourth Edition provides an informative and up-to-date account of our present understanding of the basic principles of neural development as exemplified by key experiments and observations from past and recent times. This book reflects the advances made over the last few years, demonstrating their promise for both therapy and molecular understanding of one of the most complex processes in animal development. This information is critical for neuroscientists, developmental biologists, educators, and students at various stages of their career, providing a clear presentation of the frontiers of this exciting and medically important area of developmental biology. The book includes a basic introduction to the relevant aspects of neural development, covering all the major topics that form the basis of a comprehensive, advanced undergraduate and graduate curriculum, including the patterning and growth of the nervous system, neuronal determination, axonal navigation and targeting, neuron survival and death, synapse formation and plasticity.

This textbook provides a collection of case studies in paleoanthropology demonstrating the method and limitations of science. These cases introduce the reader to various problems and illustrate how they have been addressed historically. The various topics selected represent important corrections in the field, some critical breakthroughs, models of good reasoning and experimental design, and important ideas emerging from normal science.

This book will provide an overview of basic epigenetic phenomena; interaction between epigenetic and genetic factors; and the influence of epigenetic factors on inheritance. Epigenetic states may contribute to the penetrance of genetic polymorphisms or mutations and thereby modify inheritance patterns. This may result in non-Mendelian inheritance of genetic traits such as observed in common human disease. The relationship between epigenetics and genetics, however, has not been comprehensively summarized yet. The topic is being more and more appreciated lately due to considerable advances in genomic and epigenomic approaches to study the origins of human disease. The editors will focus not only on describing epigenetic characteristics, mechanisms and results, but also on how considerations of epigenetics can alter interpretation and analysis of risks for complex traits. This book will be a resource for those who have been working in human genetics or analysis of human genetic data and are studying the impact of epigenetics on inheritance. An overview will be given of the impacts of inter-individual variation in epigenetic states from major changes (errors in genomic imprinting) that cause congenital developmental defects to subtle changes and their impact on complex traits. The editors will discuss the relationship between epigenetic changes and genetic changes in human disease. Several chapters will also focus on statistical analysis of epigenetics effects, either in human disease genetic studies, or in population genetics.

The gastrointestinal mucosal defense system serves to minimize mucosal injury by either ingested or endogenously produced noxious substances. The mucosal defense system is stratified into pre-epithelial (alkaline mucus), epithelial (dynamic epithelial lining), and post-epithelial (microcirculation) components. The mucus lining the epithelial surface presents a diffusional barrier to ingested material (e.g., lipids) and also serves as an unstirred layer in which a pH gradient can be established to prevent acid-induced injury. The epithelial lining prevents entrance of any toxic material to the interstitium and, should it be damaged, it is rapidly resealed by migration of adjacent viable epithelial cells to cover the defect. Any acid or other material that has entered the interstitium is washed out by an intense neurogenic hyperemia. In general, the mucosal defense system is quite effective and any adverse gastrointestinal effects associated with the normal course of nutrient assimilation are minimal. However, there are two situations in which the mucosal defense system is known to be ineffective and result in gastric mucosal injury: inadvertent ingestion of H. pylori. or intentional ingestion of NSAIDs. H. pylori can penetrate the mucus layers and cause epithelial injury and inflammation, while at the same time preventing its clearance by the host immune system. NSAIDs weaken the mucus layer and cause epithelial cell injury.

The brains of males and females, men and women, are different, that is a fact. What is debated is how different and how important are those differences. Sex differences in the brain are determined by genetics, hormones, and experience, which in humans includes culture, society, and parental and peer expectations. The importance of nonbiological variables to sex differences in humans is paramount, making it difficult if not impossible to parse out those contributions that are truly biological. The study of animals provides us the opportunity to understand the magnitude and scope of biologically based sex differences in the brain, and understanding the cellular mechanisms provides us insight into novel sources of brain plasticity. Many sex differences are established during a developmental sensitive window by differences in the hormonal milieu of males versus females. The neonatal testis produces large amounts of testosterone which gains access to the brain and is further metabolized into active androgens and estrogens which modify brain development. Major parameters that are influenced by hormones include neurogenesis, cell death, neurochemical phenotype, axonal and dendritic growth, and synaptogenesis. Variance in these parameters results in sex differences in the size of particular brain regions, the projections between brain regions, and the number and type of synapses within particular brain regions. The cellular mechanisms are both region and endpoint specific and invoke many surprising systems such as prostaglandins, endocannabinoids, and cell death proteins. Epigenetic modifications to the genome both establish and maintain sex differences in the brain and behavior. By understanding when, why, and how sex differences in the brain are established, we may also learn the source of strong gender biases in the relative risk and severity of numerous neurological diseases and disorders of mental health. Boys are much more likely to be diagnosed with autism spectrum or attention and hyperactivity disorders, as well as speech and language deficits, compared to girls. By contrast, women are more likely to suffer from affective disorders, such as depression, anxiety, compulsion, and eating disorders and more likely to experience autoimmune and neurodegenerative disorders. Schizophrenia with an early onset is more common in males but a late-onset version is markedly more frequent in females. Male biased disorders have origins in development while female biased disorders are almost exclusively post-puberty. This remarkable shift in disease risk demands our attention. Novel insights into the biological origins of disease are also gained by comparing and contrasting the same processes in different sexes.

There is a major demand for people with scientific training in a wide range of professions based on and maintaining relations with science. However, there is a lack of good first-hand information about alternative career paths to research. From entrepreneurship, industry and the media to government, public relations, activism and teaching, this is a readable guide to science based skills, lifestyles and career paths. The ever-narrowing pyramid of opportunities within an academic career structure, or the prospect of a life in the laboratory losing its attraction, mean that many who trained in science and engineering now look for alternative careers. Thirty role models who began by studying many different disciplines give personal guidance for graduates, postgraduates and early-career scientists in the life sciences, physical sciences and engineering. This book is an entertaining resource for ideas about, and directions into, the many fields which they may not be aware of or may not have considered.

The pharyngeal arches are embryonic structures that develop into the face, neck, a part of the heart, and several endocrine glands in animals. They are thought to have played a key role in vertebrate evolution as their derivatives impact the mode of feeding and breathing. Moreover, perturbation in pharyngeal arch development is associated with several major groups of birth defects in humans. During early embryonic development, cells from all three germ layers come together to assemble the pharyngeal arches. Subsequently, the pharyngeal arches undergo growth, morphogenesis, and cell type differentiation to give rise to musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, neural, and glandular components. These processes are guided by interactions amongst different tissues, via signaling molecules. A large number of genes, with a complex network of regulatory relationships, govern each aspect of pharyngeal arch development. With the advance of molecular genetics tools in model organisms such as mice, we are beginning to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying development of the pharyngeal arches and related birth defects. This eBook will provide an introduction into development of the pharyngeal arch system, with a detailed discussion on the genetic regulation of this process.

Among the offspring of humans and other animals are occasional individuals that are malformed in whole or in part. The most grossly abnormal of these have been referred to from ancient times as monsters, because their birth was thought to foretell doom; the less severely affected are usually known as anomalies. This volume digs deeply into the cellular and molecular processes of embryonic development that go awry in such exceptional situations. It focuses on the physical mechanisms of how genes instruct cells to build anatomy, as well as the underlying forces of evolution that shaped these mechanisms over eons of geologic time. The narrative is framed in a historical perspective that should help students trying to make sense of these complex subjects. Each chapter is written in the style of a Sherlock Holmes story, starting with the clues and ending with a solution to the mystery.

This monograph, for the first time, presents a comprehensive overview of different mechanisms of immune dysfunction in cancer as well as therapeutic approaches to their correction. It discusses a number of new mechanisms that have never been discussed in a monograph before: T-cell inhibitory molecules, regulatory tolerogenic DCs, and signaling pathways in antigen-presenting cells involved in T-cell tolerance. There is now a pressing need to discuss the already described and newly emerging mechanisms to see how they can be put together in a more or less cohesive structure and how they can help to improve immune response to tumors.

From deep ocean trenches and the geographical poles to outer space, organisms can be found living in remarkably extreme conditions. This book provides a captivating account of these systems and their extraordinary inhabitants, 'extremophiles'. A diverse, multidisciplinary group of experts discuss responses and adaptations to change; biodiversity, bioenergetic processes, and biotic and abiotic interactions; polar environments; and life and habitability, including searching for biosignatures in the extraterrestrial environment. The editors emphasize that understanding these systems is important for increasing our knowledge and utilizing their potential, but this remains an understudied area. Given the threat to these environments and their biota caused by climate change and human impact, this timely book also addresses the urgency to document these systems. It will help graduate students and researchers in conservation, marine biology, evolutionary biology, environmental change and astrobiology better understand how life exists in these environments and their susceptibility or resilience to change.