This book presents a completely novel approach to the understanding of ageing, which many believe is an unsolved problem in biology. It explains why ageing exists in animals, and reviews our understanding of it at the biological level. This includes a discussion of the origins and evolution of ageing. The book is not a review of research on ageing, but instead draws on material from a wide range of disciplines, including the very extensive biomedical information about age-related diseases in humans. Understanding Ageing argues that much research needs to be done on the cellular and molecular aspects of ageing, if the origins of these diseases are to be understood, and their prevention made possible. This thought-provoking book will appeal to all students and researchers who are interested in ageing, whether they are working in the clinical or basic research sphere.

Development of the shapes of living organisms and their parts is a field of science in which there are no generally accepted theoretical principles. What form these principles are likely to take, when they emerge, is a subject in which there is a wide gulf of disagreement between physical scientists and experimental biologists. This book contains both an extensive philosophical commentary on this dichotomy in views and an exposition of the type of theory most favoured by physical scientists. In this theory living form is a manifestation of the dynamics of chemical change and physical transport or other physics of spatial communication. The reaction-diffusion theory, as initiated by Turing in 1952 and since elaborated by Prigogine and by Gierer and Meinhardt among others, is discussed in detail at a level that requires a good knowledge of a first course in calculus, but no more than that.

This book provides an interdisciplinary review of one of the great unsolved mysteries that has fascinated scientists for over 150 years: the origin of chirality in biomolecules. Current advances in fields as diverse as space exploration, prebiotic chemistry and high-energy physics may help to provide an answer. Important pieces of information will come from observations at the two frontiers of science: outer space and the subatomic world. Observation of distant planets, galaxies, and even actual sampling of celestial objects from beyond the solar system are projects currently underway. At the other end of the spectrum, there are experiments that study the elemental properties of matter, such as symmetry, and interactions with the fundamental forces. Completely revised and updated this new edition once again unifies all the theories of the origin of biomolecular homochirality together in a single source. This complete, interdisciplinary review of an intriguing subject condenses a large and disparate range of contributions from journals in almost every scientific field. The various theories have been organized, interrelated and explained in a unified way. It is fundamental, comprehensive and structured to be accessible for educational purposes.

The past decade has seen a dramatic increase in our understanding of early animal development. The revised edition of this excellent book describes the results of this revolution and explains in detail how the body plan of an embryo emerges from a newly fertilized egg. The book starts with a critical discussion of embryological concepts, and with simple mathematics describes cell states, morphogen gradients, and threshold responses. The experimental evidence of the mechanisms of regional specification in vertebrates, insects, and selected invertebrates, namely frogs (Xenopus), mice, chicks, fruitflies (Drosophila), mollusks, ringed worms, sea squirts, and nematode worms (Caenorhabditis), is then discussed. The progress with Drosophila has been particularly impressive, and there is an entire chapter devoted to it that provides a clear guide to the subject and includes a new table of developmentally important genes. Throughout, the emphasis is on conceptual clarity and unity, and the book brings together mathematical models, embryological experiments, and molecular biology in a single comprehensible and coherent account.

The technique of allometry investigates the effects of size on such variables as food intake, energy requirements, growth rates and age at first reproduction. This book, now available in paperback, brings together much of what is known about the consequences of size and provides a new and mathematically rigorous framework within which many quantitative predictions are made and tested using published and unpublished data. New explanations are proposed for many previously unexplained phenomena such as why in some species females are thousands of times heavier than males, whereas in no species are males more than about eight times heavier than females. The models presented afford a new synthesis of the effects of size and open up more pathways for further theoretical investigation and experimental testing. Care has been taken to give verbal presentations of all the mathematical conclusions to ensure that the text is widely intelligible.

Plants are an advantageous group for the consideration of the development of biological form. Plants share most aspects of cell biology with other organisms, yet their embryonic development continues throughout their life, their cells do not move relative to each other and their structure is relatively simple. The chapters in this book are centred around the structure of tissues and its purpose is to try and predict what should be looked for at a molecular level so as to account for observable forms. Each chapter deals with a defined problem such as the role of hormones as correlative agents, tissue polarization, apical meristems and cell lineages. The final chapter develops an alternative approach to the problem of the specification of biological form, that of 'epigenetic selection'. The chapters are centred around the structure of tissues, an intermediate and neglected level between overt morphology and biochemistry, and will be of great interest to all those engaged in attempting to understand the principles behind plant development.

During animal development the descendants of a single cell form many different tissues and organs in appropriate positions within an embryo. To do this they must recognise their position, and our knowledge of how this is done is examined in this book. It starts by considering how much spatial pattern is already laid down when the egg forms inside the mother, and ends just before the formation of visible organs. Within these limits it considers evidence obtained by a variety of techniques, both experimental and biochemical, and from the embryos of many different animal groups. This breadth of coverage and the amount of detail afforded, particularly to the experimental studies, distinguish it from competing works and will make it an interesting review. Moreover, in the final chapter the author analyzes this evidence in ways which will be new to most readers, and which call into question current ideas about spatial determination.

First published in 1956, this book was considered the first comprehensive and unitary work on the subject since 1934. It provides an analysis of the relations between genetics and epigenetics, between genes and their effects. The book will be of interest to ebryologists, but also to more general biologists.

Coverage of the field in Instant Notes in Developmental Biology is current and focuses largely on the principles of embryonic development. It is designed to provide a clear summary of the principles of developmental biology in a compact and easily manageable structure.

The phenomenon of sexual reproduction in eukaryotes poses a special problem: with each union of gametes, how does the species avoid a doubling of chromosome numbers? The solution that eukaryotes invented, early in their evolutionary history, is a unique form of nuclear division, meiosis. Meiosis serves to reduce chromosome numbers by a factor of two in the gamete or gamete-forming cells, with the result that each gamete (or gamete precursor) has a single copy of each chromosome, the haploid state; the union of gametes then restores the pre-gametic or diploid chromosome number. In this book, Bernard John presents a complete review of meiosis, describing its mechanics, position in the life cycle in different species, genetics and, finally, its significance in eukaryotic evolution. For students and researchers interested in eukaryotic cellular biology and genetics, this book may prove useful. Upper division students and research workers in genetics, cytology, and cell biology will also be able to refer to this book.

The main goal of this book is to put the Darwinian tradition in context by raising questions such as: How should it be defined? Did it interact with other research programs? Were there any research programs that developed largely independently of the Darwinian tradition? Accordingly, the contributing authors explicitly explore the nature of the relationship between the Darwinian tradition and other research programs running in parallel. In the wake of the Synthetic Theory of Evolution, which was established throughout the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, historians and philosophers of biology devoted considerable attention to the Darwinian tradition, i.e., linking Charles Darwin to mid-Twentieth-Century developments in evolutionary biology. Since then, more recent developments in evolutionary biology have challenged, in part or entirely, the heritage of the Darwinian tradition. Not surprisingly, this has in turn been followed by a historiographical "recalibration" on the part of historians and philosophers regarding other research programs and traditions in evolutionary biology. In order to acknowledge this shift, the papers in this book have been arranged on the basis of two main threads: Part I: A perspective that views Darwinism as either being originally pluralistic or having acquired such a pluralistic nature through modifications and borrowings over time. Part II: A perspective blurring the boundaries between non-Darwinian and Darwinian traditions, either by contending that Darwinism itself was never quite as Darwinian as previously assumed, or that non-Darwinian traditions took on board various Darwinian components, when not fertilizing Darwinism directly. Between a Darwinism reaching out to other research programs and non-Darwinian programs reaching out to Darwinism, the least that can be said is that this interweaving of intellectual threads blurs the historiographical field. This volume aims to open vital new avenues for approaching and reflecting on the development of evolutionary biology.

Patterns in Plant Development offers an introduction to the development of the whole plant. It is essentially a factual book that describes the complex phenomena of development in vascular plants. The point of view is structural, and emphasis is placed on the experimental approach to development. The book deals with lower vascular plants (e.g. ferns) as well as seed plants, so that the treatment of the plant, beginning with the embryo and continuing through the phase of secondary growth (the vascular cambium) is presented. The book is written so that anyone who has completed a basic first-year university course in biology or botany will be able to use it without difficulty. Sufficient background information is provided so that the reader is not required to have an extensive technical background.

Patterns in Plant Development offers an introduction to the development of the whole plant. It is essentially a factual book that describes the complex phenomena of development in vascular plants. The point of view is structural, and emphasis is placed on the experimental approach to development. The book deals with lower vascular plants (e.g. ferns) as well as seed plants, so that the treatment of the plant, beginning with the embryo and continuing through the phase of secondary growth (the vascular cambium) is presented. The book is written so that anyone who has completed a basic first-year university course in biology or botany will be able to use it without difficulty. Sufficient background information is provided so that the reader is not required to have an extensive technical background.

The technique of allometry investigates the effects of size on such variables as food intake, energy requirements, growth rates and age at first reproduction. This book, now available in paperback, brings together much of what is known about the consequences of size and provides a new and mathematically rigorous framework within which many quantitative predictions are made and tested using published and unpublished data. New explanations are proposed for many previously unexplained phenomena such as why in some species females are thousands of times heavier than males, whereas in no species are males more than about eight times heavier than females. The models presented afford a new synthesis of the effects of size and open up more pathways for further theoretical investigation and experimental testing. Care has been taken to give verbal presentations of all the mathematical conclusions to ensure that the text is widely intelligible.

The editors present, in a single volume, a valuable reference source for students of mammalian embryology, genetics, and physiology, this book provides a thorough overview of the field of embryonic development - its current status along with possible directions in the future.

The first 1,000 days, from conception to two years of age, is a critical period of growth and development. Exposures to dietary, environmental, hormonal, and other stressors during this window have been associated with an increased risk of poor health outcomes, some of which are irreversible. The book addresses this crucial interval of early life across biological disciplines, linking concepts related to all biological fields to outcomes during the first 1,000 days (e.g. fetal growth and pregnancy outcomes) and beyond (e.g. gut microbiome and cardiovascular disease later in life). The strength of this book lies in its cross-disciplinary nature.

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. 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.

This volume is part of the definitive edition of letters written by and to Charles Darwin, the most celebrated naturalist of the nineteenth century. Notes and appendixes put these fascinating and wide-ranging letters in context, making the letters accessible to both scholars and general readers. Darwin depended on correspondence to collect data from all over the world, and to discuss his emerging ideas with scientific colleagues, many of whom he never met in person. The letters are published chronologically: volume 27 includes letters from 1879, the year in which Darwin completed his manuscript on movement in plants. He also researched and published a biography of his grandfather Erasmus. The Darwins spent most of August on holiday in the Lake District. In October, Darwin's youngest son, Horace, became officially engaged to Ida Farrer, after some initial resistance from her father, who, although an admirer of Charles Darwin, thought Horace a poor prospect for his daughter.

Tackling one of the most difficult and delicate of the evolutionary questions, this challenging book summarizes the more recent results in phylogenetics and developmental biology that address the evolution of key innovations in metazoans. Divided into three sections, the first considers the phylogenetic issues involving this area of the tree of life and the elucidation of those relationships that continue to trouble taxonomists. The second section considers the developmental biology of metazoan evolution including the development of the nervous system, sensory organs, and physiological maturation. Part three focuses on the evolution of pattern and process in the Metazoa.

Annual Fishes: Life History Strategy, Diversity, and Evolution is the first comprehensive reference on current knowledge of diverse species that exhibit unique survival strategies and provide important models for basic and applied research. This work fills a void, covering the life cycle, reproductive biology, evolutionary ecology, reproductive behavior, sexual selection, genetics, speciation, and integrative and conservation strategies of annual fishes Bringing together researchers in different areas of annual fishes to summarize previous work, overview the current research, and highlight promising areas of research, the book is organized into three sections focusing on: Diversity, life history, and reproductive biology Ecology and conservation Evolution The book provides a thorough understanding of the complexity of annual fishes and emphasizes their usefulness as a unique model organism for studies in vertebrate biology, particularly in areas such as speciation and senescence. It also notes the gaps in knowledge that challenge future research and encourages the continued expansion and development of research studies on annual fishes to address these gaps so that general vertebrate biology can be better understood. It serves as a valuable resource for scientists in a range of disciplines such as ichthyology, zoology, developmental and evolutionary biology, molecular biology and genetics, and ecology.

The Immunological Synapse, Part A, Volume 173 in the Methods in Cell Biology series provides state-of-the-art methods for the study of the immunological synapse. Sections cover Imaging polarized granule release at the cytotoxic T cell immunological synapse using TIRF microscopy: control by polarity regulators, Analysis of centrosomal area actin reorganization and centrosome polarization upon lymphocyte activation at the immunological synapse, P815-based redirected degranulation assay to study human NK cell effector functions, Cytotoxic and Chemotactic Dynamics of Natural Killer Cells Quantified by Live-cell Imaging, Quantification of interaction frequency between antigen-presenting cells and T cells by conjugation assay, and more. Other chapters focus on the Study of the Effects of NK-Tumor Cell Interaction by Proteomic Analysis and Imaging, Quantification of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus specific T cells and LCMV viral titers, Quantification of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus specific T cells and LCMV viral titers, An in vitro model to monitor natural killer cell effector functions against primary breast cancer, and Standardized Protocol for the Evaluation of Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-modified Cell Immunological Synapse Quality using the Glass-supported Planar L.

This book is perhaps the first attempt to comprehensively project the uniqueness of molluscs, covering almost all aspects of reproduction and development from aplacophorans to vampyromorphic cephalopods. Molluscs are unique for the presence of protective external shell, defensive inking, geographic distribution from the depth of 9,050 m to an altitude of 4,300 m, gamete diversity, the use of nurse eggs and embryos to accelerate the first few mitotic divisions in embryos, the natural occurrence of androgenics in a couple of bivalves, viable induced tetraploids, gigantism induced by elevated ploidy, the complementary role played by mitochondrial genome in sex determination by nuclear genes and the uptake and accumulation of steroid hormone from surrounding waters. In molluscs, sexuality comprises of gonochorism (< 75 %) and hermaphroditism, which itself includes simultaneous (> 24%), protandry (< 1 %), Marian and serial. In them, the presence of shell affords iteroparity and relatively longer life span in prosobranchs and bivalves but its absence semelparity and short life span in opisthobranchs and cephalopods. Within semelparity, gonochorism facilitates faster growth and larger body size but hermaphroditism small body size. In them, sex is irrevocably determined at fertilization by a few unknown genes and is not amenable to any environmental influence. However, the sex determining mechanism is more a family trait in bivalves. Primary sex differentiation is also fixed and not amenable to environmental factor but secondary differentiation is labile, protracted and amenable to environmental factors. Both sex differentiation and reproductive cycle are accomplished and controlled solely by neurohormones. In these processes, the role of steroid hormones may be alien to molluscs.

Chordates comprise lampreys, hagfishes, jawed fishes, and tetrapods, plus a variety of more unfamiliar and crucially important non-vertebrate animal lineages, such as lancelets and sea squirts. This will be the first book to synthesize, summarize, and provide high-quality illustrations to show what is known of the configuration, development, homology, and evolution of the muscles of all major extant chordate groups. Muscles as different as those used to open the siphons of sea squirts and for human facial communication will be compared, and their evolutionary links will be explained. Another unique feature of the book is that it covers, illustrates, and provides detailed evolutionary tables for each and every muscle of the head, neck and of all paired and median appendages of extant vertebrates. Key Selling Features: Has more than 200 high-quality anatomical illustrations, including evolutionary trees that summarize the origin and evolution of all major muscle groups of chordates Includes data on the muscles of the head and neck and on the pectoral, pelvic, anal, dorsal, and caudal appendages of all extant vertebrate taxa Examines experimental observations from evolutionary developmental biology studies of chordate muscle development, allowing to evolutionarily link the muscles of vertebrates with those of other chordates Discusses broader developmental and evolutionary issues and their implications for macroevolution, such as the links between phylogeny and ontogeny, homology and serial homology, normal and abnormal development, the evolution, variations, and birth defects of humans, and medicine.

Why do living things and physical phenomena take the form they do? D'Arcy Thompson's classic On Growth and Form looks at the way things grow and the shapes they take. Analysing biological processes in their mathematical and physical aspects, this historic work, first published in 1917, has also become renowned for the sheer poetry of its descriptions. A great scientist sensitive to the fascinations and beauty of the natural world tells of jumping fleas and slipper limpets; of buds and seeds; of bees' cells and rain drops; of the potter's thumb and the spider's web; of a film of soap and a bubble of oil; of a splash of a pebble in a pond.