The fourth edition of "Human Reproductive Biology" emphasizes the biological and biomedical aspects of human reproduction, explains advances in reproductive science and discusses the choices and concerns of today. Generously illustrated in full color, the text provides current information about human reproductive anatomy and physiology. This expansive text covers the full range of topics in human reproduction, from the biology of male and female systems to conception, pregnancy, labor and birth. It goes on to cover issues in fertility and its control, population growth and family planning, induced abortion and sexually transmitted diseases. This is the ideal book for courses on human reproductive biology, with chapter introductions, sidebars on related topics, chapter summaries and suggestions for further reading.
Beautifully redrawn full-color illustrations complement completely updated material with the latest research results, and clear, logical presentation of topics Covers the basic science of reproduction - endocrinology, anatomy, physiology, development, function and senescence of the reproductive system - as well as applied aspects including contraception, infertility and diseases of the reproductive system New companion website features full-color illustrations as PPT and jpeg files for both professors and students to use for study and presentations

This book provides a state-of-the-art compendium on the role of proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans during development and in cancer. It also suggests directions for novel therapeutic and biotechnological applications in stem cell biology. Proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans, as part of the extracellular matrix, are multifunctional modulators of growth factor, cytokine, integrin and morphogen signaling, which determine both self-renewal, senescence and/or differentiation of stem cells during development. Since proteoglycans modulate cell adhesion and migration they are important organizers of the extracellular matrix within the proper stem cell niche. A malfunctioning of proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans contributes to the cancer stem cell phenotype, which is linked to therapeutic resistance and recurrence in malignant disease. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the extracellular matrix and its role in development. The series Biology of Extracellular Matrix is published in collaboration with the American Society for Matrix Biology.

How Biology Confirms Our Intuition That Life Is Designed

This detailed volume presents a variety of animal models that are commonly used to study sepsis and some key procedures to measure specific disease outcomes. The chapters describe well-established surgical and nonsurgical rodent models of sepsis, presented by experts in the field. In addition, the book includes protocols for burn injury and sepsis, modeling the mouse intensive care unit (MICU), and the development of humanized mice, which may be useful tools to increase the translational potential of rodent sepsis research. There is a chapter discussing the use of biomarkers for sepsis diagnosis and prognosis in humans and mice, as well as chapters describing specific methods for biomarker measurement, and the use of analgesics and humane endpoints in rodent sepsis research. Finally, agent-based computational modeling is presented as a valuable complementary approach to study sepsis. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Sepsis: Methods and Protocols serves as an ideal guide for researchers working toward improving the identification and treatment of septic patients.

The book provides an in-depth and comprehensive overview of the essential role of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in bone formation. In combination with researches from multiple scholars in this field, the book reviews the mechanisms of ncRNA-related bone diseases, as well as the potential applications of RNA synthesis technology in bone disorder treatments. This volume covers the following topics: 1) basic introduction of non-coding RNA and bone development, how 2) microRNAs and 3) long noncoding RNAs (LncRNAs) regulate bone formation, 4) how ncRNAs and the corresponding pathways participate in bone metabolism diseases, 5) RNA synthesis technology and the possible RNA therapies in bone disease. Researchers and students in the fields of human genetics, human physiology, developmental biology and biomedical engineering, as well as professionals and scientists in Orthopedics, will particularly find this book helpful.

Natural resources and associated biological diversity provide the basis of livelihood for human population, particularly in the rural areas and mountain regions across the globe. Asia is home to the world's highest mountain regions including the Himalayas, Karakorum and Hindukush. These regions are renowned around the globe because of their unique beauty, climate, and biocultural diversity. Because of geoclimatic conditions, the mountains of Asia are medicinal and food plant diversity hot spots. The indigenous communities residing in the valleys of these mountains have their own culture and traditions, and have a long history of interaction with the surrounding plant diversity. Local inhabitants of these mountains areas possess significant traditional knowledge of plant species used as food, medicine, and for cultural purposes. So far, many workers have reported traditional uses of plant species from different regions of Asia including some mountain areas; however, there is not one inclusive document on the ethnobotany of mountains in Asia. This book provides a comprehensive overview on ethno-ecological knowledge and cross cultural variation in the application of plant species among various communities residing in the mountains of Asia; cross cultural variation in traditional uses of plant species by the mountain communities; high value medicinal and food plant species; and threats and conservation status of plant species and traditional knowledge. This book should be useful to researchers of biodiversity and conservation, ethnobiologists, ethnoecologists, naturalists, phytochemists, pharmacists, policy makers, and all who have a devotion to nature.

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.

This book explores the potential applications of animal stem cells in veterinary medicine. It begins with an overview of stem cells and their application in treating various animal diseases, including mastitis. In turn, the book discusses the challenges of using stem cells in regenerative medicine and emphasizes the importance of understanding the action of stem cells and preclinical evidence for ensuring safety and therapeutic efficacy. It also presents methods for the identification, characterization, and quantification of stem cells. Further, it discusses the therapeutic applications of different stem cells, including milk-derived, testicular, and mesenchymal stem cells in veterinary medicine. Lastly, it discusses strategies for and therapeutic applications of genome editing by CRISPER/Cas9 in mammary stem cells. As such, the book offers a valuable resource for students and scientists working in the veterinary sciences and veterinarians.

Leading gender and science scholar Sarah S. Richardson charts the untold history of the idea that a woman's health and behavior during pregnancy can have long-term effects on her descendants' health and welfare. The idea that a woman may leave a biological trace on her gestating offspring has long been a commonplace folk intuition and a matter of scientific intrigue, but the form of that idea has changed dramatically over time. Beginning with the advent of modern genetics at the turn of the twentieth century, biomedical scientists dismissed any notion that a mother-except in cases of extreme deprivation or injury-could alter her offspring's traits. Consensus asserted that a child's fate was set by a combination of its genes and post-birth upbringing. Over the last fifty years, however, this consensus was dismantled, and today, research on the intrauterine environment and its effects on the fetus is emerging as a robust program of study in medicine, public health, psychology, evolutionary biology, and genomics. Collectively, these sciences argue that a woman's experiences, behaviors, and physiology can have life-altering effects on offspring development. Tracing a genealogy of ideas about heredity and maternal-fetal effects, this book offers a critical analysis of conceptual and ethical issues-in particular, the staggering implications for maternal well-being and reproductive autonomy-provoked by the striking rise of epigenetics and fetal origins science in postgenomic biology today.

This book provides detailed protocols for research in plant photomorphogenesis. The collection includes a broad range of topics including assays for shade avoidance responses, assays for light-dependent protein-protein interactions, photobody detection with immunofluorescence and the super-resolution imaging method, protein complex isolation from plants, detection of homodimer and monomer of photoreceptor UVR8 with immunoblotting analysis, assays for seedling greening, procedures for studying skotomorphogenesis, phenotypic study of photomorphogenesis at the seedling stage, expression of Cryptochrome in insect cells, and more. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Plant Photomorphogenesis: Methods and Protocols serves as an ideal guide for researchers and students who are new to the field, as well as a stepping stone for experienced researchers to further their skills in this fast-developing field.

This book summarizes various tools and techniques used to provide insights into the cellular and molecular pathophysiology of stroke. It also presents rodent animal models to help shed light on the pathophysiology of ischemic stroke. Presenting the latest information on the different types of stroke, including embolic, filament, photothrombotic, and bilateral common carotid artery, the book also describes techniques that are used for confirmation of stroke surgery, such as laser speckle imaging (LSI) and laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF), and discusses the non-human primates that are used in stroke surgery, cerebral venous sinuous thrombosis, and neurobehavioral assessment. Lastly, it analyzes various neuroprotective agents to treat and prevent ischemic stroke, and examines the challenges and advances in treating and preventing acute ischemic stroke.

The population of the world continues to increase at an alarming rate. The trouble linked with overpopulation ranges from food and water scarcity to inadequacy of space for organisms. Overpopulation is also linked with several other demographic hazards, for instance, population blooming will not only result in exhaustion of natural repositories, but it will also induce intense pressure on the world economy. Today nanotechnology is often discussed as a key discipline of research but it has positive and negative aspects. Also, due to industrialization and ever-increasing population, nano-pollution has been an emerging topic among scientists for investigation and debate. Nanotechnology measures any substance on a macromolecular scale, molecular scale, and even atomic scale. More importantly, nanotechnology deals with the manipulation and control of any matter at the dimension of a single nanometer. Nanotechnology and nanoparticles (NPs) play important roles in sustainable development and environmental challenges as well. NPs possess both harmful and beneficial effects on the environment and its harboring components, such as microbes, plants, and humans. There are many beneficial impacts exerted by nanoparticles, however, including their role in the management of waste water and soil treatment, cosmetics, food packaging, agriculture, biomedicines, pharmaceuticals, renewable energies, and environmental remedies. Conversely, NPs also show some toxic effects on microbes, plants, as well as human beings. It has been reported that use of nanotechnological products leads to the more accumulation of NPs in soil and aquatic ecosystems, which may be detrimental for living organisms. Further, toxic effects of NPs on microbes, invertebrates, and aquatic organisms including algae, has been measured. Scientists have also reported on the negative impact of NPs on plants by discussing the delivery of NPs in plants. Additionally, scientists have also showed that NPs interact with plant cells, which results in alterations in growth, biological function, gene expression, and development. Thus, there has been much investigated and reported on NPs and plant interactions in the last decade. This book discusses the most recent work on NPs and plant interaction, which should be useful for scientists working in nanotechnology across a wide variety of disciplines.

Contributors to this volume discuss advances in Arabidopsis research, including construction of the physical map, sequencing of the genome, and strategies for structure-function analysis. The power of mutagenesis as a tool to gain insights into plant developmental processes is illustrated in a range of stages in the life cycle of Arabidopsis, including embryogenesis, vegetative development, flowering, reproduction and cell death. In addition, the control of metabolism, secretion and biological rhythms is examined and the ways in which development is regulated by such stimuli as plant hormones and light are evaluated. The book should be useful to researchers and postgraduates in plant physiology, development, biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics and crop biotechnology.

Biological aging and interventionary strategies are investigated with the eventual goal of extending healthy human lifespan and minimizing the incidence of diseases associated with aging.

Biogerontologists, evolutionary biologists, biodemographers, scientists in related basic research, clinicians, and dieticians came together in Istanbul, Turkey, to share their research and discuss the latest developments in this rapidly advancing field.

This volume presents chapters representative of the highlights of the meeting, including contributions in the following areas: (1) biological and nonbiological factors affecting lifespan and the quality of life; (2) ethical and social issues related to lifespan and health-span extension; (3) novel areas of understanding aging -- physiological, cellular, and molecular aspects; (4) new technologies to understand and modulate aging; (5) the latest successful approaches in the prevention and treatment of age-related diseases; and (6) aging intervention, prevention, and modulation by genes, natural and synthetic molecules, and lifestyle modifications.

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The range of nanomaterial applications has expanded recently from catalysis, electronics, and filtration to therapeutics, diagnostics, agriculture, and food because of unique properties and potentials of different nanoparticles and nanomaterials. Research shows that these exquisite particles can interact with an organism at the cellular, physiological, biochemical, and molecular levels. However, our knowledge of how they affect these changes, selectively or generally, in diverse organism or ecosystems is very limited and far from satisfactory. Data indicate that the biological function largely depends on the shape, size, and surface characteristics of the nanoparticles used besides life cycle stages of an organism. Therefore, this compilation will focus on the body of work carried out by distinguished investigators using diverse nanomaterials and plant and animal species. This book includes specific case studies as well as general review articles highlighting aspects of multilayered interactions, and targets not only research and academic scholars but also the concerned industry and policy makers as well.

'Developmental biology' is widely understood as processes, which mainly concern embryonic animal development and differentiation of cells and tissue. It is also often defined as the timeline for the evolutionary developmental biology of eukaryotic multicellular higher organisms, i.e., plants and animals. The development of prokaryotes and lower eukaryotes in contrary has been neglected for a long time, which was the motivation for publishing this book. This book highlights one of Darwin's most important findings: Evolution is a creative, but not a conscious process. It also illustrates that this concept does not only apply to multicellular higher organisms, but affects every form of life. The reader shall find complex biochemical and genetic pathways of bacteria, yeasts or protozoa, comparable to those exhibited by plants or animals. The molecular mechanisms of dramatic genome rearrangements, recombination and horizontal gene transfer that are responsible for evolutionary adaptations are discussed. Additionally, the book covers bacteria of the genera Myxobacteriales and Caulobacterales, which are able to develop tissue-like cellular organization. The morphogenesis of entomopathogenic fungi and the endosymbiont theory are also addressed. The book is a useful introduction to the field for junior scientists, interested in bacteriology, protistology and fungal development. It is also an interesting read for advanced scientists, giving them a broader view of the field beyond their area of specialization.

This book highlights the results from over a year of ethnobotanical research in a rural and an urban community in Jamaica, where we interviewed more than 100 people who use medicinal plants for healthcare. The goal of this research was to better understand patterns of medicinal plant knowledge, and to find out which plants are used in consensus by local people for a variety of illnesses. For this book, we selected 25 popular medicinal plant species mentioned during fieldwork. Through individual interviews, we were able to rank plants according to their frequency of mention, and categorized the medicinal uses for each species as "major" (mentioned by more than 20% of people in a community) or "minor" (mentioned by more than 5%, but less than 20% of people). Botanical identification of plant specimens collected in the wild allowed for cross-linking of common and scientific plant names. To supplement field research, we undertook a comprehensive search and review of the ethnobotanical and biomedical literature. Our book summarizes all this information in detail under specific sub-headings.

The protein molecule is the basic building block of every living entity. Its deficiency leads to restricted growth and development of individuals. Globally, such malnutrition is on the rise due to various reasons such as rapid population growth, stagnation of productivity, and ever-rising costs. Millions of people, especially in developing and under-developed countries, suffer from protein malnutrition and the only possible solution is to encourage farmers to grow high-protein food legume crops in their fields for domestic consumption. This, however, could be possible if farmers are provided with new cultivars with high yield, and resistance to major insects, diseases, and key abiotic stresses. The major food legume crops are chickpea, cowpea, common bean, groundnut, lentil, pigeonpea, and soybean. Predominantly, the legume crops are grown under a subsistence level and, therefore, in comparison to cereals and horticultural crops their productivity is low and highly variable. The crop breeders around the globe are engaged in breeding suitable cultivars for harsh and changing environments but success has been limited and not up to needs. With the recent development of new technologies in plant sciences, efforts are being made to help under-privileged farmers through breeding new cultivars which will produce more protein per unit of land area. In this book, the contributors analyze the constraints, review new technologies, and propose a future course of crop breeding programs in seven cold and warm season legume crops.

This Second Edition of Plankton is a fully updated introduction to the biology, ecology and identification of plankton and their use in monitoring water quality. It includes expanded, illustrated descriptions of all major groups of freshwater, coastal and marine phytoplankton and zooplankton and a new chapter on teaching science using plankton. Best practice methods for plankton sampling and monitoring programs are presented using case studies, along with explanations of how to analyse and interpret sampling data. Healthy waterways and oceans are essential for our increasingly urbanised world. Yet monitoring water quality in aquatic environments is a challenge, as it varies from hour to hour due to stormwater and currents. Being at the base of the aquatic food web and present in huge numbers, plankton are strongly influenced by changes in environment and provide an indication of water quality integrated over days and weeks. Plankton are the aquatic version of a canary in a coal mine. They are also vital for our existence, providing not only food for fish, seabirds, seals and sharks, but producing oxygen, cycling nutrients, processing pollutants, and removing carbon dioxide from our atmosphere. This new edition: contains a new chapter on Plankton in the Classroom has greatly expanded coverage of coastal and marine phytoplankton explains the role of plankton in aquatic ecosystems and its usefulness as a water quality indicator updates and details best practice in methodology for plankton sampling and monitoring programs brings together widely-scattered information on freshwater and coastal phytoplankton and zooplankton and provides a list of up-to-date references. Plankton is an invaluable reference for teachers and students, environmental managers, ecologists, estuary and catchment management committees, and coastal engineers.

Global climate change is bound to create a number of abiotic and biotic stresses in the environment, which would affect the overall growth and productivity of plants. Like other living beings, plants have the ability to protect themselves by evolving various mechanisms against stresses, despite being sessile in nature. They manage to withstand extremes of temperature, drought, flooding, salinity, heavy metals, atmospheric pollution, toxic chemicals and a variety of living organisms, especially viruses, bacteria, fungi, nematodes, insects and arachnids and weeds. Incidence of abiotic stresses may alter the plant-pest interactions by enhancing susceptibility of plants to pathogenic organisms. These interactions often change plant response to abiotic stresses. Plant growth regulators modulate plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses, and regulate their growth and developmental cascades. A number of physiological and molecular processes that act together in a complex regulatory network, further manage these responses. Crosstalk between autophagy and hormones also occurs to develop tolerance in plants towards multiple abiotic stresses. Similarly, biostimulants, in combination with correct agronomic practices, have shown beneficial effects on plant metabolism due to the hormonal activity that stimulates different metabolic pathways. At the same time, they reduce the use of agrochemicals and impart tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress. Further, the use of bio- and nano-fertilizers seem to hold promise to improve the nutrient use efficiency and hence the plant yield under stressful environments. It has also been shown that the seed priming agents impart stress tolerance. Additionally, tolerance or resistance to stress may also be induced by using specific chemical compounds such as polyamines, proline, glycine betaine, hydrogen sulfide, silicon, -aminobutyric acid, -aminobutyric acid and so on. This book discusses the advances in plant performance under stressful conditions. It should be very useful to graduate students, researchers, and scientists in the fields of botanical science, crop science, agriculture, horticulture, ecological and environmental science.

How life originated from the inanimate mixture of organic and inorganic compounds on the priomordial earth remains one of the great unknowns in science. This origin of life, or abiogenesis, continues to be examined in the context of the conditions and materials required for natural life to have begun on Earth both theoretically and experimentally. This book provides a broad but in-depth analysis of the latest discoveries in prebiotic chemsitry from the microscopic to the macroscopic scale; utilising experimental insight to provide a bottom up approach to plausibly explaining how life arose. With contributions from global leaders, this book is an ideal reference for postgraduate students and a single source of comprehensive information on the latest technical and theoretical advancements for researchers in a variety of fields from astrochemistry and astrophysics to organic chemistry and evolution.