This volume explores the latest techniques used to study and understand chromatin reprogramming in embryos and germ cells. Various culture systems are presented, which consist of invaluable tools to investigate many developmental processes. This book also looks at methods for direct examination of DNA, RNA, and proteins in embryos, along with low-input and single-cell assays for exploring these features at the genome-wide scale. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, 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. Cutting-edge and thorough, Epigenetics Reprogramming During Mouse Embryogenesis: Methods and Protocols is a valuable resource for any scientist and researcher looking to make new discoveries in this fascinating field of chromatin reprogramming.

The vertebral spine is a key element of the human anatomy. Its main role is to protect the spinal cord and the main blood vessels. The axial skeleton, with its muscles and joints, provides stability for the attachment of the head, tail and limbs and, at the same time, enables the mobility required for breathing and for locomotion. Despite its great importance, the vertebral spine is often over looked by researchers because: a) vertebrae are fragile in nature, which makes their fossilization a rare event; b) they are metameric (seriated and repeated elements) that make their anatomical determination and, thus, their subsequent study difficult; and c) the plethora of bones and joints involved in every movement or function of the axial skeleton makes the reconstruction of posture, breathing mechanics and locomotion extremely difficult. It is well established that the spine has changed dramatically during human evolution. Spinal curvatures, spinal load transmission, and thoracic shape of bipedal humans are derived among hominoids. Yet, there are many debates as to how and when these changes occurred and to their phylogenetic, functional, and pathological implications. In recent years, renewed interest arose in the axial skeleton. New and exciting finds, mostly from Europe and Africa, as well as new methods for reconstructing the spine, have been introduced to the research community. New methodologies such as Finite Element Analysis, trabecular bone analysis, Geometric Morphometric analysis, and gait analysis have been applied to the spines of primates and humans. These provide a new and refreshing look into the evolution of the spine. Advanced biomechanical research regarding posture, range of motion, stability, and attenuation of the human spine has interesting evolutionary implications. Until now, no book that summarizes the updated research and knowledge regarding spinal evolution in hominoids has been available. The present book explores both these new methodologies and new data, including recent fossil, morphological, biomechanical, and theoretical advances regarding vertebral column evolution. In order to cover all of that data, we divide the book into four parts: 1) the spine of hominoids; 2) the vertebral spine of extinct hominins; 3) ontogeny, biomechanics and pathology of the human spine; and 4) new methodologies of spinal research. These parts complement each other and provide a wide and comprehensive examination of spinal evolution.

A biophysicist reveals the hidden unity behind nature's breathtaking complexity The form and function of a sprinting cheetah are quite unlike those of a rooted tree. A human being is very different from a bacterium or a zebra. The living world is a realm of dazzling variety, yet a shared set of physical principles shapes the forms and behaviors of every creature in it. So Simple a Beginning shows how the emerging new science of biophysics is transforming our understanding of life on Earth and enabling potentially lifesaving but controversial technologies such as gene editing, artificial organ growth, and ecosystem engineering. Raghuveer Parthasarathy explains how four basic principles-self-assembly, regulatory circuits, predictable randomness, and scaling-shape the machinery of life on scales ranging from microscopic molecules to gigantic elephants. He describes how biophysics is helping to unlock the secrets of a host of natural phenomena, such as how your limbs know to form at the proper places, and why humans need lungs but ants do not. Parthasarathy explores how the cutting-edge biotechnologies of tomorrow could enable us to alter living things in ways both subtle and profound. Featuring dozens of original watercolors and drawings by the author, this sweeping tour of biophysics offers astonishing new perspectives on how the wonders of life can arise from so simple a beginning.

Rudolf Raff is recognized as a pioneer in evolutionary developmental biology. In their 1983 book, "Embryos, Genes, and Evolution," Raff and co-author Thomas Kaufman proposed a synthesis of developmental and evolutionary biology. In "The Shape of Life," Raff analyzes the rise of this new experimental discipline and lays out new research questions, hypotheses, and approaches to guide its development.
Raff uses the evolution of animal body plans to exemplify the interplay between developmental mechanisms and evolutionary patterns. Animal body plans emerged half a billion years ago. Evolution within these body plans during this span of time has resulted in the tremendous diversity of living animal forms.
Raff argues for an integrated approach to the study of the intertwined roles of development and evolution involving phylogenetic, comparative, and functional biology. This new synthesis will interest not only scientists working in these areas, but also paleontologists, zoologists, morphologists, molecular biologists, and geneticists.

This book is about morphogenesis as the genesis of forms. It is not restricted to plants growing from seed or animals developing from an embryo (although these do supply the most abundant examples) but also addresses kindred processes, from inorganic to social to biomorphic technology. It is about our morphogenetic universe: unplanned, unfair and frustratingly complicated but benevolent in allowing us to emerge, survive, and inquire into its laws.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the field of developmental programming of ageing phenotypes. Although gerontological research has traditionally focused on later stages of the life cycle, growing evidence indicates that both the rate of ageing-associated functional declines, and the risks of later-life chronic pathological conditions, can be traced to origins early in life. While other books in the field concentrate on the developmental origin of particular disorders, this volume offers a detailed guide to all important aspects of the role of early-life conditions in programming both chronic pathological conditions and the ageing process. Interest in the study of ageing and longevity had its beginnings in research on the fetal origins of adult disease. This has evolved into a hypothesis on the Developmental Origins of Adult Health and Disease (DOHaD), which postulates that adverse environmental exposures during critical in-utero and early postnatal stages of development may permanently change physiological responses and cause functional impairments and disorders in adult life. In this book, the contributing authors and leading experts from around the world, describe research on mechanisms underlying the developmental programming phenomenon, as well as interventional strategies aimed at restoring developmentally disrupted epigenetic patterns. Early Life Origins of Ageing and Longevity benefits a wide audience of working scientists, clinicians, and advanced students, and will also interest scientifically curious general readers who wish to know more about current research in this rapidly evolving field.

Developmental biology is seemingly well understood, with development widely accepted as being a series of programmed changes through which an egg turns into an adult organism, or a seed matures into a plant. However, the picture is much more complex than that: is it all genetically controlled or does environment have an influence? Is the final adult stage the target of development and everything else just a build-up to that point? Are developmental strategies the same in plants as in animals? How do we consider development in single-celled organisms? In this concise, engaging volume, Alessandro Minelli, a leading developmental biologist, addresses these key questions. Using familiar examples and easy-to-follow arguments, he offers fresh alternatives to a number of preconceptions and stereotypes, awakening the reader to the disparity of developmental phenomena across all main branches of the tree of life.

This volume takes a closer look how the cell organelles Golgi apparatus (also known as the Golgi complex or Golgi body), and centriole are structurally and functionally intertwined. Initially, it was believed that the role of Golgi complex is limited to the packaging and preparation for secretion of various cellular proteins, while the centriole participates in cell division and cilia formation. However, since their discovery nearly 200 years ago, it became clear that these two organelles are interacting, and that their functions are much more complex and far reaching than previously thought. Recent findings indicate that the Golgi-Centriole relationship may be important for directional protein transport, cell polarization and cell cycle progression. Current studies indicate that Golgi and centriole also participate in development and act as cellular and immunological sensors, and that their abnormalities lead to cell and developmental abnormalities, Alzheimer, cancer, various lipid disorders and neurological and immunological diseases in humans. This volume combines the latest information on the structure, molecular composition, and roles of Golgi and centriole in various cellular functions and diseases. The better understanding of the Golgi-centriole interactions may lead to the development of novel therapies for the treatment of various diseases, including cancer.

The most prominent naturalist in Britain before Charles Darwin, Richard Owen made empirical discoveries and offered theoretical innovations that were crucial to the proof of evolution. Among his many lasting contributions to science was the first clear definition of the term homology--"the same organ in different animals under every variety of form and function." He also graphically demonstrated that all vertebrate species were built on the same skeletal plan and devised the vertebrate archetype as a representation of the simplest common form of all vertebrates.
Just as Darwin's ideas continue to propel the modern study of adaptation, so too will Owen's contributions fuel the new interest in homology, organic form, and evolutionary developmental biology. His theory of the archetype and his views on species origins were first offered to the general public in "On the Nature of Limbs, "published in 1849. It reemerges here in a facsimile edition with introductory essays by prominent historians, philosophers, and practitioners from the modern evo-devo community.

This book is reflecting upon core theories in evolutionary biology - in a historical as well as contemporary context. It exposes the main areas of interest for discussion, but more importantly draws together hypotheses and future research directions. The Modern Synthesis (MS), sometimes referred to as Standard Evolutionary Theory (SET), in evolutionary biology has been well documented and discussed, but was also critically scrutinized over the last decade. Researchers from diverse disciplinary backgrounds have claimed that there is a need for an extension to that theory, and have called for an Extended Evolutionary Synthesis (EES). The book starts with an introductory chapter that summarizes the main points of the EES claim and indicates where those points receive treatment later in the book. This introduction to the subjects can either serve as an initiation for readers new to the debate, or as a guide for those looking to pursue particular lines of enquiry. The following chapters are organized around historical perspectives, theoretical and philosophical approaches and the use of specific biological models to inspect core ideas. Both empirical and theoretical contributions have been included. The majority of chapters are addressing various aspects of the EES position, and reflecting upon the MS. Some of the chapters take historical perspectives, analyzing various details of the MS and EES claims. Others offer theoretical and philosophical analyses of the debate, or take contemporary findings in biology and discuss those findings and their possible theoretical interpretations. All of the chapters draw upon actual biology to make their points. This book is written by practicing biologists and behavioral biologists, historians and philosophers - many of them working in interdisciplinary fields. It is a valuable resource for historians and philosophers of biology as well as for biologists. Chapters 8, 20, 22 and 33 are available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

Nematodes are small multicellular organisms that have been used as biological models since the 1960s. For example, Caenorhabditis elegans is a free-living nematode worm, about 1mm in length, that lives in temperate soil environments. It is made up of about 1000 cells, and has a short life cycle of only two weeks. It was the first multicellular organism to have its whole genome sequenced. The book summarizes the importance of nematodes as model organisms in the fields of genetics, developmental biology, neurobiology, pharmacology, nutrition, ecology and parasitology. Of interest to a broad audience across a wide spectrum of disciplines, this book is useful for biologists working on comparative studies to investigate biological processes across organisms; medical scientists and pharmacologists for exploration of drugs and medicine (including the use of genome editing to eliminate diseases); ecologists considering nematodes as indicators for environment changes; and parasitologists for host-parasite interactions. Many other researchers can use this book as a benchmark for the broad implications of nematology research on other aspects of science.

'Mind-blowing ... It is a hugely important book ... His story is crucial' Matt Ridley, The Times One of the world's top behavioural geneticists argues that we need a radical rethink about what makes us who we are The blueprint for our individuality lies in the 1% of DNA that differs between people. Our intellectual capacity, our introversion or extraversion, our vulnerability to mental illness, even whether we are a morning person - all of these aspects of our personality are profoundly shaped by our inherited DNA differences. In Blueprint, Robert Plomin, a pioneer in the field of behavioural genetics, draws on a lifetime's worth of research to make the case that DNA is the most important factor shaping who we are. Our families, schools and the environment around us are important, but they are not as influential as our genes. This is why, he argues, teachers and parents should accept children for who they are, rather than trying to mould them in certain directions. Even the environments we choose and the signal events that impact our lives, from divorce to addiction, are influenced by our genetic predispositions. Now, thanks to the DNA revolution, it is becoming possible to predict who we will become, at birth, from our DNA alone. As Plomin shows us, these developments have sweeping implications for how we think about parenting, education, and social mobility. A game-changing book by a leader in the field, Blueprint shows how the DNA present in the single cell with which we all begin our lives can impact our behaviour as adults.

Methods in Cell Biology, Volume 158, the latest release in this series, highlights new advances in the field, with this release covering How to orient cells in micro-cavities for high resolution imaging of cytokinesis and lumen formation, A body-on-a-chip (BOC) system for studying gut-liver interaction, Manipulating cultured mammalian cells for mitosis research, Live-cell FLIM-FRET using a commercially available system, A comparative analysis of methods to measure kinetochore-microtubule attachment stability, A workflow for visualizing human cancer biopsies using large-format electron microscopy, Isolation of stage-specific germ cells using facs in drosophila germarium, Computational analysis of filament polymerization dynamics in cytoskeletal networks, and more.

Methods in Cancer Stem Cell Biology: Part B, Volume 171 in the Methods in Cell Biology series highlights advances in the field, with this new volume presenting interesting chapters on timely topics, including Orthotopic brain tumor models derived from glioblastoma stem-like cells, RNA sequencing in hematopoietic stem cells, Generation of inducible pluripotent stem cells from human dermal fibroblasts, In vitro preparation of dental pulp stem cell grafts combined with biocompatible scaffolds for tissue engineering, Gene expression knockdown in chronic myeloid leukemia stem cells, Identification and isolation of slow-cycling GSCs, Assessment of CD133, EpCAM, and much more.

Preface to the Progress Series; Preface to Volume X B; Contributors; Evolution of Steroid Hormones and Steroid-Hormone Receptors "Gerd Kauser"; Evolution of Developmental Peptide Hormones and Their Receptors "Jozef Vanden Broack, Liliane Schoofs, and Arnold De Loof"; Arthropoda-Insecta: Embryology "August Dorn"; Arthropoda-Insecta: Larval Development and Metamorphosis-Molecular Aspects "Margarethe Spindler-Barth and Klaus-Deiter Spindler"; Arthropoda-Insecta: Diapause "David S. Saunders"; Arthropoda-Insecta: Caste Differentiation "Klaus Hartfelder"; Arthropoda-Insecta: Endocrine Control of Phase Polymorphism "August Dorn, Christof Ress, Silivia Sickold, and Silke Wedekind-Hirschberger"; Arthropoda-Insecta: Migration "Jack Kent Jr. and Mary Ann Rankin"; Non-Veterbrate Chordata "Mario Pestarino"; Subject Index; Species Index.

The Practical Manual of In Vitro Fertilization: Advanced Methods and Novel Devices is a unique, accessible title that provides a complete review of the most well-established and current diagnostic and treatment techniques comprising in vitro fertilization. Throughout the chapters, a uniform structure is employed, including a brief abstract, a keyword glossary, a step-by-step protocol of the laboratory procedures, several pages of expert commentary, key issues of clinical concern, and a list of references. The result is a readily accessible, high quality reference guide for reproductive endocrinologists, urologists, embryologists, biologists and research scientists. The Manual also offers an excellent description of novel procedures that will likely be employed in the near future. An indispensable resource for physicians and basic scientists, the Practical Manual of In Vitro Fertilization: Advanced Methods and Novel Devices is an invaluable reference and addition to the literature.

Recent advances suggest that the concept of information might hold the key to unravelling the mystery of life's nature and origin. Fresh insights from a broad and authoritative range of articulate and respected experts focus on the transition from matter to life, and hence reconcile the deep conceptual schism between the way we describe physical and biological systems. A unique cross-disciplinary perspective, drawing on expertise from philosophy, biology, chemistry, physics, and cognitive and social sciences, provides a new way to look at the deepest questions of our existence. This book addresses the role of information in life, and how it can make a difference to what we know about the world. Students, researchers, and all those interested in what life is and how it began will gain insights into the nature of life and its origins that touch on nearly every domain of science.

Humans and flies look nothing alike, yet their genetic circuits are remarkably similar. Here, Lewis I. Held, Jr compares the genetics and development of the two to review the evidence for deep homology, the biggest discovery from the emerging field of evolutionary developmental biology. Remnants of the operating system of our hypothetical common ancestor 600 million years ago are compared in chapters arranged by region of the body, from the nervous system, limbs and heart, to vision, hearing and smell. Concept maps provide a clear understanding of the complex subjects addressed, while encyclopaedic tables offer comprehensive inventories of genetic information. Written in an engaging style with a reference section listing thousands of relevant publications, this is a vital resource for scientific researchers, and graduate and undergraduate students.

A newly revised edition of the standard reference for the field today--updated with new terms, major discoveries, significant scientists, and illustrations

Developmental biology is the study of the mechanisms of development, differentiation, and growth in animals and plants at the molecular, cellular, and genetic levels. The discipline has gained prominence in part due to new interdisciplinary approaches and advances in technology, which have led to the rapid emergence of new concepts and words. "The Dictionary of Developmental Biology and Embryology," Second Edition is the first comprehensive reference focused on the field's terms, research, history, and people.

This authoritative A-to-Z resource covers classical morphological and cytological terms along with those from modern genetics and molecular biology. Extensively cross-referenced, the Dictionary includes definitions of terms, explanations of concepts, and biographies of historical figures. Comparative aspects are described in order to provide a sense of the evolution of structures, and topics range from fundamental terminology, germ layers, and induction to RNAi, evo-devo, stem cell differentiation, and more. Readers will find such features of embryology and developmental biology as:

Vertebrates

Invertebrates

Plants

Developmental genetics

Evolutionary developmental biology

Molecular developmental biology

Medical embryology

The author's premium on accessibility allows readers at all levels to enhance their vocabulary in their field and understand terminology beyond their specific focus. Researchers and students in developmental biology, cell biology, developmental genetics, and embryology will find the dictionary to be a vital resource.

This title is back in print with a revised preface. "Microcosmos" brings together the remarkable discoveries of microbiology of the past two decades and the pioneering research of Dr. Margulis to create a vivid new picture of the world that is crucial to our understanding of the future of the planet. Addressed to general readers, the book provides a beautifully written view of evolution as a process based on interdependency and their interconnectedness of all life on the planet.

Most organisms show substantial changes in size or morphology after they become independent of their parents and have to find their own food. Furthermore, the rate at which these changes occur generally depends on the amount of food they ingest. In this book, Andre de Roos and Lennart Persson advance a synthetic and individual-based theory of the effects of this plastic ontogenetic development on the dynamics of populations and communities.

De Roos and Persson show how the effects of ontogenetic development on ecological dynamics critically depend on the efficiency with which differently sized individuals convert food into new biomass. Differences in this efficiency--or ontogenetic asymmetry--lead to bottlenecks in and thus population regulation by either maturation or reproduction. De Roos and Persson investigate the community consequences of these bottlenecks for trophic configurations that vary in the number and type of interacting species and in the degree of ontogenetic niche shifts exhibited by their individuals. They also demonstrate how insights into the effects of maturation and reproduction limitation on community equilibrium carry over to the dynamics of size-structured populations and give rise to different types of cohort-driven cycles.

Featuring numerous examples and tests of modeling predictions, this book provides a pioneering and extensive theoretical and empirical treatment of the ecology of ontogenetic growth and development in organisms, emphasizing the importance of an individual-based perspective for understanding population and community dynamics."

Leo Buss expounds a general theory of development through a simple hierarchical extension of the synthetic theory of evolution. He perceives innovations in development to have evolved in ancestral organisms where the germ line was not closed to genetic variation arising during the course of ontogeny. Originally published in 1988. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

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.