An inquisitive, expansive and fascinating exploration of humans as creatures of our own making Other species adapt to their environments; we alone create ours. Over generations, we have remade the world to suit ourselves - using improved knowledge and technology to confront the traditional scourges - and for the most part we enjoy prosperity beyond the dreams of our ancestors. What's more, in changing our world, we have also reshaped the human phenotype - the interaction between genes and environment that moulds our bodies and minds. The results can be seen in the streets of our post-industrial cities. We grow taller and heavier than before, and live longer. We think and behave differently, and die from once rare diseases. Our experiences of life have been transformed, and in turn so have our societies. Weaving together biology, social anthropology, epidemiology and history, Edwin Gale examines the shifting physical and mental dimensions of our lives, from ageing to illness, food production to reproduction, designer bodies to IQ tests, and asks: are we a self-domesticated species?

Acclaimed science journalist Christie Aschwanden takes readers on an entertaining and enlightening tour through the latest science on sports and fitness recovery. She investigates claims about sports drinks, chocolate milk, and "recovery" beer; examines the latest recovery trends; and even tests some for herself, including cryotherapy, foam rolling, and Tom Brady-endorsed infrared pajamas. Good to Go seeks an answer to the question: Do any of these things actually help the body recover and achieve peak performance?

The papers and reviews in the present volume are in part regular contributions submitted for publication in Biological Trace Element Research, and in part invited papers from participants of the International Symposium "Present Status and Perspectives of Sele- nium in Biology and Medicine," held on May 2 and 3, 1987, at the Eu- ropean Academy, Nonnweiler /Trier, FRG. The Symposium focused on ecological and biomedical aspects of selenium with emphasis on the manifestations of selenium deficiency in different countries, the distribution of selenium in human organs and body fliuds, the roles of selenium in health and disease, its anti carcinogenic action, effects of supplementation, and therapeutic applications. Organized jointly by the International Association of Bioinor- ganic Scientists and BioSynopsia, a Nonprofit Subsidiary of the Tech- nology Center, Stuttgart, the scientific board consisted of Professors W. Hartfiel, Bonn, FRG, G. N. Schrauzer, La Jolla, CA, USA, and H. Zumkley, Muenster, FRG.

This book is a provocative and invigorating real-time exploration of the future of human evolution by two of the world's leading interdisciplinary ecologists - Michael Charles Tobias and Jane Gray Morrison. Steeped in a rich multitude of the sciences and humanities, the book enshrines an elegant narrative that is highly empathetic, personal, scientifically wide-ranging and original. It focuses on the geo-positioning of the human Self and its corresponding species. The book's overarching viewpoints and poignant through-story examine and powerfully challenge concepts associated historically with assertions of human superiority over all other life forms. Ultimately, The Hypothetical Species: Variables of Human Evolution is a deeply considered treatise on the ecological and psychological state of humanity and her options - both within, and outside the rubrics of evolutionary research - for survival. This important work is beautifully presented with nearly 200 diverse illustrations, and is introduced with a foreword by famed paleobiologist, Dr. Melanie DeVore.

The first and still the only book of its kind, this volume offers a concise introduction to human genetic linkage analysis and gene mapping. Jurg Ott provides mathematical and statistical foundations of linkage analysis for researchers and practitioners, as well as practical comments on available computer programs and websites. Each chapter ends with a set of problems, whose solutions are found at the end of the book.

New to this edition is a chapter on complex traits, such as diabetes, some cancers, and psychiatric conditions. Also new is an overview of nonparametric approaches to linkage and association analysis. A chapter on two-locus inheritance introduces the reader to many of the intricate aspects of complex traits. Although the book's primary audience is in the field of genetics, physicians and others without sophisticated training in genetics can understand and apply the principles and techniques discussed.

Parasites have been infecting humans throughout our evolution. When complex societies developed, the greater population density provided new opportunities for parasites to spread. In this interdisciplinary volume, the author brings his expertise in medicine, archaeology and history to explore the contribution of parasites in causing flourishing past civilizations to falter and decline. By using cutting edge methods, Mitchell presents the evidence for parasites that infected the peoples of key ancient civilizations across the world in order to understand their impact upon those populations. This new understanding of the archaeological and historical evidence for intestinal worms, ectoparasites, and protozoa shows how different cultures were burdened by contrasting types of diseases depending upon their geographical location, endemic insects, food preferences and cultural beliefs.

"We Are Amphibians" tells the fascinating story of two brothers who changed the way we think about the future of our species. As a pioneering biologist and conservationist, Julian Huxley helped to advance the "modern synthesis" in evolutionary biology and played a pivotal role in founding UNESCO and the World Wildlife Fund. Julian Huxley's argument that we must accept responsibility for our future evolution as a species has attracted a growing number of scientists and intellectuals, who now embrace the concept of "transhumanism" that he first outlined in the 1950s. Although Aldous Huxley is most widely known for his dystopian novel "Brave New World," his writings on religion, ecology, and human consciousness were powerful catalysts for the environmental and human potential movements that grew rapidly in the second half of the twentieth century. While they often disagreed about the role of science and technology in human progress, Julian and Aldous Huxley both believed that the future of our species depends on a saner set of relations with each other and with our environment. Their common concern for ecology has given their ideas about the future of "Homo sapiens" an enduring resonance in the twenty-first century. The amphibian metaphor that both brothers used to describe humanity highlights not only the complexity and mutability of our species but also our ecologically precarious situation.

Molecular mechanisms in visual transduction is presently one of the most intensely studied areas in the field of signal transduction research in biological cells. Because the sense of vision plays a primary role in animal biology, and thus has been subject to long evolutionary development, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying vision have a high degree of sensitivity and versatility. The aims of visual transduction research are first
to determine which molecules participate, and then to understand how they act in concert to produce the exquisite electrical responses of the photoreceptor cells.
Since the 1940s 1] we have known that rod vision begins with the capture of a quantum of energy, a photon, by a visual pigment molecule, rhodopsin. As the function of photon absorption is to convert the visual pigment molecule into a G-protein activating state, the structural details of the visual pigments must be
explained from the perspective of their role in activating their specific G-proteins. Thus, Chapters 1-3 of this Handbook extensively cover the physico-chemical molecular characteristics of the vertebrate rhodopsins. Following photoconversion and G-protein activation, the phototransduction cascade leads to modifications of the population of closed and open ion channels in the photoreceptor plasma membrane, and thereby to the electrical response. The nature of the channels of vertebrate photoreceptors is examined in Chapter 4, and Chapter 5 integrates the present body of knowledge of the activation steps in the cascade into a quantitative framework. Once the phototransduction cascade is activated, it must be subsequently silenced. The various molecular mechanisms participating in inactivation are
treated in Chapters 1-4 and especially Chapter 5. Molecular biology is now an indispensable tool in signal transduction studies. Numerous vertebrate (Chapter 6) and invertebrate (Chapter 7) visual pigments have been characterized and cloned. The genetics and evolutionary aspects of this great subfamily of G-protein activating receptors are intriguing as they present a natural probe for the intimate relationship between structure and function of the visual pigments. Understanding the spectral characteristics from the molecular composition can be expected to

Reveal the inner workings of the human body with this illustrated atlas. How well do you know your body? What happens under your skin? Where exactly is your stomach? What does your liver do? How can ears help your balance? The Body Atlas answers all these questions and many more. This unique visual guide approaches a body as if it were a map, divided into "continents" (such as parts of the body) and "countries" (such as organs). You can see inside your body and examine it region by region - for example, the head and neck or the upper torso. These regions enclose vital structures, such as the brain, lungs, and heart, just as continents contain countries. Body systems such as the circulatory system (blood) and nervous system, link the body regions just like mountains and rivers range across countries. The detailed illustrations carefully pull back the layers of the body so you can see inside the hidden interior. All bones, muscles, and organs are clearly labelled with scientific and common names; and there are photos of parts you wouldn't normally be able to see, such as your vocal cords. Packed with amazing facts and illustrations, The Body Atlas takes you on a top-to-toe tour through your own anatomy. Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, this book has been refreshed for a new generation of budding biologists and doctors-in-the-making.

These volumes differ from the current conventional texts on bone cell biology. Biology itself is advancing at breakneck speed and many presentations completely fail to present the field in a truly modern context. This text does not attempt to present detailed clinical descriptions. Rather, after discussion of basic concepts, there is a concentration on recently developed findings equally relevant to basic research and a modern understanding of metabolic bone disease. The book will afford productive new insights into the intimate inter-relation of experimental findings and clinical understanding. Modern medicine is founded in the laboratory and demands of its practitioners a broad scientific understanding: these volumes are written to exemplify this approach. This book is likely to become essential reading equally for laboratory and clinical scientists.

One of the world's leading geneticists, Bryan Sykes has helped thousands find their ancestry in the British Isles. Saxons, Vikings, and Celts, which resulted from a systematic ten-year DNA survey of more than 10,000 volunteers, traces the true genetic makeup of the British Isles and its descendants, taking readers from the Pontnewydd cave in North Wales to the resting place of the Red Lady of Paviland and the tomb of King Arthur. This illuminating guide provides a much-needed introduction to the genetic history of the people of the British Isles and their descendants throughout the world.