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Books > Science & Mathematics > Biology, life sciences > Human biology & related topics > General
As in other volumes in the series, this newest volume conveys up-to-date knowledge in a clear and straightforward manner. It begins with a survey of the neurobiological functions of the brain, with the emphasis on Parkinson's disease. This is followed by a presentation of the role of dopamine in the regulation of human anterior pituitary function. The final two chapters concentrate on the dopamine receptors: first, the binding sites are characterized and the biochemical and physiological consequences of dopamine-receptor stimulation are discussed and, finally, there is a report on the topology of a dopamine-receptor model that can account comprehensively for agonists and antagonists.
From the temptation of Eve to the venomous murder of the mighty Thor, the serpent appears throughout time and cultures as a figure of mischief and misery. The worldwide prominence of snakes in religion, myth, and folklore underscores our deep connection to the serpent but why, when so few of us have firsthand experience? The surprising answer, this book suggests, lies in the singular impact of snakes on primate evolution. Predation pressure from snakes, Lynne Isbell tells us, is ultimately responsible for the superior vision and large brains of primates and for a critical aspect of human evolution. Drawing on extensive research, Isbell further speculates how snakes could have influenced the development of a distinctively human behavior: our ability to point for the purpose of directing attention. A social activity (no one points when alone) dependent on fast and accurate localization, pointing would have reduced deadly snake bites among our hominin ancestors. It might have also figured in later human behavior: snakes, this book eloquently argues, may well have given bipedal hominins, already equipped with a non-human primate communication system, the evolutionary nudge to point to communicate for social good, a critical step toward the evolution of language, and all that followed.
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.
The latest edition of Robert Arking's seminal text on the biology of aging takes on an extended title, since the field of gerontology has advanced to a point at which it is possible to separate the topic into two implicit subsets, longevity and aging. This multi-faceted description of the biology of aging guides the reader through increasingly interesting answers to seven fundamental questions: What is aging? Why do we age? What mechanisms support extended longevity? What determines the onset of senescence? What is the mechanistic basis of senescence? Why do humans live so long? And lastly, what pro-longevity societal interventions are needed? Inevitably, humans will age but there is no reason why we must suffer from age-related diseases. Aging and longevity are dependent on both genes and social environment. Our biology does not forbid the modulation of aging. What we really want to know is not so much about the biology of aging - which is basically a degenerative process - but rather about biological processes underlying the long term maintenance of our health. New chapters incorporate the latest developments in the field of gerontology. Research done since the previous edition was published has given us insight into how we may stay healthier longer.
like other collections of papers related to a single topic, this volume arose out of problem-sharing and problem-solving discussions among some of the authors. The two principal recurring issues were (1) the difficulties in translating anthropo logical knowledge so that our students could use it and (2) the difficulties of bringing existing medical anthropology literature to bear on this task. As we talked to other anthropologists teaching in other parts of the country and in various health-related schools, we recognized that our problems were similar. Similarities in our solutions led the Editors to believe that publication of our teaching experi ences and research relevant to teaching would help others and might begin the process of generating principles leading to a more coherent approach. Our colleagues supported this idea and agreed to contribute. What we agreed to write about was 'Clinically Applied Anthropology'. Much of what we were doing and certainly much of the relevant literature was applied anthropology. And our target group was composed-mostly of clinicians. The utility of the term became apparent after 1979 when another set of anthropologists began to discuss 'ainical Anthropology'. They too recognized the range of novel be haviors available to anthropologists in the health science arena and chose to focus on the clinical use of anthropology. We see this as an important endeavor, but very different from what we are proposing."
Exam Board: SQA Level: Higher Subject: Human Biology First Teaching: 2018, First Exam: 2019 The Higher Human Biology Student Book helps teachers and students map their route through the CfE programme, providing comprehensive and authoritative guidance for the course. Full coverage of the new Higher course specifications with list of learning intentions Attractive layout with clear text features Key questions highlight crucial concepts and techniques that need to be grasped by students in order to progress to the next learning intention What the examiner/assessor is looking for to help teachers & students feel secure End of unit material - unit assessment, exam-style questions with worked answers, self-assessment Student Books give a practical, supportive approach to help deliver the new curriculum and offer a blend of sound teaching and learning with assessment guidance.
A savory account of how the pursuit of delicious foods shaped human evolution Nature, it has been said, invites us to eat by appetite and rewards by flavor. But what exactly are flavors? Why are some so pleasing while others are not? Delicious is a supremely entertaining foray into the heart of such questions. With generous helpings of warmth and wit, Rob Dunn and Monica Sanchez offer bold new perspectives on why food is enjoyable and how the pursuit of delicious flavors has guided the course of human history. They consider the role that flavor may have played in the invention of the first tools, the extinction of giant mammals, the evolution of the world's most delicious and fatty fruits, the creation of beer, and our own sociality. Along the way, you will learn about the taste receptors you didn't even know you had, the best way to ferment a mastodon, the relationship between Paleolithic art and cheese, and much more. Blending irresistible storytelling with the latest science, Delicious is a deep history of flavor that will transform the way you think about human evolution and the gustatory pleasures of the foods we eat.
The imaging aspects of radiography have undergone con many sources and was in general freely given when requested siderable change in the last few years and as a teacher of and this is gratefully acknowledged. In particular I would radiography for many years I have often noticed the lack of a like to express my sincere thanks for help and information to comprehensive reference book for students. This book is an Mr J. Day of DuPont (UK) Ltd. particularly for the infor attempt to correct that situation and I hope this text will be mation and illustrations in the chapter on automated film of value not only to student radiographers but also prac handling; Mr D. Harper and Mr R. Black of Kodak Ltd.; tising radiographers as well. Fujimex Ltd.; CEA of Sweden; 3M (UK) Ltd.; Wardray Much of the information is based on personal experiment Products Ltd.; D. A. Pitman Ltd.; Agfa-Gevaert; PSR Ltd. and the knowledge gained of students' difficulties in studying for their help with information on silver recovery, and this subject. I have attempted to gather together in one book Radiatron Ltd. for their help with safelighting. All were most all the information required to understand the fundamentals helpful in my many requests for information. of the subject both for examination and for practice. Some To Mrs A. Dalton and Mrs P."
A rich and abundant literature has developed during the last half century dealing with mechanical aspects of the eye, mainly from clinical and, experimental points of view. For the most part, workers have attempted to shed light on the complex set of conditions known by the general term glaucoma. These conditions are characterised by an increase in intraocular pressure sufficient to cause de generation of the optic disc and concomitant defects in the visual field, which, if not controlled, lead to inevitable permanent blindness. In the United States alone, an estimated 50,000 persons are blind as a result of glaucoma, which strikes about 2% of the population over 40 years of age (Vaughan and Asbury, 1974). An understanding of the underlying mechanisms of glaucoma is hindered by the fact that elevated intraocular pressure, like a runny nose, is but a symptom which may have a variety of causes. Only by turning to the initial pathology can one hope to understand this important class of medical problems."
The book that launched environmental history now updated.
From New York Times bestselling author Sam Kean comes more
incredible stories of science, history, language, and music, as
told by our own DNA.
We often hear that humans spend one third of their lives sleeping--and most of us would up that fraction if we could. Whether we're curling up for a brief lunchtime catnap, catching a doze on a sunny afternoon, or clocking our solid eight hours at night, sleeping is normally a reliable way to rest our heads and recharge our minds. And our bodies demand it: without sufficient sleep, we experience changes in mood, memory loss, and difficulty concentrating. Symptoms of sleep deprivation can be severe, and we know that sleep is essential for restoring and rejuvenating muscles, tissue, and energy. And yet, although science is making remarkable inroads into the workings and functions of sleep, many aspects still remain a mystery. In The Science of Sleep, sleep expert Wallace B. Mendelson explains the elements of human sleep states and explores the variety of sleep disorders afflicting thousands of people worldwide. Mendelson lays out the various treatments that are available today and provides a helpful guide for one of life's most important activities. By offering the first scientific yet accessible account of sleep science, Mendelson allows readers to assess their personal relationships with sleep and craft their own individual approaches to a comfortable and effective night's rest. Addressing one of the major public health issues of the day with cutting-edge research and empathetic understanding, The Science of Sleep is the definitive illustrated reference guide to sleep science.
Sperm Wars turns the conventional thinking about the biology of sex on its head. Evolutionary biologist Robin Baker argues that human sexuality follows certain laws, and all of those laws are governed by one thing: sperm warfare. In the interest of promoting competition between sperm to fertilize the same egg, evolution has built men to conquer and monopolize women while women, without ever knowing they are doing it, seek the best genetic input on offer from potential sexual partners. In this book, Baker reveals, through a series of provocative fictional scenes, the far-reaching implications of sperm competition: ten percent of children are not fathered by their "fathers;" less than one percent of a man's sperm is capable of fertilizing anything (the rest is there to fight off all other men's sperm); "smart" vaginal mucus encourages some sperm but blocks others; and a woman is far more likely to conceive through a casual fling than through sex with her regular partner. From infidelity, to homosexuality, to the female orgasm, Sperm Wars turns on every light in the bedroom. Two decades after its initial publication, this classic of popular science will still surprise, entertain, and even shock.
In The Story of the Human Body, Daniel Lieberman, Professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard, shows how we need to change our world to fit our hunter-gatherer bodies This ground-breaking book of popular science explores how the way we use our bodies is all wrong. From an evolutionary perspective, if normal is defined as what most people have done for millions of years, then it's normal to walk and run 9 -15 kilometres a day to hunt and gather fresh food which is high in fibre, low in sugar, and barely processed. It's also normal to spend much of your time nursing, napping, making stone tools, and gossiping with a small band of people. Our 21st-century lifestyles, argues Daniel Lieberman, are out of synch with our stone-age bodies. Never have we been so healthy and long-lived - but never, too, have we been so prone to a slew of problems that were, until recently, rare or unknown, from asthma, to diabetes, to - scariest of all - overpopulation. The Story of the Human Body asks how our bodies got to be the way they are, and considers how that evolutionary history - both ancient and recent - can help us evaluate how we use our bodies. How is the present-day state of the human body related to the past? And what is the human body's future? 'Monumental. The Story of the Human Body, by one of our leading experts, takes us on an epic voyage' - Neil Shubin, author of Your Inner Fish 'Riveting, enlightening, and more than a little frightening' - Christopher McDougall, author of Born to Run Daniel Lieberman is the Chair of the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard and a leader in the field. He has written nearly 100 articles, many appearing in the journals Nature and Science, and his cover story on barefoot running in Nature was picked up by major media the world over. His research and discoveries have been highlighted in newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, Boston Globe, Discover, and National Geographic.
As featured in Hello!, OM Yoga & Lifestyle, Natural Health, Healthy Living, Yoga magazine and Women's Fitness Breathing is at the core of everything we do. Breath is life. In this inspiring and accessible book, yoga teacher and award-winning documentary filmmaker Yolanda Barker shows us the importance of better breathing, and provides a seven-day programme of practical exercises for readers to follow. Drawing on her own experiences with anxiety and depression, the breathing practices she shares can help to ease symptoms of stress, enable us to sleep better, and calm us down during difficult situations. Grounding the information in science and her observations as a long-term yoga teacher, she also explains how these exercises work, and shines a light on the physiology of stress, and its effect on the body, mind and emotions. The book features inspiring and instructional illustrations. Supported with science and enriched with sensitivity, understanding and personal experience, The Breathing Revolution is an empowering guide to breathing practices that can be truly life-changing.
Revised for the Seventh Edition, this full-color atlas is packaged with every new copy of the text, and includes 107 bone and 47 soft-tissue photographs with easy-to-read labels. This new edition of the atlas contains a brand new comprehensive histology photomicrograph section featuring over 50 slides of basic tissue and organ systems. Featuring photos taken by renowned biomedical photographer Ralph Hutchings, this high-quality photographic atlas makes an excellent resource for the classroom and laboratory, and is referenced in appropriate figure legends throughout the text.
Evolution is among the most central and most contested of ideas in the history of anthropology. This book charts the fortunes of the idea from the mid-nineteenth century to recent times. By comparing biological, historical, and anthropological approaches to the study of human culture and social life, it lays the foundation for their effective synthesis. Far ahead of its time when first published, the book anticipates debates at the forefront of contemporary thinking. Revisiting the work after almost thirty years, Tim Ingold offers a substantial new preface that describes how the book came to be written, how it was received and its bearing on later developments. Unique in scope and breadth of theoretical vision, Evolution and Social Life cuts across the boundaries of natural science and the humanities to provide a major contribution both to the history of anthropological and social thought, and to contemporary debate on the relationship between human nature, culture, and social life.
The Soviet agronomist Trofim Lysenko became one of the most notorious figures in twentieth-century science after his genetic theories were discredited decades ago. Yet some scientists, even in the West, now claim that discoveries in the field of epigenetics prove that he was right after all. Seeking to get to the bottom of Lysenko's rehabilitation in certain Russian scientific circles, Loren Graham reopens the case, granting his theories an impartial hearing to determine whether new developments in molecular biology validate his claims. In the 1930s Lysenko advanced a "theory of nutrients" to explain plant development, basing his insights on experiments which, he claimed, showed one could manipulate environmental conditions such as temperature to convert a winter wheat variety into a spring variety. He considered the inheritance of acquired characteristics-which he called the "internalization of environmental conditions"-the primary mechanism of heredity. Although his methods were slipshod and his results were never duplicated, his ideas fell on fertile ground during a time of widespread famine in the Soviet Union. Recently, a hypothesis called epigenetic transgenerational inheritance has suggested that acquired characteristics may indeed occasionally be passed on to offspring. Some biologists dispute the evidence for this hypothesis. Loren Graham examines these arguments, both in Russia and the West, and shows how, in Russia, political currents are particularly significant in affecting the debates.
Covers significant discoveries in the rapidly advancing field of metals and genetics. The aim of this volume is to bring together investigators from diverse fields of clinical medicine, genetics, biochemistry, and chemistry to reflect on the broad implications of direct and indirect interactions of metals and genetic components. The volume is divided into five sections. The first discusses genetic response to environmental exposure to metals. The section on metal carcinogenesis and metal caused DNA damage presents the latest advances in our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of metal-induced mutagenis and carcinogenesis. A section is devoted to metals and neurodegenerative diseases. The identification of several disease genes related to metals is a major breakthrough in recent years. The section on genetics and biochemistry of metal-related diseases presents authoritative accounts of current (1999) information on both inherited and acquired metal-related diseases. They have discussed the genetics and pathophysiology of these diseases and reported the cloning, expression, purification, and characterization of gene products.
'Endlessly fascinating and full of surprises. Easily one of my books of the year' BILL BRYSON The myth-busting science behind our modern attitudes to exercise: what our bodies really need, why it matters, and its effects on health and wellbeing. In industrialized nations, our sedentary lifestyles have contributed to skyrocketing rates of obesity and diseases like diabetes. A key remedy, we are told, is exercise - voluntary physical activity for the sake of health. However, most of us struggle to stay fit, and our attitudes to exercise are plagued by misconceptions, finger-pointing and anxiety. But, as Daniel Lieberman shows in Exercised, the first book of its kind by a leading scientific expert, we never evolved to exercise. We are hardwired for moderate exertion throughout each day, not triathlons or treadmills. Drawing on over a decade of high-level scientific research and eye-opening insights from evolutionary biology and anthropology, Lieberman explains precisely how exercise can promote health; debunks persistent myths about sitting, speed, strength and endurance; and points the way towards more enjoyable and physically active living in the modern world. 'Myth-busting, illuminating, brilliant - Lieberman will completely change the way you think about your body' Professor ALICE ROBERTS, presenter of Our Incredible Human Journey
As scholars debate the most appropriate way to teach evolutionary theory, Constance Areson Clark provides an intriguing reflection on similar debates in the not-too-distant past. Set against the backdrop of the Jazz Age, God-or Gorilla explores the efforts of biologists to explain evolution to a confused and conflicted public during the 1920s. Focusing on the use of images and popularization, Clark shows how scientists and anti-evolutionists deployed schematics, cartoons, photographs, sculptures, and paintings to win the battle for public acceptance. She uses representative illustrations and popular media accounts of the struggle to reveal how concepts of evolutionary theory changed as they were presented to, and absorbed into, popular culture. Engagingly written and deftly argued, God-or Gorilla offers original insights into the role of images in communicating-and miscommunicating-scientific ideas to the lay public.
Misanthropology: Science, Pseudoscience, and the Study of Humanity introduces students to key concepts in critical thinking across the four core branches of anthropology: cultural, linguistic, biological, and archaeological. It combines a critical analysis of anthropology as a field with current concepts in scientific skepticism. By deconstructing a range of global case studies in which anthropological research runs aground, the book teaches students to distinguish between legitimate science and pseudoscience. It covers key concepts in critical thinking and rigorous research, such as cognitive biases and logical fallacies, data collection and consensus, probabilistic thinking, as well as political, nationalist, racist biases. Students learn not only how to apply these concepts to anthropological research and fieldwork, but also to their consumption of everyday information. This book will appeal to anthropology students and will be particularly useful for instructors of introductory anthropology courses, as well as instructors of courses across the humanities and social sciences focused on inculcating critical thinking skills.
How and where did our ancestors live during the 8000 years between the end of Ice Age and the arrival of the Romans in AD 43? In tracing the variety and development of prehistoric settlements from the hunter-gatherers of the Mesolithic to the tribes of the Iron Age, Dr Bewley takes a fresh look at all the key sites, from Star Carr in Yorkshire and other Mesolithic settlements, the causewayed camps of the Neolithic, the great Bronze Age landscapes to the Dartmoor and other land divisions, and the hillforts and farmsteads of the Iron Age. Throughout he concentrates on the close relationship between the individual site and the wider landscape, and on the ways that archaeologists discover, interpret and constantly reinterpret prehistoric settlements.
Leading scholars take stock of Darwin's ideas about human evolution in the light of modern science In 1871, Charles Darwin published The Descent of Man, a companion to Origin of Species in which he attempted to explain human evolution, a topic he called "the highest and most interesting problem for the naturalist." A Most Interesting Problem brings together twelve world-class scholars and science communicators to investigate what Darwin got right-and what he got wrong-about the origin, history, and biological variation of humans. Edited by Jeremy DeSilva and with an introduction by acclaimed Darwin biographer Janet Browne, A Most Interesting Problem draws on the latest discoveries in fields such as genetics, paleontology, bioarchaeology, anthropology, and primatology. This compelling and accessible book tackles the very subjects Darwin explores in Descent, including the evidence for human evolution, our place in the family tree, the origins of civilization, human races, and sex differences. A Most Interesting Problem is a testament to how scientific ideas are tested and how evidence helps to structure our narratives about human origins, showing how some of Darwin's ideas have withstood more than a century of scrutiny while others have not. A Most Interesting Problem features contributions by Janet Browne, Jeremy DeSilva, Holly Dunsworth, Agustin Fuentes, Ann Gibbons, Yohannes Haile-Selassie, Brian Hare, John Hawks, Suzana Herculano-Houzel, Kristina Killgrove, Alice Roberts, and Michael J. Ryan.
The topic of stem cells has a high profile in the media. We've made important advances in our scientific understanding, but despite this the clinical applications of stem cells are still in their infancy and most real stem cell therapy carried out today is some form of bone marrow transplantation. At the same time, a scandalous spread of unproven stem cell treatments by private clinics represents a serious problem, with treatments being offered which are backed by limited scientific rationale, and which are at best ineffective, and at worse harmful. This Very Short Introduction introduces stem cells, exploring what they are, and what scientists do with them. Introducing the different types of stem cells, Jonathan Slack explains how they can be used to treat diseases such as retinal degeneration, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, heart disease, and spinal trauma. He also discusses the important technique of bone marrow transplantation and some other types of current stem cell therapy, used for the treatment of blindness and of severe burns. Slack warns against fake stem cell treatments and discusses how to distinguish real from fake treatments. He also describes the latest scientific progress in the field, and looks forward to what we can expect to happen in the next few years Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. |
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