What are the agents of life? Central to our conception of the biological world is the idea that it contains various kinds of individuals, including genes, organisms, and species. How we conceive of these agents of life is central to our understanding of the relationship between life and mind, the place of hierarchical thinking in the biological sciences, and pluralistic views of biological agency. Genes and the Agents of Life rethinks the place of the individual in the biological sciences, drawing parallels with the cognitive and social sciences. Genes, organisms, and species are all agents of life, but how are each of these conceptualized within genetics, developmental biology, evolutionary biology, and systematics? The book includes highly accessible discussions of genetic encoding, species and natural kinds, and pluralism above the levels of selection, drawing on work from across the biological sciences. A companion to Boundaries of the Mind, (Cambridge, 2004) where the focus is on the cognitive sciences, this volume will appeal to professionals and students in philosophy, biology, and the history of science. Robert A. Wilson is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Alberta. He is the author of Cartesian Psychology and Physical Minds (Cambridge, 1995).

The development of gene-based technologies has been rapid over the past decade and has consequently resulted in a surge of interest in human gene therapy, the deliberate transfer of genes to somatic cells to cure or alleviate disease symptoms.
Hundreds of clinical protocols involving variously designed vectors for efficient gene transfer have been developed. However, the use of such complex 'gene medicines'’ containing potentially heritable genes has raised numerous concerns regarding quality, efficacy and safety.
Encompassing recent developments in the field and addressing current concerns this book:

• surveys many of the current technologies for preparing vectors for use in gene therapy protocols
• reviews the application of gene-mediated therapies to a range of medical conditions
• considers the regulatory aspects of gene therapy including product quality and safety requirements
• appraises the transfer of technologies from laboratory to clinic with regard to the attendant requirements and facilities for:
• good laboratory practice (GLP) conditions in the R&D laboratory
• large-scale production methods and good manufacturing practice (GMP)
• current in-process and final product testing

Written by international experts knowledgeable about many aspects of human somatic gene therapy, this book will be an essential guide for those embarking on gene therapy technologies relevant to specifications of production and testing of products (and procedures) required to meet existing regulations, including quality, efficacy and safety considerations.

In 1901 William Bateson, Professor of Biology at Cambridge, published a renewed version of a lecture which he had delivered the year before to the Royal Horticultural Society in London (reprinted in the book as an appendix). In this lecture he recognized the importance of the work completed by Gregor Mendel in 1865, and brought it to the notice of the scientific world. Upon reading Bateson's paper, Archibald Garrod realized the relevance of Mendel's laws to human disease and in 1902 introduced Mendelism to medical genetics. The first part of A Century of Mendelism in Human Genetics takes a historical perspective of the first 50 years of Mendelism, including the bitter argument between the Mendelians and the biometricians. The second part discusses human genetics since 1950, ending with a final chapter examining genetics and the future of medicine. The book considers the genetics of both single-gene and complex diseases, human cancer genetics, genetic linkage, and natural selection in human populations. Besides being of general medical significance, this book will be of particular interest to departments of genetics and of medical genetics, as well as to historians of science and medicine.

Historically, philosophers of biology have tended to sidestep the problem of development by focusing primarily on evolutionary biology and, more recently, on molecular biology and genetics. Quite often too, development has been misunderstood as simply, or even primarily, a matter of gene activation and regulation. Nowadays a growing number of philosophers of science are focusing their analyses on the complexities of development, and in Embryology, Epigenesis and Evolution Jason Scott Robert explores the nature of development against current trends in biological theory and practice and looks at the interrelations between development and evolution (evo-devo), an area of resurgent biological interest. Clearly written, this book should be of interest to students and professionals in the philosophy of science and the philosophy of biology.

This collection of essays considers the foundation and historical development of population biology and its relationship to population genetics and population ecology. It also considers its relationship to the rapidly growing fields of molecular quantitative genetics, genomics and bioinformatics. Although set in historical context, the volume's up-to-date coverage of relevant material reveals the central role of population biology in all aspects of its connection to population genetics and population ecology.

The first modern scholarly synthesis of animal domestication Across the globe and at different times in the past millennia, the evolutionary history of domesticated animals has been greatly affected by the myriad, complex, and diverse interactions humans have had with the animals closest to them. The Process of Animal Domestication presents a broad synthesis of this subject, from the rich biology behind the initial stages of domestication to how the creation of breeds reflects cultural and societal transformations that have impacted the biosphere. Marcelo Sanchez-Villagra draws from a wide range of fields, including evolutionary biology, zooarchaeology, ethnology, genetics, developmental biology, and evolutionary morphology to provide a fresh perspective to this classic topic. Relying on various conceptual and technical tools, he examines the natural history of phenotypes and their developmental origins. He presents case studies involving mammals, birds, fish, and insect species, and he highlights the importance of domestication for the comprehension of evolution, anatomy, ontogeny, and dozens of fundamental biological processes. Bringing together the most current developments, The Process of Animal Domestication will interest a wide range of readers, from evolutionary biologists, developmental biologists, and geneticists to anthropologists and archaeologists.

Intended for biology students, this philosophical commentary on biology makes science students' studies more interesting by offering an easy way of studying the philosophy of science, as well as engaging in debates about the social and political implications of biology. It is a unique biology textbook because it adopts an explicitly philosophical approach.

Anomalous epigenetic patterns touch many areas of study including biomedical, scientific, and industrial. With perspectives from international experts, this resource offers an all-inclusive overview of epigenetics, which bridge DNA information and function by regulating gene expression without modifying the DNA sequence itself. Epigenetics, in its most basic form, means heredity is not the sole determining factor in disease development. Rather, environmental and dietary factors can trigger a gene to behave in an unintended way, while the gene itself remains unchanged. Epigenetics in Biology and Medicinediscusses cell biology and epigenetics' role in human, animal, and plant diseases, including distortions in DNA methylation. The text also covers histone modifications, and epigenomics, as well as dietary and environmental impacts on epigenetic changes. Addresses These Important Questions: How promising are HDACi drugs as anti-tumor agents? Will restoring normal levels of miRNAs change the course of devastating diseases? Is it possible to alter epigenetic mechanisms once they are triggered? Is it possible to correct the abnormalities in methylation patterns that impact auto-immunities? Represents a Landmark Publication in this Cutting-Edge Field Dr. Manel Esteller, the editor of the volume, is a leading expert in molecular genetics of endometrial carcinoma. Under his editorial guidance, this publication goes beyond heredity to explain the crucial role of epigenetics in plants and physical and psychological diseases. This text is applicable to a wide range of researchers, including those invested in the applications of cell biology, those involved in disease research and deciding genetic patterns, and those coalitions concerned with the impact of epigenetics and possible cures. As a result, it has the potenti

Reshaping Life is an eminently authoritative and lucid description of modern molecular biology and genetics, and the ethical implications of genetic engineering. Now in its third edition, it is fully revised and updated, taking advantage of a decade of progress in genetics and biotechnology. It offers a concise working knowledge of DNA science and of those aspects of cell biology needed to understand such issues as animal cloning, genetically modified food, and gene therapy. It examines the debates on the sociological and ethical issues surrounding modern technology, laying out the issues for the reader, while urging a rational approach.

Reshaping Life is an eminently authoritative and lucid description of modern molecular biology and genetics, and the ethical implications of genetic engineering. Now in its third edition, it is fully revised and updated, taking advantage of a decade of progress in genetics and biotechnology. It offers a concise working knowledge of DNA science and of those aspects of cell biology needed to understand such issues as animal cloning, genetically modified food, and gene therapy. It examines the debates on the sociological and ethical issues surrounding modern technology, laying out the issues for the reader, while urging a rational approach.

The rise of the multi-billion dollar ancestry testing industry points to one immutable truth about us as human beings: we want to know where we come from and who our ancestors were. John H. Relethford and Deborah A. Bolnick explore this topic and many more in this second edition of Reflections of Our Past. Where did modern humans come from and how important are the biological differences among us? Are we descended from Neandertals? How should we understand the connections between genetic ancestry, race, and identity? Were Native Americans the first to inhabit the Americas? Can we see evidence of the Viking invasions of Ireland a millennium ago even in the Irish of today? Through engaging examination of issues such as these, and using non-technical language, Reflections of Our Past shows how anthropologists use genetic information to suggest answers to fundamental questions about human history. By looking at genetic variation in the world today and in the past, we can reconstruct the recent and remote events and processes that have created the variation we see, providing a fascinating reflection of our genetic past.

Molecular biology has come to dominate our perceptions of life, health and disease. In the decades following World War II, the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology at Cambridge was a world-renowned center of this emerging discipline. Crick and Watson, among others, did the work that made them famous in this laboratory. Soraya de Chadarevian's important new study is the first to examine the creation and expansion of molecular biology and its place on the postwar governmental agenda through the prism of this remarkable institution.

This book examines the genetic circuitry of the well-known "fruit fly," tackling questions of cell assemblage and pattern formation, of the hows and the whys behind the development of the fly. After an initial examination of the proximity versus pedigree imperatives, the volume delves into bristle pattern formation and disc development, with entire chapters devoted to the leg, wing, and eye. Extensive appendices include a glossary of protein domains, catalogs of well-studied genes, and an outline of signaling pathways. More than 30 wiring diagrams among over 60 detailed schematics clarify the text.

This expanded and updated second edition offers a comprehensive look at macroevolution and its underpinnings, with a primary emphasis on animal evolution. From a Neodarwinian point of view, the book integrates evolutionary processes at all levels to explain the diversity of animal life. It examines a wide range of topics including genetics, speciation, development, evolution, constructional and functional aspects of form, fossil lineages, and systematics, and --in a major new chapter--takes a hard look at the Cambrian explosion. The author delves into the age of molecular science and integrates important recent contributions made to our understanding of evolution.

This expanded and updated second edition offers a comprehensive look at macroevolution and its underpinnings, with a primary emphasis on animal evolution. From a Neodarwinian point of view, the book integrates evolutionary processes at all levels to explain the diversity of animal life. It examines a wide range of topics including genetics, speciation, development, evolution, constructional and functional aspects of form, fossil lineages, and systematics, and --in a major new chapter--takes a hard look at the Cambrian explosion. The author delves into the age of molecular science and integrates important recent contributions made to our understanding of evolution.

The profound consequences of the deceptively obvious statement that plants stand still but their genes don't are only just becoming clear. In this volume, an international team of authors, experts in the field of population biology, aim to advance our understanding of ecological and evolutionary processes by integrating them within a common frame of reference: space. Processes operating at three different spatial scales are examined: that of the population, metapopulation and the geographical range. Themes that recur at these different scales include spatial population dynamics, population genetics at boundaries, the imprint of spatial population dynamics upon genetic structure, adaptation, evolution of mating systems and the consequences of population genetics for ecological dynamics. Whilst the focus is largely on plants, the questions addressed are equally applicable to animals. It will be a valuable tool for researchers and advanced students, not only in this field, but also evolutionary biology and resource management.

Who are the Native Americans? When and how did they colonize the New World? What proportion of the biological variation in contemporary Amerindian populations was "made in America" and what was brought from Siberia? This book is a unique synthesis of the genetic, archaeological, and demographic evidence concerning the Native peoples of the Americas, using case studies from contemporary Amerindian and Siberian indigenous groups to unravel the mysteries. It culminates in an examination of the devastating collision between European and Native American cultures following Contact, and the legacy of increased incidence of chronic diseases that still accompanies the acculturation of Native peoples today.

Habitat fragmentation is one of the most ubiquitous and serious environmental threats confronting the long-term survival of plant and animal species worldwide. As species become restricted to remnant habitats, effective management for long-term conservation requires a quantitative understanding of the genetic and demographic effects of habitat fragmentation, and the implications for population viability. This book provides a detailed introduction to the genetic and demographic issues relevant to the conservation of fragmented populations such as demographic stochasticity, genetic erosion, inbreeding, metapopulation biology, and population viability analysis. The volume presents case studies on animals and plants, which illustrate a variety of approaches to examining long-term population viability. Some of the approaches include the application of molecular genetic markers, the investigation of reproductive biology, and the combination of demographic monitoring and modeling.

Concerns about the adverse health effects of chemicals and radiation present in the environment and at workplaces have created the need for better detection systems to assess their potential to cause DNA damage in humans and other organisms across ecosystems. The Micronucleus Assay in Toxicology is the first comprehensive volume concerning the use of micronucleus assays in genetic toxicology. It succinctly explains the mechanisms by which genotoxins cause micronucleus formation and its relation to diseases. Furthermore, it describes the methods which are currently used for the analyses of micronuclei in different types of cells in human in vivo biomonitoring studies, routine in vivo tests with rodents, in vitro studies with human and mammalian cells, environmental monitoring with invertebrates and vertebrates such as molluscs, fish and, also, in plant bioassays. Moreover, this book also focuses on the use of the micronucleus technique in other research areas, including the detection of DNA damage caused by important groups of genotoxic carcinogens (heavy metals, industrial chemicals, cytotoxic drugs, pesticides, ionising radiation, etc.) as well as study designs, statistical analyses, international regulatory guidelines, and the development of automated scoring devices for this assay. This book will serve as both, a reference and a guide to students, and investigators in biomedical, biochemical and pharmaceutical sciences interested in gaining a better understanding of the biology of micronuclei and their application in measuring DNA damage caused by natural or man-made genotoxins.

Standing on the Shoulders of Darwin and Mendel: Early Views of Inheritance explores early theories about the mechanisms of inheritance. Beginning with Charles Darwin's now rejected Gemmule hypothesis, the book documents the reception of Gregor Mendel's work on peas and follows the work of early 20th century scholars. The research of Francis Galton, a cousin of Darwin, and the friction it caused between these two are a part of longer story of the development of genetics and an understanding of how offspring inherit the characteristics of their parents. Bateson, Garrod, de Vries, Tschermak and others are all characters in a scientific story of discovery, acrimony, cooperation and revelation.

Advances in molecular biological research in the past forty years have made the story of the gene vastly complicated: the more we learn about genes, the less sure we are of what a gene really is. Knowledge about the structure and functioning of genes abounds, but the gene has also become curiously intangible. This collection of essays renews the question: what are genes? This book is unique in that it is the first interdisciplinary volume, written by philosophers, historians, and working scientists, solely devoted to the quest for the gene. It will be of interest to professionals and students in the philosophy and history of science, genetics, and molecular biology.

Technological advances over the last two decades have placed genetic research at the forefront of sport and exercise science. It provides potential answers to some of contemporary sport and exercise's defining issues and throws up some of the area's most challenging ethical questions, but to date, it has rested on a fragmented and disparate literature base. The Routledge Handbook of Sport and Exercise Systems Genetics constitutes the most authoritative and comprehensive reference in this critical area of study, consolidating knowledge and providing a framework for interpreting future research findings. Taking an approach which covers single gene variations, through genomics, epigenetics, and proteomics, to environmental and dietary influences on genetic mechanisms, the book is divided into seven sections. It examines state-of-the-art genetic methods, applies its approach to physical activity, exercise endurance, muscle strength, and sports performance, and discusses the ethical considerations associated with genetic research in sport and exercise. Made up of contributions from some of the world's leading sport and exercise scientists and including chapters on important topical issues such as gene doping, gender testing, predicting sport performance and injury risk, and using genetic information to inform physical activity and health debates, the handbook is a vital addition to the sport and exercise literature. It is an important reference for any upper-level student, researcher, or practitioner working in the genetics of sport and exercise or exercise physiology, and crucial reading for any social scientist interested in the ethics of sport.

This important volume provides a basic understanding of the different forms of intellectual property rights in agricultural science. It provides an abundance of information on the use of IP laws in agriculture and allied subjects and their proper implementation in real-life practice. The chapter authors discuss different kinds of IP laws and their current status in developed as well as developing countries throughout the world. The protection of biological resources is crucial for food security for future generations. Biological resources are the source of several important genes. Researchers are interested in the development of plant varieties that can increase crop production, withstand dramatic climatic changes, etc. Protecting intellectual property rights in plant varieties and the rights of farmers and others are discussed in this volume. It also looks at new trends and developments in the field involving new IP strategies and the application of IP laws in agriculture and biotechnology and in the management of plant genetic resources.

A comprehensive and mechanistic perspective on fruit ripening, emphasizing commonalities and differences between fruit groups and ripening processes.

Fruits are an essential part of the human diet and contain important phytochemicals that provide protection against heart disease and cancers. Fruit ripening is of importance for human health and for industry-based strategies to harness natural variation, or genetic modification, for crop improvement.

This book covers recent advances in the field of plant genomics and how these discoveries can be exploited to understand evolutionary processes and the complex network of hormonal and genetic control of ripening. The book explains the physiochemical and molecular changes in fruit that impact its quality, and recent developments in understanding of the genetic, molecular and biochemical basis for colour, flavour and texture. It is a valuable resource for plant and crop researchers and professionals, agricultural engineers, horticulturists, and food scientists.

Summary: Reviews the physiochemical and molecular changes in fruit which impact flavour, texture, and colourCovers recent advances in genomics on the genetic, molecular, and biochemical basis of fruit qualityIntegrates information on both hormonal and genetic control of ripeningRelevant for basic researchers and applied scientists