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What defines who we are? Until now, the biological answer has been
our genes. Leading biologist Alfonso Martinez Arias breaks with
popular tradition to make a bold argument: what defines us is our
cells. Drawing on groundbreaking research, he reveals that we are
composed of a thrillingly complex, constantly rearranging symphony
of cells that know how to count, feel, and give form to our bodies.
While DNA is important, nothing in your genes explains why your
heart is on the left, why you have five fingers and not ten, why
genetically identical twins have different sets of fingerprints, or
why it's possible for a mother to apparently share no DNA with the
children she gave birth to! At the heart of it all is a powerful
new conception of the essence of life. Our identities are shaped by
the interconnections between cells, working cooperatively, creating
something greater than its parts - the unbroken lineage that
connects us to the fertilized egg from which we developed and back
through the billions of years of our planet's history, to the very
first cell of all life on Earth. A sweeping revision of both the
present and the history of life, The Master Builder puts forward a
new paradigm for understanding biology, transforming our approach
to where we come from, what shapes us, and where we are going - as
individuals, a species, and the community of life itself.
How does a single cell develop into myriad different specialised
cell types, control the organization of these different cells into
tissues and organs, and ultimately form an unimaginably complex
living organism such as a human? Furthermore, how is it possible
for some adult animals, but not others, to regenerate fully
functioning limbs? Principles of Development opens up the
fascinating field of developmental biology to those wanting to
understand the answers to questions such as these. Cutting edge
science is explained clearly and succinctly and is richly
illustrated with a variety of custom drawn figures, animations, and
links to online movies that show development happening in real
time. The emphasis throughout the text is always on the key
principles of development - the underlying processes shared by
diverse groups of organisms. This focus on principles provides a
framework on which a richer understanding of specific topics can be
built. Moreover, extensive pedagogical support is provided, both in
the book and online, making this text the complete package for
those studying developmental biology. Online Resources For
students: -Test your understanding with multiple choice questions
and answer guidance to long-answer questions from the book -Gain a
three dimensional perspective of development by watching the movies
of developing model organisms -View the signalling pathway
animations to see these complex processes broken down step by step
-Expand your knowledge and guide your studies with the suggested
web activities - Examine and interpret raw data obtained by Cheryll
Tickle and members of her laboratory and presented in silico For
registered adopters of the text: -Download the figures from the
book to use in lectures and hand-outs -Help your students delve
into the research literature with the Journal Club -Download the
test bank or import it into your VLE -PowerPoint of In silico
practicals to use in class
What defines who we are? For decades, the biological answer has
been our genes. In The Master Builder, leading biologist Alfonso
Martinez Arias breaks with decades of scientific and popular
tradition to make a bold argument: what defines us is our cells.
Drawing on new research from his lab and others, Martinez Arias
reveals that we are composed of a thrillingly complex, constantly
rearranging symphony of cells that know how to count, feel, and
ultimately give form to our bodies. While DNA is important, Richard
Dawkins's vision of the selfish gene that controls everything is
not a good description of how biology actually works. As Martinez
Arias shows, nothing in your genes explains why your heart is on
the left side of your body, why you have five fingers and not ten,
or why genetically identical twins have different sets of
fingerprints and why it's possible for a mother to apparently share
no DNA with the children to whom she gave birth! At the heart of it
all is not simply gee-whiz science, but a powerful new conception
of the essence of life. Our identities are shaped not simply by our
genes, but by the interconnections between all our cells, working
as a sort of symphony-cooperative, and creating something greater
than its parts could on their own-and the unbroken lineage of cells
that connects us to the first fertilized egg from which we
developed-and in turn, back through the billions of years of our
planet's history, to the very first cell in the history of all life
on Earth. A sweeping revision of both the present and history of
life, The Master Builder puts forward a new paradigm for
understanding biology, one rooted in cellular cooperation, not
selfish genes. Engaging and ambitious, it will transform our
understanding of where we come from, what shapes us, and where we
are going, as individuals, a species, and the community of life
itself.
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