A History of Human AnatomyThis revised and expanded edition presents anatomy from antiquity to the modern times. In this book, the authors present many scholars and teachers; the time periods, places, and impact of their work; controversies in anatomy; and advances in the discipline. These topics run the gamut from early pioneers in the art to the development of techniques that have propelled the study of anatomy to its current state. The authors have attempted to present the “big picture” regarding the historic anatomists and movements that have shaped our current understanding of what we now call “medical anatomy.”
Anatomy for Problem Solving in Sports MedicineThe book includes descriptions and images of the relevant anatomy, and sample clinical problems (with model answers) throughout. Although each problem is different, practitioners will always follow a similar pattern in arriving at a differential diagnosis. In every case, four main areas need to be covered: the type of sport; the clinical history; physical assessment; and appropriate investigations. By taking a logical, step-by-step approach to solving clinical problems, this book offers a valuable resource for the wide range of health professionals who manage knee injuries.
Exploring the Human Body (Atlas of Nervous System)The Nervous System unit is an overview of one of the most complex system of the human body. The unit covers the anatomy of the brain and the major nerves of the body. The cranial nerves, spinal structure, functional brain areas and the neuron and synaptic cleft are shown through other images. The special senses of sight, taste, smell, hearing and touch are also covered.
Exploring the Human Body : An Introduction to the Study of Human Anatomy & PhysiologyExploring the Human Body is a set of 12 units covering the systems of the human body. All 11 systems are covered, from the integumentary system (skin, hair and nails) to the male and female reproductive systems. Also included is the unit on Pregnancy and Birth.
Paramedics! Test Yourself in Anatomy and PhysiologyThis self-test book of self-assessment questions and quizzes that is designed to both test paramedic students learning and help them understand their knowledge gaps by explaining the answers to the questions included.
The Evolution of the Human HeadDan Lieberman has written an innovative, exhaustively researched and carefully argued book dealing with the evolution of the human head. In it he addresses three interrelated questions. First, why does the human head look the way it does? Second, why did these transformations occur? And third, how is something as complex and vital as the head so variable and evolvable? This book addresses these questions in three sections.
The Reproductive SystemThe Reproductive System unit presents an overview of the structure and function of the female and male reproductive systems. Diagrams lay-out the process of spermiogenesis, the movement of sperm and the menstrual cycle
Comets And The Origin Of LifeThe idea that comets may be connected with the origin of life on Earth was considered heresy a few decades ago, with scientists shying away from this possibility as if from a medieval superstition. However the case that comets may have contributed at least the complex organic building blocks of life has become very strong, and mechanisms have now been identified whereby comets may incubate and transfer microbial life from one cosmic habitat to another in the Galaxy. The present book sets out the case for cometary panspermia in a cogent way, combining evidence from space science, celestial mechanics, geology and microbiology. It should be an essential part of any university course on astrobiology, and also serve as a reference textbook for researchers in the field.
Bioengineering
Heart Regeneration: Stem Cells And BeyondThis book presents the major advances of the last decade in the field of cardiac regeneration. These recent advances include: demonstration that zebrafish, a genetically tractable system, can regenerate heart; the identification of several new stem cell populations in the heart; demonstration that stem cells can be used to improve heart function; and demonstration that induction of cardiomyocyte proliferation is a realistic future option to repair injured hearts. This book also provides detailed reviews of the research on model organisms capable of heart regeneration as well as innovative translational research to achieve regeneration in mammals, that comprises work on blood born stem cells, endogenous cardiac stem cells, paracrine factors, reawakening of cardiomyocyte proliferation, and bioengineering. More importantly, the book, in the concluding chapter, dovetails the studies with a comprehensive overview of clinical trials.
Methods in Bioengineering : Cell TransplantationThis unique volume covers in detail the basic techniques and protocols of regenerative medicine, focusing on methods for cell transplantation. You explore a wide range of critical factors, such as grown tissues, cells, laboratory-made compounds, and engineered organs. The books helps you understand the many intricate steps involved in tissue engineering, cell isolation, progenitors and stem cell differentiation, and in vivo models for assessing new strategies.'
Stem Cell Bioengineering And Tissue Engineering MicroenvironmentThis is a comprehensive review of the current state of stem cell bioengineering from authorities in the field. The first part of the book includes the basic research work on stem cells and bioengineering carried out by various laboratories. The second part consists of a review of the current development of various microcapsules in stem cell therapy. The last part will summarize the overall clinical trials on stem cell therapy and myocardial regeneration as well as the most updated personal experience recently completed by well-known experts in this field.
Tissue Regeneration: Where Nano-structure Meets BiologyThis unique volume presents the recent advances in tissue regeneration. The authors are all active researchers in their respective fields with extensive experiences. The focus of the book is on the use of stem cells and nano-structured biomaterials for tissue regeneration/tissue engineering. It includes the use of stem cells, naturally derived extracellular matrix (ECM), synthetic biomimetic nano-fibers, synthetic nano-structured ceramics and synthetic nano-structured polymer/ceramic composites that can help/promote tissue regeneration. Methods on how to produce these nano-structured biomaterials are also discussed in several chapters. Future challenges and perspectives in the field of regenerative medicine (tissue regeneration) are also discussed.
Bioinformatics
Advances In Genomic Sequence Analysis And Pattern DiscoveryMapping the genomic landscapes is one of the most exciting frontiers of science. We have the opportunity to reverse engineer the blueprints and the control systems of living organisms. Computational tools are key enablers in the deciphering process. This book provides an in-depth presentation of some of the important computational biology approaches to genomic sequence analysis. The first section of the book discusses methods for discovering patterns in DNA and RNA. This is followed by the second section that reflects on methods in various ways, including performance, usage and paradigms.
Biological Data Mining And Its Applications In HealthcareBiologists are stepping up their efforts in understanding the biological processes that underlie disease pathways in the clinical contexts. This has resulted in a flood of biological and clinical data from genomic and protein sequences, DNA microarrays, protein interactions, biomedical images, to disease pathways and electronic health records. This book will cover the fundamentals of state-of-the-art data mining techniques which have been designed to handle such challenging data analysis problems, and demonstrate with real applications how biologists and clinical scientists can employ data mining to enable them to ma
Biomedical Computing : Digitizing Life in the United StatesNovember examines the conditions that made possible the computerization of biology—including strong technological, institutional, and political support from the National Institutes of Health—and shows not only how digital technology transformed the life sciences but also how the intersection of the two led to important developments in computer architecture and software design. The history of this phenomenon has been only vaguely understood. November's thoroughly researched and lively study makes clear for readers the motives behind computerizing the study of life and how that technology profoundly affects biomedical research today.
Database Technology For Life Sciences And MedicineThis book presents innovative approaches from database researchers supporting the challenging process of knowledge discovery in biomedicine. Ranging from how to effectively store and organize biomedical data via data quality and case studies to sophisticated data mining methods, this book provides the state-of-the-art of database technology for life sciences and medicine.A valuable source of information for experts in life sciences who want to be updated about the possibilities of database technology in their field, this volume will also be inspiring for students and researchers in informatics who are keen to contribute to this emerging field of interdisciplinary research.
Emergent Information: A Unified Theory Of Information FrameworkAt the dawn of the information age, a proper understanding of information and how it relates to matter and energy is of utmost importance for the survival of civilisation. Yet, attempts to reconcile information concepts underlying science and technology with those en vogue in social science, humanities, and arts are rather rare. This book offers a new approach, departing from fragmented information concepts.Many academics refrain from undergoing unifications, as most undertakings are reductionistic. This book contends that it is the noble task of an as-yet-to-be-developed science of information to go one step in the direction of a unified theory of information without falling back into neither reduction nor anthropomorphisation.To be able to succeed in an ambitious task like this, the book advocates the application of complex systems theory and its philosophical underpinnings.
Machine Learning Approaches To BioinformaticsThis book covers a wide range of subjects in applying machine learning approaches for bioinformatics projects. The book succeeds on two key unique features. First, it introduces the most widely used machine learning approaches in bioinformatics and discusses, with evaluations from real case studies, how they are used in individual bioinformatics projects. Second, it introduces state-of-the-art bioinformatics research methods. The theoretical parts and the practical parts are well integrated for readers to follow the existing procedures in individual research.
Mining the Biomedical LiteratureKnowledge about biological entities and processes has traditionally been acquired by thousands of scientists through decades of experimentation and analysis. The current abundance of biomedical data is accompanied by the creation and quick dissemination of new information. Much of this information and knowledge, however, is represented only in text form--in the biomedical literature, lab notebooks, Web pages, and other sources. Researchers'need to find relevant information in the vast amounts of text has created a surge of interest in automated text-analysis.In this book, Hagit Shatkay and Mark Craven offer a concise and accessible introduction to key ideas in biomedical text mining. The chapters cover such topics as the relevant sources of biomedical text; text-analysis methods in natural language processing; the tasks of information extraction, information retrieval, and text categorization; and methods for empirically assessing text-mining systems.
Botany
Frontiers on Recent Developments in Plant ScienceFrontiers on Recent Developments in Plant Science is an edited, peer-reviewed volume comprised of a collection of individual chapters from leading research groups across different continents. Due to its multidisciplinary nature, the combined experiences and expertise in plant science has an increasing importance both in agriculture and industry. This evidenced by inclusion of plant biotechnology in academic curricula from high school to undergraduate and postgraduate degree levels, and even in Ph.D. courses.
Nature Displaced, Nature Displayed : Order and Beauty in Botanical GardensBotanical gardens brought together in a single space the great diversity of the earth's flora. They displaced nature from forest and foothill and re-arranged it to reveal something of the scientific principles underpinning the apparent chaos of the wild. Nature Displaced, Nature Displayed shows how the design and display of such gardens was not determined by scientific principles alone. Through a study of three botanical gardens - belonging to the University of Cambridge, the Royal Dublin Society, and the Belfast Natural History Society - the author shows how the final outcome involved a complex interplay of ideas about place, identity, empire, botanical science, and especially aesthetics, creating spaces that would educate the mind as well as please the senses.
Plants and People : Choices and Diversity Through TimeThis first monograph in the EARTH series, The dynamics of non-industrial agriculture: 8,000 years of resilience and innovation, approaches the great variety of agricultural practices in human terms. It focuses on the relationship between plants and people, the complexity of agricultural processes and their organisation within particular communities and societies. Collaborative European research among archaeologists, archaeobotanists, ethnographers, historians and agronomists using a broad analytical scale of investigation seeks to establish new common ground for integrating different approaches. By means of interdisciplinary examples, this book showcases the relationship between people and plants across wide ranging and diverse spatial and temporal milieus, including crop diversity, the use of wild foodstuffs, social context, status and choices of food plants.
The Metamorphosis of PlantsThe Metamorphosis of Plants, published in 1790, was Goethe's first major attempt to describe what he called in a letter to a friend'the truth about the how of the organism.'Inspired by the diversity of flora he found on a journey to Italy, Goethe sought a unity of form in diverse structures. This MIT Press edition of The Metamorphosis of Plants illustrates Goethe's text (in an English translation by Douglas Miller) with a series of stunning and starkly beautiful color photographs as well as numerous line drawings. It is the most completely and colorfully illustrated edition of Goethe's book ever published. It demonstrates vividly Goethe's ideas of transformation and interdependence, as well as the systematic use of imagination in scientific research -- which influenced thinkers ranging from Darwin to Thoreau and has much to teach us today about our relationship with nature.
Cognitive Biology
Cognitive Biology : Evolutionary and Developmental Perspectives on Mind, Brain, and BehaviorIn the past few decades, sources of inspiration in the multidisciplinary field of cognitive science have widened. In addition to ongoing vital work in cognitive and affective neuroscience, important new work is being conducted at the intersection of psychology and the biological sciences in general. This volume offers an overview of the cross-disciplinary integration of evolutionary and developmental approaches to cognition in light of these exciting new contributions from the life sciences.
Ecology and Environmental Biology
Biology's First Law : The Tendency for Diversity and Complexity to Increase in Evolutionary SystemsDaniel W. McShea and Robert N. Brandon argue that there exists in evolution a spontaneous tendency toward increased diversity and complexity, one that acts whether natural selection is present or not. They call this tendency a biological law the Zero-Force Evolutionary Law, or ZFEL. This law unifies the principles and data of biology under a single framework and invites a reconceptualization of the field of the same sort that Newton s First Law brought to physics. Biology s First Law shows how the ZFEL can be applied to the study of diversity and complexity and examines its wider implications for biology. Intended for evolutionary biologists, paleontologists, and other scientists studying complex systems, and written in a concise and engaging format that speaks to students and interdisciplinary practitioners alike, this book will also find an appreciative audience in the philosophy of science.
Ecology and Design : Frameworks For LearningThe book explains why landscape architecture and design and planning faculty should include ecology as a standard part of their courses and curricula, provides insights on how that can be done, and offers models from successful programs. The book: examines the need for change in the education and practice of landscape architecture and in the physical planning and design professions as a whole asks what designers and physical planners need to know about ecology and what applied ecologists can learn from design and planning develops conceptual frameworks needed to realize an ecologically based approach to design and planning offers recommendations for the integration of ecology within a landscape architecture curriculum
Encyclopedia of Theoretical EcologyThis major reference is an overview of the current state of theoretical ecology through a series of topical entries centered on both ecological and statistical themes. Coverage ranges across scales—from the physiological, to populations, landscapes, and ecosystems. Entries provide an introduction to broad fields such as Applied Ecology, Behavioral Ecology, Computational Ecology, Ecosystem Ecology, Epidemiology and Epidemic Modeling, Population Ecology, Spatial Ecology and Statistics in Ecology.
Environmental Biologynvironmental Biology offers an accessible introduction to the core elements of biology and the biosphere. With balanced coverage of acquatic and terrestrial examples throughout, the text builds logically to present a clear understanding of the fundamental processes of life before examining its more complex components, namely individuals, populations, communities and ecosystems.A knowledge of environmental biology and its practical applications is essential for a deeper understanding of the environment. Environmental Biology offers an invaluable introduction to the living environment for all areas of study, from environmental history, agriculture and forestry, to impact assessment, climate change, ecology and conservation.
Foundations of Ecological ResilienceFoundations of Ecological Resilience is a collection of the most important articles on the subject of ecological resilience—those writings that have defined and developed basic concepts in the field and help explain its importance and meaning for scientists and researchers. The book's three sections cover articles that have shaped or defined the concepts and theories of resilience, including key papers that broke new conceptual ground and contributed novel ideas to the field; examples that demonstrate ecological resilience in a range of ecosystems; and articles that present practical methods for understanding and managing nonlinear ecosystem dynamics.
Neon : Addressing the Nation's Environmental ChallengesThe book endorses the National Science Foundation's concept of the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) for providing a nationwide network of facilities and infrastructure for ecological and environmental research that is impossible with existing infrastructure. The committee identified six grand challenges in environmental biology - biodiversity, biogeochemical cycles, climate change, ecology and evolution of infectious diseases, invasive species and land and habitat use -- that deserves high priority for research and needs to be addressed on a regional or continental scale. However, the book says that NEON needs a refined focus and a more detailed plan for its implementation to ensure the maximization of its contribution to science and to better fit within the purview of Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction funding.
Searching for Sustainability : Interdisciplinary Essays in the Philosophy of Conservation BiologyThis book examines from a multidisciplinary viewpoint the question of what we mean - what we should mean - by setting sustainability as a goal for environmental management. The author, trained as a philosopher of science and language, explores ways to break down the disciplinary barriers to communication and deliberation about environment policy, and to integrate science and evaluations into a more comprehensive environmental policy. Choosing sustainability as the keystone concept of environmental policy, the author explores what we can learn about sustainable living from the philosophy of pragmatism, from ecology, from economics, from planning, from conservation biology and from related disciplines. The idea of adaptive, or experimental, management provides the context, while insights from various disciplines are integrated into a comprehensive philosophy of environmental management.
The Human Relationship with Nature : Development and CultureFor the past eight years, Kahn has studied children, young adults, and parents in diverse geographical locations, ranging from an economically impoverished black community in Houston to a remote village in the Brazilian Amazon. In these studies Kahn seeks answers to the following questions: How do people value nature, and how do they reason morally about environmental degradation? Do children have a deep connection to the natural world that gets severed by modern society? Or do such connections emerge, if at all, later in life, with increased cognitive and moral maturity? How does culture affect environmental commitments and sensibilities? Are there universal features in the human relationship with nature?
The Paleobiological Revolution : Essays on the Growth of Modern PaleontologyThis incredible ascendance of this once-maligned science to the vanguard of a field is chronicled in The Paleobiological Revolution. Pairing contributions from some of the leading actors of the transformation with overviews from historians and philosophers of science, the essays here capture the excitement of the seismic changes in the discipline. In so doing, David Sepkoski and Michael Ruse harness the energy of the past to call for further study of the conceptual development of modern paleobiology.
Overview
Epidemiology
Evolution
Genetics
Microbiology (Parasitology, Virology)
Molecular Biology
Neurobiology
Paleontology
Physiology
Sociobiology
Zoology
Epidemiology
Causal Inference and Scientific Paradigms in EpidemiologyThis anthology of articles on causal inference and scientific paradigms in epidemiology covers several important topics including the search for causal explanations, the strengths and limitations of causal criteria, quantitative approaches for assessing causal relationships that are relevant to epidemiology and emerging paradigms in epidemiologic research. In order to provide historical context, an overview of philosophical and historical developments relevant to causal inference in epidemiology and public health is also provided. Several theoretical and applied aspects of causal inference are dealt with. The aim of this Ebook is not only to summarize important developments in causal inference in epidemiology but also to identify possible ways to enhance the search for causal explanations for diseases and injuries
Diseases of Poverty : Epidemiology, Infectious Diseases, and Modern PlaguesOnly a few decades ago, we were ready to declare victory over infectious diseases. Today, infectious diseases are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality throughout the world. This book examines the epidemiology and social impact of past and present infectious disease epidemics in the developing and developed world.
Fertility and Pregnancy : An Epidemiologic PerspectiveFertility and Pregnancy: An Epidemiologic Perspective, is a lively overview of human reproduction: how it works, and what causes it to go wrong. Weaving together history, biology, obstetrics, pediatrics, demography, infectious diseases, molecular genetics, and evolutionary biology, Allen Wilcox brings a fresh coherence to the epidemiologic study of reproduction and pregnancy. Along the way, he provides entertaining anecdotes, superb graphs, odd tidbits and occasional humor that bring the topic to life.
Handbook of Disease Outbreaks : Prevention, Detection and ControlThe authors of this book examine the effects of increasing population numbers and growing environmental degradation on the current and future disease incidence throughout the world. The role that nutrition plays in the outbreak of diseases such as the Cuban epidemic optic neuropathy (CEON) is explored as well. Other topics discussed in this book include the risks, diagnosis and treatment of Lyme Disease, the new approaches being used in the development of plague subunit vaccines, the extent to which the journalistic field relies on the language of science to provide a constructed picture of world events such as disease outbreaks, the animal and human health implications of transporting animals over long distances, and the measures that need to be taken to limit such long distance transport of animals for slaughter, with positive effects for animal and public health, as well as economic and social benefits.
Infectious Diseases : A Geographic GuideThis concise and practical guide describes infections in geographical areas and provides information on disease risk, concomitant infections (such as co-prevalence of HIV and tuberculosis) and emerging bacterial, viral and parasitic infections in a given geographical area of the world. Infectious Diseases: A Geographic Guide is divided according to United Nations world regions and addresses geographic disease profiles, presenting symptoms and incubation periods of infections. Each chapter contains a section on the coverage of the childhood vaccination programs in the countries included in that region. Chapters also include descriptions of infectious disease risk and problems with resistant bacteria in each region (e.g. antibiotic resistance in Salmonella infections in Southeast Asia).
Seven Modern Plagues : And How We Are Causing Them'Since Walters first drew attention to these'ecodemics'in 2003 with the publication of Six Modern Plagues, much has been learned about how they developed. In this new, fully updated edition, the author presents research that precisely pinpoints the origins of HIV, confirms the link between forest fragmentation and increased risk of Lyme disease, and expands knowledge of the ecology of West Nile virus. He also explores developments in emerging diseases, including a new chapter on flu, examining the first influenza pandemic since the Hong Kong flu of 1968; a new tick-borne infection in the Mid-West; a second novel bird flu in China; and yet a new SARS-like virus in the Middle East. Readers will not only learn how these diseases emerged but the conditions that make future pandemics more likely. This knowledge is critical in order to prevent the next modern plague.
Statistical Tools for Epidemiologic ResearchIn this innovative new book, Steve Selvin provides readers with a clear understanding of intermediate biostatistical methods without advanced mathematics or statistical theory (for example, no Bayesian statistics, no causal inference, no linear algebra and only a slight hint of calculus). This text answers the important question: After a typical first-year course in statistical methods, what next? Statistical Tools for Epidemiologic Research thoroughly explains not just how statistical data analysis works, but how the analysis is accomplished
Teaching EpidemiologyTeaching Epidemiology requires skill and knowledge, combined with a clear teaching strategy and good pedagogic skills. The general advice is simple: if you are not an expert on a topic, try to enrich your background knowledge before you start teaching. Teaching Epidemiology third edition helps you to do this, and by providing the world-expert teacher's advice on how best to structure teaching gives a unique insight in to what has worked in their hands.
Understanding Emerging Epidemics : Social and Political ApproachesThis volume focuses on the contributions that social scientists can make to understanding emerging epidemics, their impact, the threats they pose, and their social and political contexts. While many of the international articles focus on infectious disease, some discussion is given to treating psychiatric epidemics and the analysis of the political and cultural meanings that epidemics have. A sociological volume on emerging epidemics, covering psychiatric or psychological diseases as well as infectious disease is long overdue and topics included here are as wide ranging as: bipolar disorder; obesity; malaria; HIV/AIDS; SARS; West Nile Virus; pandemic influenzas; deviance; depression; ADHD; Alzheimer's; and autism.
Evolution
Evolution's Wedge : Competition and the Origins of DiversityThe authors discuss how selection can lessen resource competition or costly reproductive interactions by promoting trait evolution through a process known as character displacement. They further describe character displacement's underlying genetic and developmental mechanisms. The authors then consider character displacement's myriad downstream effects, ranging from shaping ecological communities to promoting new traits and new species and even fueling large-scale evolutionary trends. Drawing on numerous studies from natural populations, and written for a broad audience, Evolution's Wedge seeks to inspire future research into character displacement's many implications for ecology and evolution.
From Groups to Individuals : Evolution and Emerging IndividualityIn this book, leading scholars consider the biological and philosophical implications of the emergence of these new collective individuals from associations of living beings. The topics they consider range from metaphysical issues to biological research on natural selection, sociobiology, and symbiosis. The contributors investigate individuality and its relationship to evolution and the specific concept of organism; the tension between group evolution and individual adaptation; and the structure of collective individuals and the extent to which they can be defined by the same concept of individuality.
In the Light of Evolution : Volume V: Cooperation and ConflictThis book is the outgrowth of the Arthur M. Sackler Colloquium'Cooperation and Conflict,'which was sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences on January 7-8, 2011, at the Academy's Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center in Irvine, California. It is the fifth in a series of colloquia under the general title 'In the Light of Evolution. 'The current volume explores recent developments in the study of cooperation and conflict, ranging from the level of the gene to societies and symbioses.
Information Theory And Evolution (2nd Edition)Information Theory and Evolution discusses the phenomenon of life, including its origin and evolution (and also human cultural evolution), against the background of thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, and information theory. Among the central themes is the seeming contradiction between the second law of thermodynamics and the high degree of order and complexity produced by living systems. The new edition discusses current research on the origin of life, the distinction between thermodynamic information and cybernetic information, new DNA research and human prehistory, developments in current information technology, and the relationship between entropy and economics.
Monad to ManIn interviews with today's major figures in evolutionary biology--including Stephen Jay Gould, E. O. Wilson, Ernst Mayr, and John Maynard Smith--Ruse offers an unparalleled account of evolutionary theory, from popular books to museums to the most complex theorizing, at a time when its status as science is under greater scrutiny than ever before.
On the Origin of Species : By Means of Natural Selection (by Charles Darwin)Darwin consolidated a lifetime of work in On the Origin of Species, compiling his discoveries from the voyage of the Beagle, his experiments, research and correspondence. He argues for the transmutation of species over time by the process of natural selection. His work laid the foundation of evolutionary biology, though when it was published it caused tremendous religious and philosophical debates. Darwin's work is still seen by many people to oppose Christian beliefs.
Pillars of Evolution : Fundamental Principles of the Eco-evolutionary ProcessPillars of Evolution provides a fresh and provocative perspective on adaptive evolution. Readers new to the study of evolution will find a refreshing new insight that establishes evolutionary biology as a rigorous and predictive science, whilst practicing biologists will discover a provocative book that challenges traditional approaches. The book begins by leading readers through the mechanics of heredity, reproduction, movement, survival, and development. With that framework in place, it then explores the numerous ways that traits emerge from the interactions between genetics, development, and the environment
Searching for Sustainability : Interdisciplinary Essays in the Philosophy of Conservation BiologyThis book examines from a multidisciplinary viewpoint the question of what we mean - what we should mean - by setting sustainability as a goal for environmental management. The author, trained as a philosopher of science and language, explores ways to break down the disciplinary barriers to communication and deliberation about environment policy, and to integrate science and evaluations into a more comprehensive environmental policy.
Seven Modern Plagues : And How We Are Causing ThemEpidemiologists are braced for the big one: the strain of flu that rivals the pandemic of 1918-1919, which killed at least 20 million people worldwide. In recent years, we have experienced scares with a host of new influenza viruses: bird flu, swine flu, Spanish flu, Hong Kong flu, H5N1, and most recently, H5N7. While these diseases appear to emerge from thin air, in fact, human activity is driving them. And the problem is not just flu, but a series of rapidly evolving and dangerous modern plagues. According to veterinarian and journalist Mark Walters, we are contributing to-if not overtly causing-some of the scariest epidemics of our time. Through human stories and cutting-edge science, Walters explores the origins of seven diseases: mad cow disease, HIV/AIDS, Salmonella DT104, Lyme disease, hantavirus, West Nile, and new strains of flu.
The Major Transitions in Evolution RevisitedIn 1995, John Maynard Smith and Eörs Szathmáry published their influential book The Major Transitions in Evolution. The'transitions'that Maynard Smith and Szathmáry chose to describe all constituted major changes in the kinds of organisms that existed but, most important, these events also transformed the evolutionary process itself. Maynard Smith and Szathmáry had planned a major revision of their work, but the death of Maynard Smith in 2004 prevented this. In this volume, prominent scholars (including Szathmáry himself) reconsider and extend the earlier book's themes in light of recent developments in evolutionary biology. The contributors discuss different frameworks for understanding macroevolution, prokaryote evolution (the study of which has been aided by developments in molecular biology), and the complex evolution of multicellularity.
Genetics
DNA Research, Genetics, and Cell BiologyThis book presents and discusses topical research in the study of DNA, genetics and cell biology. Topics discussed include DNA damage related to exposure to oil spills; mutation detection in TP53 gene; DNA and protein sequence analysis; the role of effectors on hypoxia due to nitric oxide production in human alveolar epithelial cells and plasma cell dyscrasias. (Imprint: Nova Biomedical Press)
Epigenetics of LifestyleRecent advances in the fields of genomics and bioinformatics have made it increasingly clear that genetic sequence alone cannot explain how the genome regulates the development and function of complex multicellular organisms both in health and disease. This inference has led to the expansion of epigenetics as a discipline. Epigenetics refers to the way in which the environment in the wide sense participates in the regulation of gene expression. In summary, Epigenetics of Lifestyle is a fresh approach towards epigenetics and presents the reader with significant research findings in epigenetics and lifestyle studies. This volume is a simplified source of information for both undergraduate and working professionals interested in lifestyle medicine and life sciences in general.
Genes and DNA : A Beginner's Guide to Genetics and Its ApplicationsCovering newsworthy aspects of contemporary biology—gene therapy, the Human Genome Project, DNA testing, and genetic engineering—as well as fundamental concepts, this book, written specifically for nonbiologists, discusses classical and molecular genetics, quantitative and population genetics—including cloning and genetic diseases—and the many applications of genetics to the world around us, from genetically modified foods to genetic testing.With minimal technical terminology and jargon, Genes and DNA facilitates conceptual understanding. Eschewing the organization of traditional genetics texts, the authors have provided an organic progression of information: topics are introduced as needed, within a broader framework that makes them meaningful for nonbiologists. The book encourages the reader to think independently, always stressing scientific background and current facts.
Genetic ExplanationsNo longer viewed by scientists as the cell's fixed master molecule, DNA is a dynamic script that is ad-libbed at each stage of development. What our parents hand down to us is just the beginning. Genetic Explanations urges us to replace our faith in genetic determinism with scientific knowledge about genetic plasticity and epigenetic inheritance.
Genetics of Original Sin : The Impact of Natural Selection on the Future of HumanityIncreasingly absorbed in recent years by advances in our understanding of the origin of life, evolutionary history, and the advent of humankind, eminent biologist Christian de Duve of late has also pondered deeply the future of life on this planet. He speaks to readers with or without a scientific background, offering new perspectives on the threat posed by humanity's immense biological success and on the resources human beings have for altering their current destructive path.Focusing on the process of natural selection, de Duve explores the inordinate and now dangerous rise of humankind.
The Art of Genes : How Organisms Make Themselves'Coen's book is spiced with historic quotations and examples of plants'and animals'intriguing behaviour contains a wealth of interesting material Coen communicates his immense learning with a hundred appealing tales'Max Perutz How is a tiny fertilised egg able to turn itself into a human being? How can an acorn transform itself into an oak tree? Over the past twenty years there has been a revolution in biology. For the first time we have begun to understand how organisms make themselves. The Art of Genes gives an account of these new and exciting findings, and of their broader significance for how we view ourselves.
The Extended Phenotype : The Long Reach of the GeneIn The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins crystallized the gene's eye view of evolution developed by W.D. Hamilton and others. The book provoked widespread and heated debate. Written in part as a response, The Extended Phenotype gave a deeper clarification of the central concept of the gene as the unit of selection; but it did much more besides. In it, Dawkins extended the gene's eye view to argue that the genes that sit within an organism have an influence that reaches out beyond the visible traits in that body - the phenotype - to the wider environment, which can include other individuals.
The Language of Genetics : An IntroductionThe Language of Genetics: An Introduction is the seventh title published in the Templeton Science and Religion Series, in which scientists from a wide range of fields distill their experience and knowledge into brief tours of their respective specialties. In this volume, Dr. Denis R. Alexander offers readers a basic toolkit of information, explanations, and ideas that can help us grasp something of the fascination and the challenge of the language of genetics. Alexander surveys the big picture, covering such topics as the birth of the field; DNA: what it is, how it works, and how it was discovered; our genetic history; the role of genes in diseases, epigenetics, and genetic engineering. The book assumes the reader has little scientific background, least of all in genetics, and approaches these issues in a very accessible way, free of specialized or overly technical jargon
Triplet Genetic Code, The: Key To Living OrganismsThe purpose of this book is to bring to interested readers (professionals and laypersons alike) an appreciation and a basic understanding of what the genetic code is and why it has come to revolutionize thinking about living systems as a whole. This book discusses concisely the genetic code — what it is and how it provides the key to molecular biology.
Microbiology (Parasitology, Virology)
Drug-resistant Tuberculosis : Causes, Diagnosis and TreatmentsTuberculosis (TB) is a major public health problem of global proportions. It is the second leading cause of death from an infectious agent, killing nearly two million people each year, mostly in developing countries. This book outlines the recent advances in the development of new multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) drugs. The emergence of resistance to antituberculosis drugs, particularly of MDR-TB and newly XDR-TB has become a major health problem. This book provides some glimpses into the current drugs including their mechanism of action, side-effects and mechanism of resistance.
Emerging Topics In Physical VirologyEmerging Topics in Physical Virology is a state-of-the-art account of recent advances in the experimental analysis and modeling of structure, function and dynamics of viruses. It is the first interdisciplinary book that integrates a review of relevant experimental techniques, such as cryo-electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and mass spectrometry with the latest results on the biophysical and mathematical modeling of viruses.
March of the MicrobesA Choice Outstanding Academic Title Renowned microbiologist John Ingraham rescues the supremely important and ubiquitous microorganisms from their unwonted obscurity by showing us how we can, in fact, see and appreciate them.
Molecular Genetics of MycobacteriaA comprehensive collection of perspectives by experts in mycobacterial molecular biology, written by leading experts in the field. This book is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the molecular genetics and molecular biology of mycobacteria.
Molecular MachinesThe goal of this volume is to provide an introduction to the world of biological molecular machines to a broad audience of students and researchers in biosciences. Each chapter is written by leading experts to cover results from cutting-edge research, while remaining broadly accessible. The volume presents the current state of knowledge for several important systems, ranging from polymerases, the ribosome, chaperonins, the chromatophore, kinases, actin and myosin, membrane transporters, and voltage-gated ion channels, thus giving students and researches in biosciences a pedagogically integrated picture of this exciting and rapidly expanding field.
Rna Viruses: Host Gene Responses To InfectionsThis is the first comprehensive book on human/animal gene responses to RNA viral infections, including prevalent, emerging and re-emerging RNA viruses such as HIV, SARS-CoV, West Nile virus, influenza virus and many others. Human gene responses are reviewed by leading virologists worldwide in the following aspects: (i) the altered gene expression profiles at the transcriptional and translational levels detected with cutting-edge technologies such as cDNA microarray and proteomics; (ii) host innate and adapted immune responses to viral replication in target organs; (iii) virus-activated signal transduction pathways in cell survival, apoptosis and autophagosomal pathways; and (iv) the small interfering RNA/microRNA-mediated gene silencing pathway, a recently characterized new host defense mechanism against viral infection.
The Polio Years in Texas : Battling a Terrifying Unknown.In The Polio Years in Texas, Heather Green Wooten draws on extensive archival research as well as interviews conducted over a five-year period with Texas polio survivors and their families. This is a detailed and intensely human account of not only the epidemics that swept Texas during the polio years, but also of the continuing aftermath of the disease for those who are still living with its effects.Public health and medical professionals, historians, and interested general readers will derive deep and lasting benefits from reading The Polio Years in Texas
Who Are We? Microbes The Puppet Masters!There is ample scientific evidence to suggest that, even today, free-living microbes are still manipulating our behaviour and our life at large. They are thriving on our wet skin, in our mouth, and in our intestinal and vaginal tracts. We are perhaps not quite what we think we are. This thought-provoking and inspiring book offers many answers, while at the same time raising many questions for future research.
Molecular Biology
Dna Doctor, The: Candid Conversations With James D WatsonThree in-depth conversations with the Nobel laureate co-discoverer of the double helix and the first director of the Human Genome Project cover a wide range of topics, including progress in science; the scientist's role in modern life; women in science; scientific ethics; terrorism; religion; multiculturalism; and how genetics may improve human lives. Reflections by further illustrious contributors to the scientific revolution and the author's commentaries provide a glimpse into the thinking of scientists who largely determine the progress of humankind in our time.
Evolution's Destiny : Co-evolving Chemistry of the Environment and LifeThis book is written as an addition to Darwin's work and that of molecular biologists on evolution so as to include views of it from the point of view of chemistry rather than just from our knowledge of the biology and genes of organisms. By concentrating on a wide range of chemical elements, not just those in traditional organic compounds, we show that there is a close relationship between the geological or environmental chemical changes from the formation of Earth and those of organisms from the time of their origin.
Inspired by Biology : From Molecules to Materials to MachinesThis book presents a discussion of principles governing biomaterial design, a description of advanced materials for selected functions such as energy and national security, an assessment of biomolecular materials research tools, and an examination of infrastructure and resources for bridging biological and materials science.
Molecular BiologyMolecular Biology: Academic Cell Update provides an introduction to the fundamental concepts of molecular biology and its applications. It deliberately covers a broad range of topics to show that molecular biology is applicable to human medicine and health, as well as veterinary medicine, evolution, agriculture, and other areas.
Molecular MachinesMolecular machines are complex biomolecules, proteins, nucleic acids, and carbohydrates that consume energy in order to perform specific functions. The concerted action of all those machines underlies all the activities of the living cell. To understand how such molecular machines are able to perform their function, it is necessary to identify the different moving parts and understand how they act together. The volume presents the current state of knowledge for several important systems, ranging from polymerases, the ribosome, chaperonins, the chromatophore, kinases, actin and myosin, membrane transporters, and voltage-gated ion channels, thus giving students and researches in biosciences a pedagogically integrated picture of this exciting and rapidly expanding field.
Understanding DNA : The Molecule and How It WorksThe functional properties of any molecule are directly related to, and affected by, its structure. This is especially true for DNA, the molecular that carries the code for all life on earth. The third edition of Understanding DNA has been entirely revised and updated, and expanded to cover new advances in our understanding. It explains, step by step, how DNA forms specific structures, the nature of these structures and how they fundamentally affect the biological processes of transcription and replication.
What Is Life? : With Mind and Matter and Autobiographical SketchesNobel laureate Erwin Schrödinger's What is Life? is one of the great science classics of the twentieth century. A distinguished physicist's exploration of the question which lies at the heart of biology, it was written for the layman, but proved one of the spurs to the birth of molecular biology and the subsequent discovery of the structure of DNA.
Neurobiology
Biology of Freedom : Neural Plasticity, Experience, and the UnconsciousThis groundbreaking book delivers a much needed bridge between the neurosciences and psychoanalysis. 'Freedom of Biology came about through a meeting: a meeting of two domains, psychoanalysis and neurosciences. And a meeting of two people as well: a neurobiologist who had a personal psychoanalysis and a psychoanalyst open to what other fields can teach psychoanalysis. And, finally, a meeting based on a mutual observation, namely, that experience leaves a trace...This book will offer hypotheses for a model of the unconscious that integrates the recent findings of neurobiology with the foundational principles of psychoanalysis.'
Brain Re-engineering : The Art of Being Mentally ToughWritten in a simple yet engaging style, the authors discuss contemporary management relating to fundamental issues of life, ethics, discipline and human growth which have been addressed empirically for the first time. The authors deal with questions such as how to live and manage a holistic life and how to manage stress.
Braintrust : What Neuroscience Tells Us About MoralityWhat is morality? Where does it come from? And why do most of us heed its call most of the time? In Braintrust, neurophilosophy pioneer Patricia Churchland argues that morality originates in the biology of the brain. She describes the'neurobiological platform of bonding'that, modified by evolutionary pressures and cultural values, has led to human styles of moral behavior. The result is a provocative genealogy of morals that asks us to reevaluate the priority given to religion, absolute rules, and pure reason in accounting for the basis of morality. Moral values, Churchland argues, are rooted in a behavior common to all mammals--the caring for offspring.
Discovering the BrainThe brain... There is no other part of the human anatomy that is so intriguing. How does it develop and function and why does it sometimes, tragically, degenerate? The answers are complex. In Discovering the Brain, science writer Sandra Ackerman cuts through the complexity to bring this vital topic to the public. The 1990s were declared the'Decade of the Brain'by former President Bush, and the neuroscience community responded with a host of new investigations and conferences. Discovering the Brain is based on the Institute of Medicine conference, Decade of the Brain: Frontiers in Neuroscience and Brain Research. Discovering the Brain is a 'field guide 'to the brain--an easy-to-read discussion of the brain's physical structure and where functions such as language and music appreciation lie.
Neurobiology of Learning and MemoryThe first edition of Neurobiology of Learning and Memory was published in 1998 to rave reviews. As before, this second edition will discuss anatomy, development, systems, and models though the organization and content is substantially changed reflecting advances in the field. Including information from both animal and human studies, this book represents an up-to-date review of the most important concepts associated with the basic mechanism that support learning and memory, theoretical developments, use of computational models, and application to real world problems.
The Playful Brain : Venturing to the Limits of NeurosciencePellis address these questions synthesizing three decades of empirical research to create a truly seminal study into the whys and wherefores of play. With implications for so many disciplines, the Pellis'original research and novel findings will not only expand our current knowledge of play behaviour, but will inspire change and progress from the laboratory to the playground.
The Soul in the Brain : The Cerebral Basis of Language, Art, and BeliefIn this provocative study, Michael R. Trimble, M.D., tackles the interrelationship between brain function, language, art—especially music and poetry—and religion. By examining the breakdown of language in several neuropsychiatric disorders, he identifies brain circuits that are involved with metaphor, poetry, music, and religious experiences. Drawing on this body of evidence, Trimble argues that religious experiences and beliefs are explicable biologically and relate to brain function, especially of the nondominant hemisphere.Inspired by the writings and reflections of his patients—many of whom have epilepsy, psychosis, or affective disorders—Trimble asks how the human species, so enamored of its own logic and critical facilities, has held from the dawn of civilization strong religious beliefs and a reverence for the arts
Bringing Fossils to Life : An Introduction to PaleobiologyThe leading textbook in its field, this work applies paleobiological principles to the fossil record while detailing the evolutionary history of major plant and animal phyla. It incorporates current research from biology, ecology, and population genetics. Written for biology and geology undergrads, the text bridges the gap between purely theoretical paleobiology and solely descriptive invertebrate paleobiology books, emphasizing the cataloguing of live organisms over dead objects. This third edition revises art and research throughout, expands the coverage of invertebrates, includes a discussion of new methodologies, and adds a chapter on the origin and early evolution of life.
How Vertebrates Left the WaterMore than three hundred million years ago—a relatively recent date in the two billion years since life first appeared—vertebrate animals first ventured onto land. This usefully illustrated book describes how some finned vertebrates acquired limbs, giving rise to more than 25,000 extant tetrapod species. Michel Laurin uses paleontological, geological, physiological, and comparative anatomical data to describe this monumental event. He summarizes key concepts of modern paleontological research, including biological nomenclature, paleontological and molecular dating, and the methods used to infer phylogeny and character evolution. Along with a discussion of the evolutionary pressures that may have led vertebrates onto dry land, the book also shows how extant vertebrates yield clues about the conquest of land and how scientists uncover evolutionary history.
In Pursuit of Early MammalsIn Pursuit of Early Mammals presents the history of the mammals that lived during the Mesozoic era, the time when dinosaurs ruled the Earth, and describes their origins, anatomy, systematics, paleobiology, and distribution. It also tells the story of the author, a world-renowned specialist on these animals, and the other prominent paleontologists who have studied them. Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska was the first woman to lead large-scale paleontological expeditions, including eight to the Gobi Desert in Mongolia, which brought back important collections of dinosaur, early mammal, and other fossils. She shares the difficulties and pleasures encountered in finding rare fossils and describes the changing views on early mammals made possible by these discoveries.
Paleontology : A Brief History of LifePaleontology: A Brief History of Life is the fifth title published in the Templeton Science and Religion Series, in which scientists from a wide range of fields distill their experience and knowledge into brief tours of their respective specialties. In this volume, Ian Tattersall, a highly esteemed figure in the fields of anthropology, archaeology, and paleontology, leads a fascinating tour of the history of life and the evolution of human beings.
Physiology
See Anatomy in this Subject Guide
Sociobiology
From Groups to Individuals : Evolution and Emerging IndividualityWhen living beings work together -- as in ant colonies, beehives, and bacteria-metazoan symbiosis -- new collective individuals can emerge. In this book, leading scholars consider the biological and philosophical implications of the emergence of these new collective individuals from associations of living beings. The topics they consider range from metaphysical issues to biological research on natural selection, sociobiology, and symbiosis. The contributors investigate individuality and its relationship to evolution and the specific concept of organism; the tension between group evolution and individual adaptation; and the structure of collective individuals and the extent to which they can be defined by the same concept of individuality. These new perspectives on evolved individuality should trigger important revisions to both philosophical and biological conceptions of the individual.
Looking for a Few Good Males : Female Choice in Evolutionary BiologyWhy do female animals select certain mates, and how do scientists determine the answer? In considering these questions, Erika Lorraine Milam explores the fascinating patterns of experiment and interpretation that emerged as twentieth-century researchers studied sexual selection and female choice. Approaching the topic from both biological and animal-studies perspectives, Milam not only presents a broad history of sexual selection—from Darwin to sociobiology—but also analyzes the animal-human continuum from the perspectives of sex, evolution, and behavior. She asks how social and cultural assumptions influence human-animal research and wonders about the implications of gender on scientific outcomes.
The Company of Strangers : A Natural History of Economic LifeThe Company of Strangers shows us the remarkable strangeness, and fragility, of our everyday lives. This completely revised and updated edition includes a new chapter analyzing how the rise and fall of social trust explain the unsustainable boom in the global economy over the past decade and the financial crisis that succeeded it. Drawing on insights from biology, anthropology, history, psychology, and literature, Paul Seabright explores how our evolved ability of abstract reasoning has allowed institutions like money, markets, cities, and the banking system to provide the foundations of social trust that we need in our everyday lives.
Biology After the Sociobiology Debate : What Introductory Textbooks Say About the Nature of Science and OrganismsThis book analyzes the sociobiology debate and details a number of contested issues that have emerged. These issues focus on the interpretations and emphases that both sides have placed on the role of adaptation in evolution; the importance of evolution at the level of the gene versus at the level of organisms and populations; reductionism as a research method; simple Mendelianism versus more complex understandings of the relationship between genotype and phenotype; and ultimately, the nature of science itself.
Zoology
Among African Apes : Stories and Photos From the FieldThese compelling stories and photographs take us to places like Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda, Ivindo National Park in Gabon, and the Taï National Park in Côte d'Ivoire for an intimate and revealing look at the lives of African wild apes—and at the lives of the humans who study them. In tales of adventure, research, and conservation, veteran field researchers and conservationists describe exciting discoveries made over the past few decades about chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas.
Apes and Human EvolutionIn this masterwork, Russell H. Tuttle synthesizes a vast research literature in primate evolution and behavior to explain how apes and humans evolved in relation to one another, and why humans became a bipedal, tool-making, culture-inventing species distinct from other hominoids. Along the way, he refutes the theory that men are essentially killer apes--sophisticated but instinctively aggressive, destructive beings. Situating humans in a broad context, Tuttle musters evidence from morphology and recent fossil discoveries to reveal what early primates ate, where they slept, how they learned to walk upright, how brain and hand anatomy evolved simultaneously, and what else happened evolutionarily to cause humans to diverge from their closest relatives.
Engineering AnimalsFrom an engineer's perspective, how do specialized adaptations among living things really work? Writing with wit and a richly informed sense of wonder, Denny and Alan offer an expert look at animals—including humans—as works of evolutionary engineering, each exquisitely adapted to a specific manner of survival.
Humans, Animals, and Society : An Introduction to Human-animal StudiesConsidering topics ranging from the human–animal bond, meat eating, and animals in entertainment, this book presents key concepts in simple and easy-to-understand ways as it covers the breadth of empirical work currently being done in the field. Through an examination of ideas such as anthropocentrism and the social construction of animals, it looks at how animals are symbolically transformed, presented, and re-presented as part of human culture. Ultimately, the book argues that there is nothing 'natural' about our social relations with animals, but that animals are made use of and understood through a human lens. Humans,
In Pursuit of Early MammalsIn Pursuit of Early Mammals presents the history of the mammals that lived during the Mesozoic era, the time when dinosaurs ruled the Earth, and describes their origins, anatomy, systematics, paleobiology, and distribution. It also tells the story of the author, a world-renowned specialist on these animals, and the other prominent paleontologists who have studied them. Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska was the first woman to lead large-scale paleontological expeditions, including eight to the Gobi Desert in Mongolia, which brought back important collections of dinosaur, early mammal, and other fossils. She shares the difficulties and pleasures encountered in finding rare fossils and describes the changing views on early mammals made possible by these discoveries.
Nature's Compass: The Mystery of Animal Navigation : The Mystery of Animal NavigationWe know that animals cross miles of water, land, and sky with pinpoint precision on a daily basis. But it is only in recent years that scientists have learned how these astounding feats of navigation are actually accomplished. With colorful and thorough detail, Nature's Compass explores the remarkable methods by which animals find their way both near home and around the globe. Noted biologist James Gould and popular science writer Carol Gould delve into the elegant strategies and fail-safe backup systems, the invisible sensitivities and mysterious forces, and incredible mental abilities used by familiar and rare species, as they investigate a multitude of navigation strategies, from the simple to the astonishing.
The Spirit of the HiveHow can 40,000 bees working in the dark, by instinct alone, construct a honey comb? Synthesizing decades of experiments, The Spirit of the Hive presents the genetic and physiological mechanisms underlying the division of labor in honey bee colonies and explains how it is an inevitable product of group living, evolving over millions of years.
Related Subjects
See also Animal Science and Chemistry in this Subject Guide.