Invertebrate Embryology and Reproduction deals with the practical and theoretical objectives of the descriptive embryology of invertebrates, along with discussions on reproduction in these groups of animals. It explains several morphological and anatomical expressions in the field and covers the embryology of invertebrate animals, starting from the Protozoa, to the Echinodermata, the Protochordate and Tunicates. These groups include economically important aquatic invertebrates, such as crustaceans, as well as medically important invertebrates and economic arthropods. Each chapter is preceded by the taxonomy of the discussed phylum and/or the species to enable the reader to locate the systematic position. - Covers phylum definition, general characteristics, classification, reproduction, agametic reproduction, gametic reproduction, spawning, fertilization, development and embryogenesis - Includes recent findings in the area, along with detailed figures and photos that illustrate important concepts - Brings together difficult-to-obtain research data from the field, not only in Egyptian libraries, but globally, and previously only found through specialized references not widely available - Clarifies descriptions with striking photos and electron microscopical studies of different species

This book describes human development including sexual reproduction and stem cell research with the development of model organisms that are accessible to genetic and experimental analysis in readily understandable texts and 315 multi-colored graphics. The introductory account of model organisms selected from the entire animal kingdom presents general principles, which are then outlined in subsequent chapters devoted to, for example, sexual development; genes controlling development and their contemporary molecular-analysis methods; production of clones and transgenic animals; development of the nervous and circulatory systems; regenerative medicine and ageing. Finally the evolution of developmental toolkits and novelties is discussed including the genetic basis of the enlargement of the human forebrain. Separate boxes are devoted to controversial questions such as the benefits and problems of prenatal diagnostics or the construction of ancient body plans.

This is the first book to provide a detailed treatment of the field of larval ecology. The 13 chapters use state-of-the-art reviews and critiques of nearly all of the major topics in this diverse and rapidly growing field. Topics include: patterns of larval diversity, reproductive energetics, spawning ecology, life history theory, larval feeding and nutrition, larval mortality, behavior and locomotion, larval transport, dispersal, population genetics, recruitment dynamics and larval evolution. Written by the leading new scientists in the field, chapters define the current state of larval ecology and outline the important questions for future research.

This reference work is designed to provide background information on an array of northeastern Pacific marine invertebrate species so that they can be more easily included in comparative studies of morphology, cell biology, reproduction, embryology, larval biology, and ecology. It is meant to serve biologists who are new to the field as well as experienced investigators who may not be familiar with the invertebrate fauna of the northern Pacific Coast. The species discussed in this volume are mostly from the cold temperate waters of the San Juan Archipelago, near Puget SOund and the Strait of Georgia, but the information and methods given will be useful in laboratories from Alaska to central California and applicable to some extend in other coastal or inland facilities. An introductory chapter discusses basic prodcedures for collecting and maintaining mature specimens, for initiating spawning, and for culturing embryos and larvae in the laboratory. Subsequent chapters summarize reproduction and development in thirty different invertebrate groups and provided ercent references through which additional information can be traced, cite monographs or keys needed to identify species, and give methods useful for studying an array of selected species. Available information on habitat, diet, reproductive mode, egg size, developmental pattern, developmental times, larval type, and conditions for settlement and metamorphosis is reported for over 450 species.

Atlas of Marine Invertebrate Larvae, Second Edition covers the origins and history of marine larval science, contemporary state-of-the-art approaches to larval development and biology, and the highest-quality images and schematics showing the broadest diversity of marine larvae in the animal tree of life. This book illustrates larval body plans, the anatomy of their organ systems (muscular, sensory, digestive), including distinct ciliation patterns that facilitate swimming, and the complex metamorphic changes they undergo between different larval and growth stages. Each chapter contains in-text references that direct readers to both historical and contemporary research on the forms, functions, behaviors and biogeographical distributions of marine larvae.This book is a valuable and foundational resource for biologists across various disciplines, including biodiversity, biogeography, and developmental biology. Ecologists, taxonomists, oceanographers, and environmental scientists also benefit from the complete coverage of marine larval forms offered by this book. Additionally, the broad scope and phyletic coverage of marine biodiversity presented in this atlas is ideal for students in oceanography and marine biology, animal development, biological oceanography and invertebrate zoology. - Covers every major marine invertebrate clade within the Metazoa - Includes an expanded introductory chapter on the biology, ecology and roles of larvae in marine food webs and the movements of marine invertebrate species within the world's oceans - Provides complete updates to each chapter, including condensed, comparative background information on taxon-specific development and life-history patterns - Features detailed anatomical schematics and drawings, accompanied by compound, confocal and scanning electron micrographs for multiple recognized clades within each phylum

In Reproduction and Development of Marine Invertebrates a group of internationally recognized researchers assesses the state of current knowledge in the field and identifies future avenues of research. Comprehensive in scope, the book treats all levels of biological organization, from the molecular level to communities of organisms. After a brief historical overview that identifies the conceptual underpinnings of twentieth-century invertebrate zoology and embryology, the book is organized by developmental stages. The authors first present chapters on oogenesis, spermatogenesis, fertilization, and embryonic development. A subsequent section--arranged phylogenetically to encompass annelids, priapulans, molluscs, bryozoans, and echinoderms--covers larval morphology and evolution. The final section treats larval or adult populations and includes new information on the role of hydrodynamics to aid in the understanding of larval dispersal and settlement. Reproduction and Development of Marine Invertebrates is the first book of its kind to be published since 1978. Extensivelyillustrated with more than a hundred line drawings and photos--including sixty high-resolution electron micrographs--it will be of interest to professionals and students in evolutionary biology, invertebrate zoology, developmental biology, and functional morphology.

It is said that "necessity is the mother of invention". To be sure, wheels and pulleys were invented out of necessity by the tenacious minds of upright citi zens. Looking at the history of mankind, however, one has to add that "Ieisure is the mother of cultural improvement". Man's creative genius flourished only when his mind, freed from the worry of daily toils, was permitted to entertain apparently useless thoughts. In the same manner, one might say with regard to evolution that "natural selection mere(y tnodifted, while redundanry created". Natural selection has been extremely effective in policing alleHe mutations which arise in already existing gene loci. Because of natural selection, organisms have been able to adapt to changing environments, and by adaptive radiation many new species were created from a common ancestral form. Y et, being an effective policeman, natural selection is extremely conservative by nature. Had evolution been entirely dependent upon natural selection, from a bacterium only numerous forms of bacteria would have emerged. The creation of metazoans, vertebrates and finally mammals from unicellular organisms would have been quite impos sible, for such big leaps in evolution required the creation of new gene loci with previously nonexistent functions. Only the cistron which became redun dant was able to escape from the relentless pressure of natural selection, and by escaping, it accumulated formerly forbidden mutations to emerge as a new gene locus.

This reference work is designed to provide background information on an array of northeastern Pacific marine invertebrate species so that they can be more easily included in comparative studies of morphology, cell biology, reproduction, embryology, larval biology, and ecology. It is meant to serve biologists who are new to the field as well as experienced investigators who may not be familiar with the invertebrate fauna of the northern Pacific Coast. The species discussed in this volume are mostly from the cold temperate waters of the San Juan Archipelago, near Puget SOund and the Strait of Georgia, but the information and methods given will be useful in laboratories from Alaska to central California and applicable to some extend in other coastal or inland facilities. An introductory chapter discusses basic prodcedures for collecting and maintaining mature specimens, for initiating spawning, and for culturing embryos and larvae in the laboratory. Subsequent chapters summarize reproduction and development in thirty different invertebrate groups and provided ercent references through which additional information can be traced, cite monographs or keys needed to identify species, and give methods useful for studying an array of selected species. Available information on habitat, diet, reproductive mode, egg size, developmental pattern, developmental times, larval type, and conditions for settlement and metamorphosis is reported for over 450 species.

Invertebrates have proven to be extremely useful model systems for gaining insights into the neural and molecular mechanisms of sensory processing, motor control and higher functions such as feeding behavior, learning and memory, navigation, and social behavior. A major factor in their enormous contributions to neuroscience is the relative simplicity of invertebrate nervous systems. In addition, some invertebrates, primarily the molluscs, have large cells, which allow analyses to take place at the level of individually identified neurons. Individual neurons can be surgically removed and assayed for expression of membrane channels, levels of second messengers, protein phosphorylation, and RNA and protein synthesis. Moreover, peptides and nucleotides can be injected into individual neurons. Other invertebrate model systems such as Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans offer tremendous advantages for obtaining insights into the neuronal bases of behavior through the application of genetic approaches. The Oxford Handbook of Invertebrate Neurobiology reviews the many neurobiological principles that have emerged from invertebrate analyses, such as motor pattern generation, mechanisms of synaptic transmission, and learning and memory. It also covers general features of the neurobiology of invertebrate circadian rhythms, development, and regeneration and reproduction. Some neurobiological phenomena are species-specific and diverse, especially in the domain of the neuronal control of locomotion and camouflage. Thus, separate chapters are provided on the control of swimming in annelids, crustaea and molluscs, locomotion in hexapods, and camouflage in cephalopods. Unique features of the handbook include chapters that review social behavior and intentionality in invertebrates. A chapter is devoted to summarizing past contributions of invertebrates to the understanding of nervous systems and identifying areas for future studies that will continue to advance that understanding.

The study of coelenterates is now one of the most active fields of invertebrate zoology. There are many reasons for this, and not everyone would agree on them, but certain facts stand out fairly clearly. One of them is that many of the people who study coelenterates do so simply because they are interested in the animals for their own sake. This, however, would be true for other invertebrate groups and cannot by itself explain the current boom in coelenterate work. The main reasons for all this activity seem to lie in the considerable concentration of research effort and funding into three broad, general areas of biology: marine ecology, cellular-developmental biology and neurobiology, in all of which coelenterates have a key role to play. They are the dominant organisms, or are involved in an important way, in a variety of marine habitats, of which coral reefs are only one, and this automatically ensures their claims on the attention of ecologists and marine scientists. Secondly, the convenience of hydra and some other hydroids as experimental animals has long made them a natural choice for a variety of studies on growth, nutrition, symbiosis, morphogenesis and sundry aspects of cell biology. Finally, the phylogenetic position of the coelenterates as the lowest metazoans having a nervous system makes them uniquely interesting to those neurobiologists and behaviorists who hope to gain insights into the functioning of higher nervous systems by working up from the lowest level.