The organizer area plays a central role in the formation of the embryonic axis and the central nervous system of all vertebrates including the human fetus. In The Vertebrate Organizer, outstanding molecular development biologists and embryologists report their latest approaches in this fascinating research area using different vertebrate model organisms. The presented data is of central importance for the understanding of early human embryogenesis.

'Patterning in Vertebrate Development' is a new volume in the 'Frontiers in Molecular Biology' series which provides a range of comprehensive, and authoritative reviews of current research into patterning, a fundamental process in developmental biology.

The first homeobox gene was molecular cloned nearly two decades ago, and since that time tremendous progress has been made in our understanding of the distribution of homeobox genes in the genomes of many animal species and the common functional role the encoded homeodomains play in cell-type specification, morphogenesis and development.The amino acid sequence of the homeodomain, as well as the presence of other conserved protein domains, has allowed the classification of homeodomain-containing proteins (homeoproteins) into over thirty separate families (e.g. Hox, Dlx, Msx, Otx, Hmx, Cdx etc.). In many cases a single gene has been shown to fully direct the morphogenesis and development of a complex tissue, organ or even an entire body segment. Yet how this "master" regulatory ability of homeoproteins functions at the molecular level to a large degree still remains a mystery, in part owing to our limited understanding of the nature of both homeoprotein transcriptional cofactors and even more elusively, the downstream targets of homeoprotein function. In the reviews presented here it is limited primarily to what has been learned in vertebrate systems, principally focusing on the mouse, owing to the strengths of the technical approaches currently existing in murine developmental genetics that are not yet available to the same degree in other vertebrate species. Despite this mammalian predilection, a common thread to each of these reviews is the underlying importance of what has been learned about homeoprotein function in other animal species, particularly arthropods like Drosophila.

Gastrulation: From Embryonic Pattern to Form Volume 136 in the Current Topics in Developmental Biology series highlights new advances in the field, with this new volume presenting interesting chapters on D. melanogaster, Zebrafish, Chick, Mouse and Human, C. elegans, D. melanogaster Internalization, Sea urchin, Ascidians, Xenopus Internalization, Xenopus Convergent Extension, Zebrafish Epiboly, Zebrafish Internalization, Zebrafish Convergence and Extension, Chick Primitive streak formation and mesendoderm internalization, Octavian Voiculescu, Mouse Primitive streak formation and internalization, Mouse Definitive endoderm morphogenesis, Conservation of movements, and more. - Provides the authority and expertise of leading contributors from an international board of authors - Presents the latest release in the Current Topics in Developmental Biology series - Includes the latest information on gastrulation from embryonic pattern to form

Essentials of Domestic Animal Embryology is a comprehensive, modern treatment of the subject dealing with all organ systems and including important molecular aspects of animal development. Written with the student in mind, the text covers embryology of the domestic species, both general (development from formation of the gametes, through fertilization and initial embryogenesis, up to organ formation) and special (development of the organ systems). It also includes sections on teratology, assisted reproduction technologies, societal relevance, and the implications for current veterinary practice of a long-established science. Students of veterinary medicine, animal science, biomedical sciences and biotechnology, at both undergraduate and graduate stages of their careers, will find this volume essential for their needs. The international experience of the authors has been applied to produce a textbook of international relevance, likely to remain an important resource for many years to come. - Succinct and accessible - 300 high-quality colour illustrations - Written for undergraduates and invaluable for graduates wishing to brush up

The Atlas of Chick Development, Third Edition, a classic work covering all major event of chick development, is extensively updated with new and more detailed photographs, enlargements showing regions of special-interest and complexity, and new illustrations. The revised text and expanded illustrative material describe the intricate changes that take place during development, together with accounts of recent experimental and molecular research that has transformed our understanding of morphogenesis. These wide-ranging updates make this book an essential resource for developmental biologists, geneticists, molecular biologists, poultry scientists, biochemists, immunologists, and other life scientists who use the chick embryo as their research model. Individuals joining this burgeoning area, ignited by the increased insight into events surrounding organ and tissue differentiation, will find this a valuable tool to help grow a basic knowledge of morphogenesis. - Remains the established standard—the only book providing a comprehensive description of chick development from fertilization to hatching - Contains more than 750 photographs and illustrations, including 410 labelled histological sections and 85 new high-quality plates, showing the major anatomical events from the earliest stages to 13 days of incubation - Includes more than 200 labelled and detailed scanning electron micrographs, showing various tissues in great detail - Leads the reader to important reviews on aspects of this rapidly moving field, along with extensive and updated references

Principles of Development reveals the universal principles that govern the process of development, illustrating how a highly-complex living organism forms from just a single fertilized egg.

In 1993, Rolf Bodmer described a gene he named tinman that was required for the formation of the dorsal aorta of the fly. Flies without a functional tinman gene had no heart. Quickly, mammalian counterparts of the tinman gene were identified and found to be expressed by early cardiomyogenic precursors and by cardiomyocytes throughout heart development. Since then, significant progress has been made in the understanding of molecular and genetic determinants of heart formation. An ever growing number of genes have been identified that are required for cardiogenesis, as evidenced by severe abnormalities in cardiac development produced by inactivation in the mouse or inhibition of gene function in other model organisms. Cardiovascular Development covers some of the latest research in the study of heart formation. Volume Editor Rolf Bodmer has assembled a world-class list of contributors whose research uses a variety of animal models and whose findings are certain to enhance our understanding of this exciting field.* Ties together the development of heart morphology and conduction system * The latest developments in vertebrate and invertebrate genetic model systems* Technological advancements in cardiovascular science

Mathematical and computational biology is playing an increasingly important role in the biological sciences. This science brings forward unique challenges, many of which are, at the moment, beyond the theoretical techniques available. Developmental biology, due to its complexity, has lagged somewhat behind its sister disciplines (such as molecular biology and population biology) in making use of quantitative modeling to further biological understanding. This volume comprises work that is among the best developmental modeling available and we feel it will do much to remedy this situation.This book is aimed at all those with an interest in the interdisciplinary field of computer and mathematical modeling of multi-cellular and developmental systems. It is also a goal of the Editors to attract more developmental biologists to consider integrating modeling components into their research. Most importantly, this book is intended to serve as a portal into this research area for younger scientists – especially graduate students and post-docs, from both biological and quantitative backgrounds.* Articles written by leading exponents in the field* Provides techniques to address multiscale modeling* Coverage includes a wide spectrum of modeling approaches* Includes descriptions of the most recent advances in the field