This book considers in detail the mechanisms of a major human problem. Chromosome imbalance affects all stages of life in ways ranging from spontaneous abortion and retardation to behavioural problems and malignancy. Charles J. Epstein concerns himself with how and why a particular chromosome imbalance produces a specific phenotype. His fundamental goal is to connect chromosome aberrations with functional abnormalities in terms of gene expression, developmental and cell biology, and metabolism. Through his examination of this relationship, we learn more about normal development and function....

This is the first comprehensive review and discussion of meiosis, the antithesis of fertilization. Meiosis is a special form of nuclear division "invented" by sexually reproducing eukaryotes to ensure that a correct chromosome complement is maintained over successive generations. In this masterly treatment, the author describes the scheduling, mechanisms, biochemistry and the genetic control of the events of meiosis in sexual systems as well as the variants adopted by subsexual forms. This will be an essential text for upper division students and research workers in genetics, cytology and...

Fungal Morphogenesis brings together in one book, for the first time, the full scope of fungal developmental biology. The book provides a coherent account of the subject and puts forward ideas that can provide a basis for future research. Throughout, the author blends together physiological, biochemical, structural and molecular descriptions within an evolutionary framework. Sufficient information is provided about fungal biology to give the reader a rounded view of the mycological context within which fungal morphogenesis is played out, without obscuring the broader biological significance....

This fully revised edition of The Neural Crest contains the most current information about this unique structure that has a transient existence in early embryonic life. The ontogeny of the neural crest embodies the most important issues in developmental biology, as the neural crest is considered to have played a crucial role in evolution of the vertebrate phylum. This revised edition includes new data that analyze neural crest ontogeny in murine and zebrafish embryos. Additional features include coverage of advances in our understanding of neural crest cell subpopulation markers, cell lineage...