This book is about how cells differentiate; it describes the way in which cells in animal and plant bodies take on their specialised fates.

References ...42 Subject Index ...48 Author Index...50 ...6 Introduction Chondrification of the somitic mesoderm producing the primordia of the vertebrae has been a favourite topic of investigation by those interested in understanding the me- chanisms underlying development and differentiation. Study of this tissue involves the investigation of cell proliferation, migration and cytodifferentiation, synthesis of extra cellular matricial products, inductive tissue interactions, and tissue morphogenesi- some of the major unsolved problems of modern developmental biology. The topic is a large one...