One aim of developmental biology is to learn how a healthy body arises from the genetic material of an organism, also known as a genome. Another goal is to understand why development sometimes goes wrong. Mutations may produce organisms with harmless--or potentially beneficial--characteristics such as extra fingers. Other times they can lead to fatal developmental defects, or problems that make it impossible for someone to lead a healthy life. They are also the reason that new species can arise. Over the past few years, research has drawn together development, medicine, and several other...

What does it mean to be human? Human Genetics explores this compelling topic through a variety of perspectives. First, this new book looks at human beings as individuals that arise through an interplay of genes and the environment, and then at the entire species as a product of the changes that have occurred in the genome. Coverage also includes studies of human molecules that have been applied in some fascinating ways, for example to solve historical mysteries, and how modern doctors try to identify the factors that make the body healthy or sick. Finally, this enlightening resource...