The Cellular and Molecular Biology of Pattern Formation

The mechanisms that control region-specific and axial patterning of cell differentiation during embryogenesis have fascinated experimental biologists for over 100 years. This book describes recent advances in our knowledge of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of pattern formation. The contributors, all active experimentalists, describe research within the two main conceptual frameworks currently employed for analyzing patterning: positional information and induction. The developmental time frame covered extends from the oocyte to developing organ systems, and a wide range of research organisms, from hydrozoans to birds is represented.