Essential Developmental Biology

Developmental biology is at the core of biological science, integrating molecular biology, genetics and anatomy. The past 15 years has seen revolutionary advances not only in our understanding of the processes by which an egg develops into an adult, but also in the application of this knowledge to the areas of reproductive technology, drug development and organ replacement. Essential Developmental Biology is a concise and well-illustrated treatment of this subject for undergraduates. Assuming no prior knowledge of anatomy and only the basics of cell biology and genetics, the book starts off by introducing the principles and approaches of developmental biology. The second section covers the characteristic development of each of the principal model species used for research and final chapters are devoted to organ development, predominantly in vertebrates. With an emphasis throughout on the evidence underpinning the main conclusions, this book is suitable as the key text for both introductory and more advanced courses in developmental biology.