Molecular Embryology of Flowering Plants

This book presents a general picture of our current understanding of plant embryology from the formation of floral organs concerned with embryological processes to the genetic manipulation of embryos. Against the background of classical embryological studies, chapters in this book highlight, from a molecular-genetic perspective, investigations on the development of the male and female reproductive units, male sterility, incompatibility, fertilization, embryo and endosperm development, storage protein synthesis and adventive embryogenesis in flowering plants. Dramatic new developments in molecular biology and genetic engineering techniques have opened up new frontiers in our commercial exploitation of flowering plants. Manipulation of embryological processes to improve the quantity and quality of plant food products is one of the cherished goals of plant biologists and the work described in this book provides the up-to-date fundamental information necessary to achieve this goal.