Abstract

Development of the Nervous System presents a broad outline of neural development principles as exemplified by key experiments and observations from past and recent times. The text is organized along a development pathway from the induction of the neural primordium to the emergence of behavior. It covers all the major topics including the patterning and growth of the nervous system, neuronal determination, axonal navigation and targeting, synapse formation and plasticity, and neuronal survival and death. This new text reflects the complete modernization of the field achieved through the use of model organisms and the intensive application of molecular and genetic approaches. Original, artist-rendered drawings combined with clear, concise writing make Development of the Nervous System well suited to anyone approaching this complex field for the first time.
Key Features
* Provides a synopsis of concepts and experimental strategies
* Includes designs of critical experiments that are easy to understand
* Outlines the molecular and genetic bases for many developmental events
* Presents new information on the function of the developing central nervous system
* Richly illustrated with original drawings
* Treats the field as an experimental rather than a descriptive science
* Written at a level that is appropriate for undergraduates and beyond
"...a truly excellent text that will serve to excite new students in neuroscience and development for years to come...[The authors] imbue their text with enthusiasm, which combined with a scholarly and methodical review of the history of developmental neurology generates a shockingly easy to read and interesting text."
--Douglas Kerr, Johns Hopkins Hospital in TRENDS IN NEUROSCIENCES (May 2001)
"Clearly and accurately written, beautifully illustrated and thoughtfully organized, this book covers everything from neural induction to the ontogeny of behavior in a style that is easily accessible to students."
--RONALD W. OPPENHEIM, Ph.D.
Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy, Wake Forest University, Bowman Gray Medical School
"The book provides a scholarly review of the past and a carefully pruned view of the present. With relief, I can add that it is written in a clear, accessible style that students will appreciate."
--Sally Temple, NATURE NEUROSCIENCE
"I certainly intend to make this book required reading for our own graduate course in Developmental Neuroscience."
--JOHN L. BIXBY, Neuroscience Program, University of Miami, School of Medicine