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Product Description
Review
'Gilbert is an excellent storyteller. He presents the gesalt of developmental biology as a whole, with its questions, history and future perspectives all beautifully interwoven with other scientific disciplines. In an elegant flowing, lucid, but never too casual style, he speaks directly to his reader, challenges him by asking questions, and invites him to become a fellow developmental biologist. This work is perfect for someone who is interested in developmental biology and wants to dig deep.' Lab Times
Product Description
During the past four years, the field of developmental biology has begun a new metamorphosis. The Ninth Edition of Developmental Biology mirrors this shift with a wholly revised text, over 600 new literature citations, and substantial reorganization of content.
The introductory section has been streamlined from six chapters to three—one each on developmental anatomy, the mechanisms of gene regulation during differentiation, and cell–cell communication during morphogenesis. Another new feature is the addition of short part openers that address key concerns in developmental biology. These provide an introduction to the subsequent chapters, telling the reader what to expect and placing that information into a specific context. Each chapter ends with a guide to Web-based resources relevant to that chapter's content, and the Ninth Edition is the first to include a glossary of key terms.
Some of the new material in this edition includes: mesenchymal and induced pluripotent stem cells; the transdifferentiation of pancreatic cells; new data on sea urchin micromere specification; the mechanisms whereby Sry and Wnt signaling determine mammalian sex; the memory of cell fate during amphibian limb regeneration; how bats got their wings and how dachshunds got their short legs.
This completely updated text includes fundamental new material that alters what we teach in developmental biology courses.
Included inside every new copy of the book is an online access code for Mary Tyler and Ron Kozlowski's remarkable resource, DevBio Laboratory: Vade Mecum3. (Online access may also be purchased separately.)
The book also offers a Companion Website (www.devbio.com). Cross-referenced throughout the textbook, this resource provides more information for advanced students, historical, philosophical, and ethical perspectives on issues in developmental biology, videos, interviews, Web links, and updates. The website includes the full bibliography of literature cited in the book, most of which are linked to their PubMed citations. Also, for the Ninth Edition, Susan Singer's chapter on plant developmental biology has been moved to this location.
The introductory section has been streamlined from six chapters to three—one each on developmental anatomy, the mechanisms of gene regulation during differentiation, and cell–cell communication during morphogenesis. Another new feature is the addition of short part openers that address key concerns in developmental biology. These provide an introduction to the subsequent chapters, telling the reader what to expect and placing that information into a specific context. Each chapter ends with a guide to Web-based resources relevant to that chapter's content, and the Ninth Edition is the first to include a glossary of key terms.
Some of the new material in this edition includes: mesenchymal and induced pluripotent stem cells; the transdifferentiation of pancreatic cells; new data on sea urchin micromere specification; the mechanisms whereby Sry and Wnt signaling determine mammalian sex; the memory of cell fate during amphibian limb regeneration; how bats got their wings and how dachshunds got their short legs.
This completely updated text includes fundamental new material that alters what we teach in developmental biology courses.
Included inside every new copy of the book is an online access code for Mary Tyler and Ron Kozlowski's remarkable resource, DevBio Laboratory: Vade Mecum3. (Online access may also be purchased separately.)
The book also offers a Companion Website (www.devbio.com). Cross-referenced throughout the textbook, this resource provides more information for advanced students, historical, philosophical, and ethical perspectives on issues in developmental biology, videos, interviews, Web links, and updates. The website includes the full bibliography of literature cited in the book, most of which are linked to their PubMed citations. Also, for the Ninth Edition, Susan Singer's chapter on plant developmental biology has been moved to this location.
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First Sentence
BETWEEN FERTILIZATION AND BIRTH, the developing organism is known as an embryo. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
BETWEEN FERTILIZATION AND BIRTH, the developing organism is known as an embryo. Read the first page
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Concordance
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
An integral part of studying developmental biology, is the analysis of its methods. This book is useful as an overview of the processes involved in the development of diverse organisms, but not of developmental biology methodology.
1 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The book arrived very quickly and is perfect for my degree. It's in very good condition and was totaly worth ][
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
19 reviews
48 of 50 people found the following review helpful
Too much focus on details, not enough on concepts
25 April 2008
Format:Hardcover
I used this book as a textbook for a senior-level class in Developmental Biology. Gilbert is the standard reference, and I had used his 2nd edition book years ago when I had Embryology myself. Someone else ordered the book (before I was hired) but I was relieved when I found out that it was Gilbert's text.
However, much has changed since the second edition. One bewildering aspect is that, although development arguably begins at the point of gamete fusion (fertilization), this is not covered until Chapter 7... there is half a semester's worth of material before one even gets to fertilization. This strikes me as too long; many of the concepts that precede it are really best handled afterwards (such as cell-cell signaling). I note that fertilization made its appearance in Chapter 2 of the 2nd edition, so it is not just my personal view that this is the right place to begin -- it used to be Gilbert's!
Beyond the strange choice of sequence, I found that this book focuses too much on idiosyncratic details and not enough on over-arching concepts. For instance, Gilbert spends pages upon pages describing in detail one specific cascade reaction after another, without ever really "zooming out" to generally address the importance of cascade reactions overall. In other words, he spends so much time focusing on the detailed nuances of the leaves on every tree, that he misses the forest.
My students universally despised this book, and complained that it was near impossible to follow or understand. They said that they got much more out of my lectures. But the only difference was that I spent time poring over the book (as I am not really a Developmental Biologist myself) and reading it carefully, and then making outlines of the general concepts that Gilbert was illustrating with his details. I could then present the concepts to the students, and tell them that the book has examples.
I really believe that a text book should be organized around concepts and biological processes, not the details of a thousand examples. Examples will be forgotten over time, and can be looked up in any case, but the understanding of the overall concept is what one most needs to obtain in class, and from a text book. This edition of the book is really just a compendium of examples from the literature, and not a textbook of concepts.
I know that Gilbert is a "standard" text in this field, but I am nevertheless exploring other Developmental Biology texts for next year, because this one just does not do the job that a good basic text book should do.
However, much has changed since the second edition. One bewildering aspect is that, although development arguably begins at the point of gamete fusion (fertilization), this is not covered until Chapter 7... there is half a semester's worth of material before one even gets to fertilization. This strikes me as too long; many of the concepts that precede it are really best handled afterwards (such as cell-cell signaling). I note that fertilization made its appearance in Chapter 2 of the 2nd edition, so it is not just my personal view that this is the right place to begin -- it used to be Gilbert's!
Beyond the strange choice of sequence, I found that this book focuses too much on idiosyncratic details and not enough on over-arching concepts. For instance, Gilbert spends pages upon pages describing in detail one specific cascade reaction after another, without ever really "zooming out" to generally address the importance of cascade reactions overall. In other words, he spends so much time focusing on the detailed nuances of the leaves on every tree, that he misses the forest.
My students universally despised this book, and complained that it was near impossible to follow or understand. They said that they got much more out of my lectures. But the only difference was that I spent time poring over the book (as I am not really a Developmental Biologist myself) and reading it carefully, and then making outlines of the general concepts that Gilbert was illustrating with his details. I could then present the concepts to the students, and tell them that the book has examples.
I really believe that a text book should be organized around concepts and biological processes, not the details of a thousand examples. Examples will be forgotten over time, and can be looked up in any case, but the understanding of the overall concept is what one most needs to obtain in class, and from a text book. This edition of the book is really just a compendium of examples from the literature, and not a textbook of concepts.
I know that Gilbert is a "standard" text in this field, but I am nevertheless exploring other Developmental Biology texts for next year, because this one just does not do the job that a good basic text book should do.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Good Intro to Developmental Biology
4 April 2009
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This was a required text for my graduate Developmental Molecular Genetics course at UCI. This book provided sufficient background so I could keep up and understand the assigned scientific journal articles. The way the textbook reads is more for an undergraduate course but if you never had such an opportunity this will keep you up to speed for graduate coursework.
Overall the way it reads can sometimes be annoying as the author will put too many details. However, this is exactly what anyone going into graduate school should be ready for- scientific articles read the same way if not worse. As stated is a good intro to the material and will provide the tools to read journal articles.
Overall the way it reads can sometimes be annoying as the author will put too many details. However, this is exactly what anyone going into graduate school should be ready for- scientific articles read the same way if not worse. As stated is a good intro to the material and will provide the tools to read journal articles.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Great overview of the subject
7 Feb 2012
Format:Loose Leaf|Amazon Verified Purchase
Its been 2 weeks into the semester, and I only have good things to say about this text.
The outline that Gilbert purposes for the subject is straightforward and quite helpful. Maybe its the nature of the subject or how Gilbert approaches Developmental Biology, but I appreciate how he writes a good amount about the historical details of previous experiments and scientist. It allows you to go on, in a sense, relive the journey to scientific progression. I also appreciate how Gilbert understands the value of diagrams and photos.
I agree with other reviews in how the textbook is more for the undergraduate level as opposed to the graduate level. However, this text does give the foundations for graduate level reading.
The outline that Gilbert purposes for the subject is straightforward and quite helpful. Maybe its the nature of the subject or how Gilbert approaches Developmental Biology, but I appreciate how he writes a good amount about the historical details of previous experiments and scientist. It allows you to go on, in a sense, relive the journey to scientific progression. I also appreciate how Gilbert understands the value of diagrams and photos.
I agree with other reviews in how the textbook is more for the undergraduate level as opposed to the graduate level. However, this text does give the foundations for graduate level reading.
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