Fifty years ago the field of human embryology was incomplete; prior to that time the anatomy of early human embryos was still unknown, and there was much to be learned about the older stages of human embryonic development. It is now understood that human organs result from step-by-step differentiations of the growing human embryo. Research by renowned embryologist Erich Blechschmidt, MD, showed that differentiations are not only the result of a gene effect, but are also brought about throu...

For eight years, the Tour de France, arguably the world’s most demanding athletic competition, was ruled by two men: Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis. On the surface, they were feature players in one of the great sporting stories of the age–American riders overcoming tremendous odds to dominate a sport that held little previous interest for their countrymen. But is this a true story, or is there a darker version of the truth, one that sadly reflects the realities of sports in the twenty-fi...

**Kirkus Best Books of the Year (2013)**From one of our finest and most popular science writers, and the best-selling author of Your Inner Fish, comes the answer to a scientific mystery as big as the world itself: How are the events that formed our solar system billions of years ago embedded inside each of us?In Your Inner Fish, Neil Shubin delved into the amazing connections between human bodies—our hands, heads, and jaws—and the...

Why is split second decision-making superior to deliberation? Gut Feelings delivers the science behind Malcolm Gladwell's Blink.Reflection and reason are overrated, according to renowned psychologist Gerd Gigerenzer. Much better qualified to help us make decisions is the cognitive, emotional, and social repertoire we call intuition, a suite of gut feelings that have evolved over the millennia specifically for making decisions. Gladwell drew heavily on Gige...

Using information from the cutting edge of modern science, Peake presents startling evidence that the inner worlds of our mystics and shamans are as real, or possibly even more real, than the reality we experience in waking life. As his starting point, Peake examines the widespread historical belief that the mid-brain’s pine-cone shaped pineal gland activates the third eye described by mystics and seers. Through careful analysis of ancient religious texts and artifacts, he gives evidence t...

Seven million people die from cancer each year around the world, and many more are impacted by this universal scourge. In Betrayed by Nature, research scientist and lecturer Robin Hesketh demystifies the nature of cancer.Hesketh provides a concise and comprehensive history of both the science and the medical advances made over the decades. He takes the reader on a riveting tour of human biology; he explains how cancers start, what is meant by 'a mutation', and how mutations...

In Situ Molecular Pathology and Co-Expression Analyses explains, in easy-to-understand language, simplified ways of understanding and performing in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry tests. The book also focuses on straightforward protocols used to simultaneously detect two or more proteins/nucleic acids within intact tissue by doing co-expression analyses. The fields of in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry have expanded rapidly due to the use of computer-based analysis....

This innovative textbook provides a readable, contemporary and fully integrated introduction to endocrine glands, their hormones and how their function relates to homeostasis. It explores the pathology of endocrine disease by relating the underpinning science through a wealth of clinical scenarios and examples. The book integrates basic and clinical aspects for a range of endocrine glands and their hormones and includes a number of specialist chapters that also address areas of intense res...

Trophic Regulation of the Basal Ganglia: Focus on Dopamine Neurons examines neurotransmitters. The book first discusses the role of fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) and ganglioside GM1 and the trophic regulation of the basal ganglia. Biochemical and histochemical studies on the cellular localization of FGF-2; mapping of FGF-2 and its receptors in the basal ganglia postnatally and adulthood; and mapping of the ganglioside GM1 distribution in the basal ganglia are presented. The text also ...

A holistic and comprehensive account of the nature of the transition from hunting to farming in prehistory. It addresses for the first time the main bioarchaeological aspects such as changes in mobility, behaviour, diet and population dynamics.This book is of major interest to the relevant audience since it offers for the first time a global perspective on the bioarchaeology of the transition to agriculture. It includes contributions from world-class researchers, with a particular ...

The study of self-consciousness helps humans understand themselves and restores their identities. But self-consciousness has been a mystery since the beginning of history, and this mystery cannot be resolved by conventional natural science. In Self-Consciousness, author Masakazu Shoji takes the mystery out of self-consciousness by proposing the idea that the human brain and body are a biological machine.A former VLSI microprocessor designer and semiconductor physicist, Shoji was gu...

"An animated introduction to the neuroscience of sensory perception" informed by the latest research on topics from music to brain injuries to synesthesia ( Kirkus Reviews).In recent years neuroscience has uncovered a wealth of new information about our senses and how they serve as our gateway to the world. This splendidly accessible book explores the most intriguing findings of this research. With infectious enthusiasm, Rob DeSalle illuminates not only how...