Download or read book The Princeton Guide to Evolution written by David A. Baum and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2017-03-21 with total page 886 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The essential one-volume reference to evolution The Princeton Guide to Evolution is a comprehensive, concise, and authoritative reference to the major subjects and key concepts in evolutionary biology, from genes to mass extinctions. Edited by a distinguished team of evolutionary biologists, with contributions from leading researchers, the guide contains some 100 clear, accurate, and up-to-date articles on the most important topics in seven major areas: phylogenetics and the history of life; selection and adaptation; evolutionary processes; genes, genomes, and phenotypes; speciation and macroevolution; evolution of behavior, society, and humans; and evolution and modern society. Complete with more than 100 illustrations (including eight pages in color), glossaries of key terms, suggestions for further reading on each topic, and an index, this is an essential volume for undergraduate and graduate students, scientists in related fields, and anyone else with a serious interest in evolution. Explains key topics in some 100 concise and authoritative articles written by a team of leading evolutionary biologists Contains more than 100 illustrations, including eight pages in color Each article includes an outline, glossary, bibliography, and cross-references Covers phylogenetics and the history of life; selection and adaptation; evolutionary processes; genes, genomes, and phenotypes; speciation and macroevolution; evolution of behavior, society, and humans; and evolution and modern society

Download or read book Mutations in Man written by G. Obe and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This year we remember the 39th anniversary of the atomic bomb explo sions in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which led to the exposure of thou sands of people to high doses of ionizing radiations. Nearly 18 years earlier, on the 15th of September, 1927, H. J. Muller presented his paper The Problem of Genic Modification at the Fifth International Congress of Genetics in Berlin, in which he brilliantly demonstrated the muta genic activity of X-rays. In 1928, K. H. Bauer formulated his mutation theory of the origin of cancer, and already in 1914, Th. Boveri speculat ed that tumor cells originate from an abnormal chromosomal comple ment. In the meantime we have learned that also nonionizing radiation and an immense number of environmental chemicals, both, man-made and naturally occurring, are mutagenic in a variety of test systems, in cluding human cells. In no case has it been shown unequivocally that physical or chemical mutagens have led to an elevation of the mutation rate in the germ cells of man, but in view of the huge body of experi mental data this seems to be a problem of detection. It can be expect ed that germ cell mutations are induced as a consequence of exposure to mutagens in man, as yet undetectable with the methods at hand. An uncontrolled addition of mutations to the human gene pool may well have unforeseen and catastrophic consequences in future genera tions for whom we should feel responsible.

Download or read book Inside the Human Genome written by John C. Avise and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2010-02-12 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Humanity's physical design flaws have long been apparent--we get hemorrhoids and impacted wisdom teeth, for instance--but do the imperfections extend down to the level of our genes? Inside the Human Genome is the first book to examine the philosophical question of why, from the perspectives of biochemistry and molecular genetics, flaws exist in the biological world. Distinguished evolutionary geneticist John Avise offers a panoramic yet penetrating exploration of the many gross deficiencies in human DNA--ranging from mutational defects to built-in design faults--while at the same time offering a comprehensive treatment of recent findings about the human genome. The author shows that the overwhelming scientific evidence for genomic imperfection provides a compelling counterargument to intelligent design. He also develops a case that theologians should welcome rather than disavow these discoveries. The evolutionary sciences can help mainstream religions escape the shackles of Intelligent Design, and thereby return religion to its rightful realm--not as the secular interpreter of the biological minutiae of our physical existence, but rather as a respectable philosophical counselor on grander matters of ultimate concern.

Download or read book Evolutionary Conservation Biology written by Régis Ferrière and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2004-06-10 with total page 447 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As anthropogenic environmental changes spread and intensify across the planet, conservation biologists have to analyze dynamics at large spatial and temporal scales. Ecological and evolutionary processes are then closely intertwined. In particular, evolutionary responses to anthropogenic environmental change can be so fast and pronounced that conservation biology can no longer afford to ignore them. To tackle this challenge, areas of conservation biology that are disparate ought to be integrated into a unified framework. Bringing together conservation genetics, demography, and ecology, this book introduces evolutionary conservation biology as an integrative approach to managing species in conjunction with ecological interactions and evolutionary processes. Which characteristics of species and which features of environmental change foster or hinder evolutionary responses in ecological systems? How do such responses affect population viability, community dynamics, and ecosystem functioning? Under which conditions will evolutionary responses ameliorate, rather than worsen, the impact of environmental change?

Download or read book Genetics and Evolution of Aquatic Organisms written by A. Beaumont and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 1994-03-31 with total page 566 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume brings together, for the first time, a wide range of up-to-the-minute and traditional techniques and approaches to the study of genetics of organisms living in freshwater or marine habitats. Carefully edited chapters are headed by broad review articles against which are set a number of more specific experience papers which demonstrate the breadth and range of approaches currently being undertaken.

Download or read book Population Genetics written by John H. Gillespie and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2004-08-06 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Publisher Description

Download or read book Health Effects of Exposure to Low Levels of Ionizing Radiation written by National Research Council and published by National Academies. This book was released on 1990-02-01 with total page 436 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book reevaluates the health risks of ionizing radiation in light of data that have become available since the 1980 report on this subject was published. The data include new, much more reliable dose estimates for the A-bomb survivors, the results of an additional 14 years of follow-up of the survivors for cancer mortality, recent results of follow-up studies of persons irradiated for medical purposes, and results of relevant experiments with laboratory animals and cultured cells. It analyzes the data in terms of risk estimates for specific organs in relation to dose and time after exposure, and compares radiation effects between Japanese and Western populations.

Download or read book Genetic Entropy written by John C. Sanford and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this text, Sanford, a retired Cornell professor, shows that the "Primary Axiom"--the foundational evolutionary premise that life is merely the result of mutations and natural selection--is false. He strongly refutes the Darwinian concept that man is just the result of a random and pointless natural process.

Download or read book Crumbling Genome written by Alexey S. Kondrashov and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2017-07-12 with total page 309 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A thought-provoking exploration of deleterious mutations in the human genome and their effects on human health and wellbeing Despite all of the elaborate mechanisms that a cell employs to handle its DNA with the utmost care, a newborn human carries about 100 new mutations, originated in their parents, about 10 of which are deleterious. A mutation replacing just one of the more than three billion nucleotides in the human genome may lead to synthesis of a dysfunctional protein, and this can be inconsistent with life or cause a tragic disease. Several percent of even young people suffer from diseases that are caused, exclusively or primarily, by pre ]existing and new mutations in their genomes, including both a wide variety of genetically simple Mendelian diseases and diverse complex diseases such as birth anomalies, diabetes, and schizophrenia. Milder, but still substantial, negative effects of mutations are even more pervasive. As of now, we possess no means of reducing the rate at which mutations appear spontaneously. However, the recent flood of genomic data made possible by next-generation methods of DNA sequencing, enabled scientists to explore the impacts of deleterious mutations on humans with previously unattainable precision and begin to develop approaches to managing them. Written by a leading researcher in the field of evolutionary genetics, Crumbling Genome reviews the current state of knowledge about deleterious mutations and their effects on humans for those in the biological sciences and medicine, as well as for readers with only a general scientific literacy and an interest in human genetics. Provides an extensive introduction to the fundamentals of evolutionary genetics with an emphasis on mutation and selection Discusses the effects of pre-existing and new mutations on human genotypes and phenotypes Provides a comprehensive review of the current state of knowledge in the field and considers crucial unsolved problems Explores key ethical, scientific, and social issues likely to become relevant in the near future as the modification of human germline genotypes becomes technically feasible Crumbling Genome is must-reading for students and professionals in human genetics, genomics, bioinformatics, evolutionary biology, and biological anthropology. It is certain to have great appeal among all those with an interest in the links between genetics and evolution and how they are likely to influence the future of human health, medicine, and society.

Download or read book Handbook of Models for Human Aging written by P. Michael Conn and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2011-04-28 with total page 1103 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Handbook of Models for Human Aging is designed as the only comprehensive work available that covers the diversity of aging models currently available. For each animal model, it presents key aspects of biology, nutrition, factors affecting life span, methods of age determination, use in research, and disadvantages/advantes of use. Chapters on comparative models take a broad sweep of age-related diseases, from Alzheimer's to joint disease, cataracts, cancer, and obesity. In addition, there is an historical overview and discussion of model availability, key methods, and ethical issues. - Utilizes a multidisciplinary approach - Shows tricks and approaches not available in primary publications - First volume of its kind to combine both methods of study for human aging and animal models - Over 200 illustrations

Download or read book Assessing Genetic Risks written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1994-01-01 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Raising hopes for disease treatment and prevention, but also the specter of discrimination and "designer genes," genetic testing is potentially one of the most socially explosive developments of our time. This book presents a current assessment of this rapidly evolving field, offering principles for actions and research and recommendations on key issues in genetic testing and screening. Advantages of early genetic knowledge are balanced with issues associated with such knowledge: availability of treatment, privacy and discrimination, personal decision-making, public health objectives, cost, and more. Among the important issues covered: Quality control in genetic testing. Appropriate roles for public agencies, private health practitioners, and laboratories. Value-neutral education and counseling for persons considering testing. Use of test results in insurance, employment, and other settings.

Download or read book Poplars and Willows written by Jud G. Isebrands and published by CABI. This book was released on 2014-02-12 with total page 700 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Poplars and willows form an important component of forestry and agricultural systems, providing a wide range of wood and non-wood products. This book synthesizes research on poplars and willows, providing a practical worldwide overview and guide to their basic characteristics, cultivation and use, issues, problems and trends. Prominence is given to environmental benefits and the importance of poplar and willow cultivation in meeting the needs of people and communities, sustainable livelihoods, land use and development.

Download or read book What s in Your Genes written by Katie McKissick and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2014-01-18 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Get the low-down on genetics with easy-to-understand terms and clear explanations. From interpreting dominant and recessive genes to learning about mutations, this book shows the different factors that can determine a person's DNA.

Download or read book Virus as Populations written by Esteban Domingo and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2019-11-06 with total page 428 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Virus as Composition, Complexity, Quasispecies, Dynamics, and Biological Implications, Second Edition, explains the fundamental concepts surrounding viruses as complex populations during replication in infected hosts. Fundamental phenomena in virus behavior, such as adaptation to changing environments, capacity to produce disease, and the probability to be transmitted or respond to treatment all depend on virus population numbers. Concepts such as quasispecies dynamics, mutations rates, viral fitness, the effect of bottleneck events, population numbers in virus transmission and disease emergence, and new antiviral strategies are included. The book's main concepts are framed by recent observations on general virus diversity derived from metagenomic studies and current views on the origin and role of viruses in the evolution of the biosphere. - Features current views on key steps in the origin of life and origins of viruses - Includes examples relating ancestral features of viruses with their current adaptive capacity - Explains complex phenomena in an organized and coherent fashion that is easy to comprehend and enjoyable to read - Considers quasispecies as a framework to understand virus adaptability and disease processes

Download or read book Population Genetics written by Matthew B. Hamilton and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2021-02-10 with total page 501 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Now updated for its second edition, Population Genetics is the classic, accessible introduction to the concepts of population genetics. Combining traditional conceptual approaches with classical hypotheses and debates, the book equips students to understand a wide array of empirical studies that are based on the first principles of population genetics. Featuring a highly accessible introduction to coalescent theory, as well as covering the major conceptual advances in population genetics of the last two decades, the second edition now also includes end of chapter problem sets and revised coverage of recombination in the coalescent model, metapopulation extinction and recolonization, and the fixation index.

Download or read book Using Science to Improve the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2013-10-04 with total page 399 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Using Science to Improve the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program: A Way Forward reviews the science that underpins the Bureau of Land Management's oversight of free-ranging horses and burros on federal public lands in the western United States, concluding that constructive changes could be implemented. The Wild Horse and Burro Program has not used scientifically rigorous methods to estimate the population sizes of horses and burros, to model the effects of management actions on the animals, or to assess the availability and use of forage on rangelands. Evidence suggests that horse populations are growing by 15 to 20 percent each year, a level that is unsustainable for maintaining healthy horse populations as well as healthy ecosystems. Promising fertility-control methods are available to help limit this population growth, however. In addition, science-based methods exist for improving population estimates, predicting the effects of management practices in order to maintain genetically diverse, healthy populations, and estimating the productivity of rangelands. Greater transparency in how science-based methods are used to inform management decisions may help increase public confidence in the Wild Horse and Burro Program.

Download or read book Genes in Conflict written by Austin Burt and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2006 with total page 650 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In evolution, most genes survive and spread within populations because they increase the ability of their hosts (or their close relatives) to survive and reproduce. But some genes spread in spite of being harmful to the host organism—by distorting their own transmission to the next generation, or by changing how the host behaves toward relatives. As a consequence, different genes in a single organism can have diametrically opposed interests and adaptations.Covering all species from yeast to humans, Genes in Conflict is the first book to tell the story of selfish genetic elements, those continually appearing stretches of DNA that act narrowly to advance their own replication at the expense of the larger organism. As Austin Burt and Robert Trivers show, these selfish genes are a universal feature of life with pervasive effects, including numerous counter-adaptations. Their spread has created a whole world of socio-genetic interactions within individuals, usually completely hidden from sight.Genes in Conflict introduces the subject of selfish genetic elements in all its aspects, from molecular and genetic to behavioral and evolutionary. Burt and Trivers give us access for the first time to a crucial area of research—now developing at an explosive rate—that is cohering as a unitary whole, with its own logic and interconnected questions, a subject certain to be of enduring importance to our understanding of genetics and evolution.