Human Reproductive Biology

Book Description

New techniques in cellular and molecular biology have increased our understanding of the mechanisms controlling reproductive function in the female. Emphasizing these new techniques, Molecular Biology of the Female Reproductive System provides a state-of-the-art review of local regulatory mechanisms that control reproductive processes. Stressing the interface of endocrinology, immunology, and cell biology, this book concentrates on the autocrine, paracrine, and endocrine systems that regulate both the functions of the ovary and uterus and the interaction between the early embryo and the mother.

Key Features
* Covers the mechanisms controlling reproductive function in the female
* Offers a cellular and molecular approach to the control of reproductive function
* Focuses on the ovary and uterus, and includes a discussion of the early embryo, including
* Hormonal control of folliculogenesis and luteal function
* Cell-cell interactions in the follicle
* Role of cytokines in regulating steroid and protein hormone production
* Endocrine receptors and mechanisms in ovulation
* Cell biology of the oviduct and uterus
* Migratory cells
* Paracrine regulation
* Hormones of the trophectoderm and early placenta
* Interaction between trophectoderm and endometrium
* Provides extensive references

The Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature

Average customer rating:

Great Book
Worth slogging through Part 1 to get to Part 2
So interesting...
The implications to the future human civilization are staggering
Too serious / intense - Not for casual reading

The Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature
Matt Ridley
Manufacturer: Macmillan Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Evolution | Science | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0026033402

Book Description

Referring to Lewis Carroll's Red Queen from Through the Looking-Glass, a character who has to keep running to stay in the same place, Matt Ridley demonstrates why sex is humanity's best strategy for outwitting its constantly mutating internal predators. The Red Queen answers dozens of other riddles of human nature and culture -- including why men propose marriage, the method behind our maddening notions of beauty, and the disquieting fact that a woman is more likely to conceive a child by an adulterous lover than by her husband. Brilliantly written, The Red Queen offers an extraordinary new way of interpreting the human condition and how it has evolved.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book.......2007-03-27

I can't add very much to the excellent reviews already posted. I'll just say quickly that I enjoyed very much the fresh insight into mating practices among the "lower animals" and among humans. I've read a lot about evolution and biology and so forth, and still found much new material here. I really enjoyed learning about how scientists finally discovered the rampant adultery among birds and how incredible they are at hiding it.

Several reviewers warn about having to "make it through" the first part, and I certainly understand that if your primary interest is in the evolutionary origins of human sexuality. However, I really enjoyed the first part as well, because it provides a broad understanding of sex in evolution and give lots of fun examples about different behaviors and adaptations.

Although I didn't give the book 5 stars (I reserve that for the best of the best), it showed me that Mr. Ridley is a great writer and I'll check out his other books (I think I'll start with Genome).

Worth slogging through Part 1 to get to Part 2.......2007-01-30

Some of the ideas expressed in The Red Queen are brilliant, and their applicability to the nature of human sexuality are quite interesting. However, Ridley's very methodical approach to categorizing and cataloging the varieties during the first 120-150 pages can be painfully slow.

Once Part II kicked in, I was glad I persevered. After the first part apparently sets the stage for some descriptions related to human beings, I found myself unable to put the book down during second half. No need to add on to what has been written by others, but if I had to do it again, I definitely would have skimmed Part 1.

Still worth the effort and quite a conversation piece. In the month since I finished, I find I bring it up in casual conversation regularly, and even during the course of book club conversations about male and female perspectives to similar actions, perceptions, or mating rituals. Definitely recommended!

So interesting..........2006-12-14

I remember flying on an airplane 6 years ago and having the stranger sitting next to me highly recommend this book. It ended up taking me three years before I finally obtained a copy!

This book is phenomenal. Starting from the first organisms on the planet and building up to modern day human beings, this book gives a detailed account of evolution and covers numerous theories, supported in great detail, as to how humans are they way we are.

The only reason this book gets 4 stars from me is because it is written in text book language and it can be hard to follow at some points. But stick with it - the end of the book is where most of the interesting points emerge.

The implications to the future human civilization are staggering.......2006-11-10

Science writer Matt Ridley's book "The Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature" is outstanding. I have read at least 20 other books by various authors on this subject, and yet Ridley's book contains a vast amount of original work and brilliant viewpoints.

His language is accessible, witty, and moving. His explanations and arguments are well researched, and elegantly written.

Ridley takes you on a journey, for those willing, into nature's infinite world of sexual evolution using existing species as examples. You'll end up realizing how constricted our society is in relation to our nature. The book opened my mind to how diverse our society can be, and how we limit and restrict ourselves. I find this book to be one of his best works.

Experts in every field of living systems should read this book, the implications are staggering. Although written entirely from a biological / genetic / nature point of view, anyone could use the material to develop an improved system. For example, improved political systems, draft laws that make sense, market products more successfully, understand the criminal mind-set, raise children better, better discern the cause of war and violence, etc.

In a nut-shell, if you want to understand the infinite possibility of human potential, this book gives you the "theory of operation" and should be considered the bible on how central sexuality is to the nature of humankind and our modern civilization.

Too serious / intense - Not for casual reading.......2006-11-06

This is interesting only if you want to do a very detailed study on Sex and Evolution of Human Nature. Not something I would recommend if you are just looking for some dating techniques or How to....type suggestions.

Essential IVF: Basic Research and Clinical Applications

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Essential IVF: Basic Research and Clinical Applications

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Fertility | Reproductive & Sexual | Medicine | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1402075510

Book Description

The intent of Essential IVF is to present current issues in clinical IVF that encompass the varied activities of those engaged in this field. By integrating clinical, basic research and laboratory-related aspects of human reproduction, readers with diverse interests should obtain a more complete understanding of the impact, importance and relevance of each in the progress of infertility treatment and an appreciation of whether emerging technologies will or should contribute to this progress in the near future. The topics selected for this volume include research that has begun to explain the origins of different follicular, gamete, embryo and uterine competence as well as specific laboratory procedures and protocols that may have important clinical implications for the generation of developmentally viable embryos. Comprehensive reviews and discussions of past and contemporary studies in clinically-oriented chapters provide a biological and outcome-based context in which current practices and protocols in human IVF may need to be reconsidered.

Stem Cell Now: From the Experiment That Shook the World to the New Politics of Life

Average customer rating:

A good introduction
Accessible, thorough primer
A good "Brief Introduction"
Great for middle school students
Social & Scientific Impact

Stem Cell Now: From the Experiment That Shook the World to the New Politics of Life
Christopher Thomas Scott
Manufacturer: Pi Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0131737988

Book Description

The essential account of the most important scientific advance—and most volatile ethical debate—of our time

While many believe stem cell research holds the key to curing a wide range of ailments, others see this research as opening a Pandora's box that will devalue human life.

In Stem Cell Now, Christopher Scott—executive director of Stanford University's Stem Cells and Society Program—lays out the scientific and ethical issues surrounding this national dilemma. Scott guides readers through the latest advances in stem cell research in clear, accessible language, telling the stories of the researchers who are exploring the potential of stem cells to cure cancer, grow new organs, and repair the immune system. He also leads readers through a discussion of the question at the heart of the explosive ethical debate: How, as a society, do we balance our responsibilities to the unborn and the sick? Stem Cell Now is essential reading for anyone who wants to build an informed opinion on stem cell research. BACKCOVER: “Probably the most lucid and readable primer on the science and politics of stem cells. Scott goes beyond the hype of instant cures and pro-life antagonism to present the true breadth of stem cell research.”
—Seed Magazine

“Illuminating reading for everyone who wants to understand a hot-button topic that will dominate the political, medical, and religious arenas for years to come.”
—Publishers Weekly

Customer Reviews:

A good introduction.......2007-07-27

A bit biased towards using stem cells but not too much. He really tries to just show you the basics of the debate and the science behind the debate, which many people dont know. So if you want to understand more about stem cells, where they come from, their potential, the alternatives, etc. this is the book to start with.

Accessible, thorough primer.......2007-05-26

Scott's book explains stem cell research for laypeople, with enough personal anecdotes and wisecracks to keep the science-shy awake.

He doesn't exaggerate potential applications or limitations, and he explains that stem cells could be good for much more than stem-cell therapy. The thorough ethics section concisely and precisely covers everyone's views.

Here's the first two sentence from a review of the book in the magazine Nature on May 10. "Christopher Scott's little book Stem Cell Now is fundamentally a primer on stem-cell research, suitable for lay readers and freshmen. It offers accessible descriptions of stem-cell science and analysis of associated ethical and political issues."

A good "Brief Introduction".......2007-01-21

What can I say ... if there is some line of medical research these days that could have promising results for the treatment of some of the difficult illnesses known, that is stem cell. This book provide a layman introduction to the subject, the different types of stem cells and lines of investigation. Also, half of the book is dedicated to the ethical problems that embryonic stem cell research is facing, specially in the U.S.

Great for middle school students.......2006-12-06

This book should have two ratings. I rate it higher (4 stars) for young readers. For more science 'savvy' adults the science is rather weak and much is over simplified. I was looking for something on hESC with more depth but not at the professional level. I'm still looking. However, I highly recommend this book to youngsters and others with limited biology background. The politics chapters obviously (from the title) favors the pro-hESC research, but they are fair. Again there could be more depth.

Social & Scientific Impact.......2006-06-10

Scott has done an excellent job in concisely presenting both the social & scientific impact of stem cell science, in an engaging & objective manner. I particularly enjoy the sections that illustrate the complicated ethical arguments behind the current debates about the field.
'Stem cell now' is one of the most readable book in the market that provides readers with good introduction to this promising scientific field. I would also recommend Ann Parson's 'The Proteus Effect', which vividly presents stories about the scientists behind the scenes, and also Scott Anderson's 'Human embryonic stem cells', which provides more technical detail about the science.

Average customer rating:

Biology and Pathology of Trophoblast

Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0521851653

Book Description

This is the first dedicated, in-depth account of trophoblast: the tissue derived from the fertilized egg that nourishes and protects the developing fetus. The cells of the trophoblast have many unique qualities, and exhibit great variability across different species. It has a fascinating role in the development of the placenta and as a regulator during early growth of the embryo. These aspects are all fully covered as well as studies on why it is not rejected by the mother as 'foreign' tissue. This volume provides an up-to-date summary of the state of current knowledge and offers some glimpses as to future development on the scientific and clinical front.

Cell and Molecular Biology of the Testis

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Cell and Molecular Biology of the Testis

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Genetics | Evolution | Science | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0195062698

Book Description

This book is a comprehensive, multi-authored work on the structure and function of the mammalian testis. The approach emphasizes gene expression, translation and production of specific gene products and the cellular and molecular regulation of these fundamental processes. Rather than provide a global survey of all aspects of male reproduction, this book stresses specific mechanisms that underscore the structure and function of the testis. It explains old and new concepts from a cellular and molecular perspective. This novel approach allows the authors to forge links between cell and molecular biology and well-established aspects of spermatogenesis and steroidogenesis. The result is a well-focused, comprehensive, and synthetic analysis of testicular biology.

Human Reproductive Biology, Third Edition

Average customer rating:

Great purchase!
Great Idea, Poorly Written

Human Reproductive Biology, Third Edition
Richard E. Jones , and Kristin H. Lopez
Manufacturer: Academic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Physiology | Basic Science | Medicine | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0120884658

Book Description

This acclaimed text has been fully revised and updated, now incorporating issues including aging of the reproductive system, and updates on the chapters on conception and Gamete Transport and Fertilization, and Pregnancy.

Human Reproductive Biology, 3rd edition emphasizes the biological and biomedical aspects of human reproduction, explains advances in reproductive science and discusses the choices and concerns of today. Generously illustrated in full color, the text provides current information about human reproductive anatomy and physiology.

The ideal book for courses on human reproductive biology - includes chapter introductions, sidebars on related topics of interest, chapter summaries and suggestions for further reading.

* All material competely updated with the latest research results, methods, and topics now organized to facilitate logical presentation of topics

* New chapters on Reproductive Senescence, Conception: Gamete Transport, Fertilization, Pregnancy: Maternal Aspects and Pregnancy: Fetal Development

* Full color illustrations, New companion website featuring latest information on current related topics

Customer Reviews:

Great purchase!.......2007-09-14

I purchase this book and it arrived within 3 days, much sooner than I expected. It is in perfect condition, and I have no complaints. I am very satisfied with the purchase!

Great Idea, Poorly Written.......2007-05-09

I was looking forward to reading this book, and very disappointed. This is the top book for reproductive physiology, and it's the best of what's out there. But what amazed me was that it can be the top seller and still be so poorly written.

What exactly is it about the writing that is weak? The authors provide explanations for some terms/concepts that are incredibly basic (like what is a hormone). But when they get into to meat of the subject, they neglect to provide the "big picture" and instead start laying out the plumbing of girls and boys. My previous courswork in human physiology was the only thing that helped me figure out what they were trying to say.

Nice graphics are actually a distractor, more eye candy and weakly tied to the text.

Cloning and the Future of Human Embryo Research

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insight
Crucial Information for Current Debates
Cloning

Cloning and the Future of Human Embryo Research

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Biotechnology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

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Public Health | Administration & Policy | Medicine | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0195128583

Book Description

The possibility that human beings may soon be cloned has generated enormous anxiety and fueled a vigorous debate about the ethics of contemporary science. Unfortunately, much of this debate about cloning has treated cloning as singular and revolutionary. The essays in Cloning and the Future of Human Embryo Research place debates about cloning in the context of reproductive technology and human embryo research. Although novel, cloning is really just the next step in a series of reproductive interventions that began with in vitro fertilization in 1978. Cloning, embryo research, and reproductive technology must therefore be discussed together in order to be understood. The authors of this volume bring these topics together by examining the status of preimplantation embryos, debates about cloning and embryo research, and the formulation of public policy. The book is distinctive in framing cloning as inextricably tied to embryo research and in offering both secular and religious perspectives on cloning and embryo research.

Customer Reviews:

insight.......2005-04-09

The focus of Cloning and the future of Human Embryo Research, edited by Paul Lauritzen is questioning "whether cloning ethical"". This book is a collection of research-based essays by various authors who have credentials related to cloning. Lauritzen uses essays that come from a moral standpoint. Lauritzen suggests that "it is better to see Dolly's birth as an intermediate step- perhaps the penultimate step" (4). I believe that this means that there is more to come in research of cloning. The book is well researched. I like the book because it pushes you to challenge the arguments. Although the book's biggest weakness is failure to recognize that the discussion on cloning should be part science and part morals. After reading the book, the chapters provide excellent information, because they are well argued and suffiently open-ended enough to include both sides of the arguments.

Crucial Information for Current Debates.......2001-08-04

This collection of essays provides immensely valuable information for those concerned by current debates over cloning, stem cell research, assisted reproduction, and the general march of technology in biomedical ethics. This book comes highly recommended by many in the bioethics community. These debates should include not just professional bioethicists, but anyone concerned with the state of our democracy and our humanity in these crucial issues for the twenty-first century.

Cloning.......2001-02-23

I an a clone of my Great Grandfather.

The Fetal Matrix: Evolution, Development and Disease

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Review: The Fetal Matrix

The Fetal Matrix: Evolution, Development and Disease
Peter Gluckman , and Mark Hanson
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521542359

Book Description

New discoveries indicate that the most important interactions in determining our fate occur before birth. These processes are an evolutionary echo of mechanisms which allowed our ancestors to survive as hunter-gatherers. Two of the world's leading pioneering authorities reveal exciting insights into a rapidly emerging field. They suggest new ways of protecting the health of the fetus, infant and adult and cover important triggers for many emerging diseases such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

Customer Reviews:

Review: The Fetal Matrix.......2005-12-01

The Fetal Matrix is a lucid, detailed and comprehensive account of the fetal environment's effects on health, disease and mortality in the middle and later years of the human life cycle. It is the product of years of fertile research collaboration between its distinguished authors. Professor Peter D. Gluckman is University Distinguished Professor and Director, National Research Centre for Growth and Development, University of Auckland and a foreign member of the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences (USA). Professor Mark Hanson is Director, The Centre for Fetal Origins of Adult Disease, Southampton University and a fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine (UK). The book is intended for a broad readership that includes researchers in developmental and evolutionary biology, prenatal medicine, epidemiology, health policy and educated lay people.

Professors Gluckman and Hanson follow up on the path-breaking epidemiological work of Professor David Barker (Mothers, Babies and Health in Later Life), which caused a major stir in medical and public health circles by indicating that disease causes were not exclusively or primarily the result of simplified genetic "traits" or life-style factors. Events unfolding in utero were an essential part of the story. In Chapter One, Gluckman and Hanson provide a nice primer for understanding gene regulation in response to environmental signals. For a more detailed exposition the reader might want to read Matt Ridley's Nature Via Nurture, and, though more technical, Massimo Pigliucci's Phenotypic Plasticity, Mary Jane West-Eberhard's monumental and prize-winning Developmental Plasticity And Evolution and A. R. Cellura's The Genomic Environment And Niche-Experience. In Chapter Two, the authors present a wealth of information from their specialties in embryological and fetal physiology and prenatal medicine, which for the non-specialist will likely be worth the price of the book. (Incidentally, each chapter stands on its own so readers can pick and chose according to their interests.) Chapters Three, Seven and Eight contain a detailed exposition of the authors' concept of the "predictive adaptive response" through which they integrate concepts from genetics, fetal physiology, the extra-uterine environment and evolutionary theory. In Chapters Five and Six specific connections are made between in utero genetic switching, the extra-uterine environment and diseases that often emerge in later life such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Chapters Nine and Ten focus on the health policy implications of the authors' findings.

The Fetal Matrix is well written with many interesting examples provided to illuminate key points of the authors' thesis. An excellent index is provided and a bibliography from the scientific literature of almost 500 citations. I recommend it highly as a contribution to the rapidly growing literature on developmental plasticity, genomic regulation and human physiological adaptive processes.

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