Volvox

A Search for the Molecular and Genetic Origins of Multicellularity and Cellular Differentiation

David L. Kirk (Autor)

Buch | Softcover

400 Seiten

2005
Cambridge University Press (Verlag)
978-0-521-01914-9 (ISBN)

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The central thesis of this book is that Volvox and its unicellular and colonial relatives provide a wholly unrivalled opportunity to explore the proximate and ultimate causes underlying the evolution, from unicellular ancestors, of multicellular organisms with fully differentiated cell types. A major portion of the book is devoted to reviewing what is known about the genetic, cellular and molecular basis of development in the most extensively studied species of Volvox: V. cateri, which exhibits a complete division of labour between mortal somatic cells and immortal germ cells. However, this topic has been put in context by first considering the ecological conditions and cytological preconditions that appear to have fostered the evolution of organisms of progressively increasing size and with progressively increasing tendency to produce terminally differentiated somatic cells. The book concludes by raising the question of whether the germensoma dichotomy may have evolved by similar or different genetic pathways in different species of Volvox. Biologists and phycologists interested in development, genetics and cellular evolution will find this a fascinating work.

Prologue; 1. Introduction; 2. The volvocales: many cellular innovations; 3. Ecological factors fostering the evolution of Volvox; 4. Cytological features fostering the evolution of Volvox; 5. Volvox V. Carteri: a Rosetta stone for deciphering the origins of cytodifferentiation; 6. Mutational analysis of the V. Carteri development program; 7. Molecular analysis of V. Carteri genes and development; Epilogue; References.

Erscheint lt. Verlag	8.9.2005
Reihe/Serie	Developmental and Cell Biology Series
Zusatzinfo	10 Tables, unspecified; 35 Halftones, unspecified; 42 Line drawings, unspecified
Verlagsort	Cambridge
Sprache	englisch
Maße	153 x 229 mm
Gewicht	607 g
Themenwelt	Naturwissenschaften ► Biologie ► Botanik
Themenwelt	Naturwissenschaften ► Biologie ► Limnologie / Meeresbiologie
ISBN-10	0-521-01914-1 / 0521019141
ISBN-13	978-0-521-01914-9 / 9780521019149
Zustand	Neuware