This book outlines a unified theory of embryonic development, assuming morphogenesis to be a multi-level process including self-organizing steps while also obeying general laws. It is shown how molecular mechanisms generate mechanical forces, which in the long run lead to morphological changes. Questions such as how stress-mediated feedback acts at the cellular and supra-cellular levels and how executive and regulatory mechanisms are mutually dependent are addressed, while aspects of collective cell behavior and the morphogenesis of plants are also discussed. The morphomechanical approach employed in the book is based on the general principles of self-organization theory.

Embryology is a branch of science concerned with the morphological aspects of organismal development. The genomic and molecular revolution of the second half of the 20th century, together with the classic descriptive aspects of this science have allowed greater integration in our understanding of many developmental events. Through such integration, modern embryology seeks to provide practical knowledge that can be applied to assisted reproduction, stem cell therapy, birth defects, fetal surgery and other fields. This book focuses on human embryology and aims to provide an up-to-date source of information on a variety of selected topics. The book consists of nine chapters organized into three sections, namely: 1) gametes and infertility, 2) implantation, placentation and early development, and 3) perspectives in embryology. The contents of this book should be of interest to biology and medical students, clinical embryologists, laboratory researchers, obstetricians and urologists, developmental biologists, molecular geneticists and anyone who wishes to know more about recent advances in human development.

This book examines key theoretical tools that are currently used to develop mathematical models as an aid in understanding the biological response of cells and tissues to mechanical stimuli. Problems in growth and remodeling, tissue and organ development, and functional adaptation are all covered. Chapters on tensor analysis and nonlinear elasticity provide the necessary background for understanding the engineering theories that are currently used to solve challenges in mechanobiology. This is an ideal book for biomechanical engineers who work on problems in mechanobiology and tissue engineering.

The epistemological synthesis of the various theories of evolution, since the first formulation in 1802 with the transmission of the inherited characters by J.B. Lamarck, shows the need for an alternative synthesis to that of Princeton (1947). This new synthesis integrates the scientific models of self-organization developed during the second half of the 20th century based on the laws of physics, thermodynamics, and mathematics with the emergent evolutionary problematics such as self-organized memory. This book shows, how self-organization is integrated in modern evolutionary biology. It is divided in two parts: The first part pays attention to the modern observations in paleontology and biology, which include major theoreticians of the self-organization (d’Arcy Thompson, Henri Bergson, René Thom, Ilya Prigogine). The second part presents different emergent evolutionary models including the sciences of complexity, the non-linear dynamical systems, fractals, attractors, epigenesis, systemics, and mesology with different examples of the sciences of complexity and self-organization as observed in the human lineage, from both internal (embryogenesis-morphogenesis) and external (mesology) viewpoints.

In 35 chapters written by the editors and a team of internationally renowned contributors, the book covers the underlying principles of osteopathic palpation from a biodynamic and 'morphodynamic' perspective, and their application in the cranial field and the spinal cord. It emphasises the importance of considering not just the patient's physical self, but also the inner consciousness. It teaches how to assess tissue-energy characteristics, and to use this understanding in managing the whole patient. The work discusses biophysical, neurobiological and psychological interactions as well as the interplay of developmental dynamics and further epigenetic influences on the organism. As well as the primary respiratory mechanism, various biological rhythms play an important role within osteopathic treatment; the book explores new insights that flow from chronobiology and rhythm research. All osteopathic practice develops on conceptual foundations. Acknowledging the importance in the practice of osteopathy of such theoretical underpinning, the book discusses osteopathy with regard to the development of paradigms within the healing arts as well as from various philosophical viewpoints - such as postmodern, system-theoretical, Goethian and phenomenological. It examines thoroughly the multi-layered dynamics of development of human beings interacting with their environment. The resulting implications for therapeutic interaction as well as principles of diagnosis and treatment form the core of the book. These fundamental principles are then specifically applied to the cranial sphere. This section focuses primarily on the treatment of the brain, as well as the developmental dynamics of the relations of the midline, cranial bones, dural structures, vessels and cranial nerves.

The greatest mystery of life is how a single fertilized egg develops into a fully functioning, sometimes conscious multicellular organism. Embryogenesis Explained offers a new theory of how embryos build themselves, and combines simple physics with the most recent biochemical and genetic breakthroughs, based on the authors' prediction and then discovery of differentiation waves. They explain their ideas in a form accessible to the lay person and a broad spectrum of scientists and engineers. The diverse subjects of development, genetics and evolution, and their physics, are brought together to explain this major, previously unanswered scientific question of our time.As a follow up on The Hierarchical Genome, this book is a shorter but conceptually expanded work for the reader who is interested in science. It is useful as a starting point for the curious layman or the scientist or professional encountering the problem of embryogenesis without the formal biology background. There is also material useful for the seasoned biologist caught up in the new rush of information about the role of mechanics in developmental biology and cellular level mechanics in medicine.

Soft biological tissues often undergo large (nearly) elastic deformations that can be modeled using the nonlinear theory of elasticity. Because of the varied approaches to nonlinear elasticity in the literature, some aspects of the subject may be difficult to appreciate.This volume clarifies and unifies those treatments, illustrating the advantages and disadvantages of each through various examples in biomechanics. Applications include muscle, arteries, the heart, and embryonic tissues.The revised edition includes new end-of-chapter problems, including answers and detailed solutions to most. The useful reference can be a good textbook for self-study, as well as senior- and graduate-level courses in biomechanics and nonlinear elasticity.