This book presents an overview of the entire field of cadherin research and provides the current basic concept of cadherins. Cadherins have been widely accepted as key regulators of animal development and physiological functions, and it also has become clear that they play essential roles in various human diseases. With contributions by leading scientists, the book covers various aspects of the cadherin superfamily including the history of cadherin research, basic properties of classical cadherins as well as non-classical cadherins, cadherin-associated proteins, and the roles of cadherins in health and diseases. In addition, the book presents some contradictory results and important unanswered questions, and the authors propose their working hypotheses or future directions, to inspire future studies. This volume enables graduate students and young researchers to learn the basics and gain a comprehensive image of the cadherin superfamily, and experts in the field will easily find various topics of interest in relevant areas of study. Additionally, a list of cadherin-related diseases is included for quick reference to cadherins in human diseases.

Presents a model for biological clocks, and covers topics in ecology and evolutionary genetics.

The central themes of Cell Boundaries concern the structural and organizational principles underlying cell membranes, and how these principles enable function. By building a biological and biophysical foundation for understanding the organization of lipids in bilayers and the folding, assembly, stability, and function of membrane proteins, the book aims to broaden the knowledge of bioscience students to include the basic physics and physical chemistry that inform us about membranes. In doing so, it is hoped that physics students will find familiar territory that will lead them to an interest in biology. Our progress toward understanding membranes and membrane proteins depends strongly upon the concerted use of both biology and physics. It is important for students to know not only what we know, but how we have come to know it, so Cell Boundaries endeavours to bring out the history behind the central discoveries, especially in the early chapters, where the foundation is laid for later chapters. Science is far more interesting if, as students, we can appreciate and share in the adventures—and misadventures—of discovering new scientific knowledge. Cell Boundaries was written with advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students in the biological and physical sciences in mind, though this textbook will likely have appeal to researchers and other academics as well. Highlights the history of important central discoveries Early chapters lay the foundation for later chapters to build on, so knowledge is amassed High-quality line diagrams illustrate key concepts and illuminate molecular mechanisms Box features and spreads expand on topics in main text, including histories of discoveries, special techniques, and applications

Cell surface small molecules and macromolecules, such as members of cholesterol family (including steroid hormones), the glycolipid family (sphingolipids), the glycoprotein family (both N-linked and O-linked), and a vast array of other receptors have been shown to be involved in normal and abnormal cellular processes. The 11th International Symposium on Cell Surface Macromolecules, held in Mohali, India, in February 2017 provided a comprehensive update on the major advances in this area. Presenting selected contributions from this meeting, this book comprises 24 chapters, which provide in-depth analyses of data on the role of cell surface macromolecules in cellular function and their alterations associated with pathological conditions. It includes comprehensive research papers and critical overviews of the functional role of cell surface molecules, discussing topics such as biochemical, biophysical, and cell biological approaches to study cell membrane molecules, and metabolism of glycoconjugates.

The Springer Handbook of Auditory Research presents a series of compreh- sive and synthetic reviews of the fundamental topics in modern auditory - search. The volumes are aimed at all individuals with interests in hearing research including advanced graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and clinical investigators. The volumes are intended to introduce new investigators to important aspects of hearing science and to help established investigators to better understand the fundamental theories and data in ?elds of hearing that they may not normally follow closely. Each volume presents a particular topic comprehensively, and each serves as a synthetic overview and guide to the literature. As such, the chapters present neither exhaustive data reviews nor original research that has not yet appeared in peer-reviewed journals. The volumes focus on topics that have developed a solid data and conceptual foundation rather than on those for which a literature is only beginning to develop. New research areas will be covered on a timely basis in the series as they begin to mature.

Genetic information determines the composition of molecules comprising cytoskeletal elements, membranes and receptors. The supramolecular arrangement of these components represents a self-assembly process controlled by physicochemical and mechanical interactions. This general hypothesis demarcates the aim of studying cellular mechanics. Description and evaluation of mechanical properties of cells and their organelles, as well as of the forces exerted by them, is the scope of this book on Cytomechanics. Emphasis is laid on the role of mechanical properties in the generation of shape and cytoplasmic motion, and on the basic principles and components determining mechanical properties.