Developmental anatomy -- Developmental genetics -- Cell-cell communication in development -- Fertilization -- Early development in selected invertebrates -- The genetics of axis specification in drosphila -- Amphibians and fish -- Birds and mammals -- The Emergence of the ectoderm -- Neural crest cells and axonal specificity -- Paraxial and intermediate mesoderm -- Lateral plate mesoderm and the endoderm -- Development of the tetrapod limb -- Sex determination -- Postembryonic development -- The saga of the germ line -- Medial aspects of developmental biology -- Developmental plasticity and symbiosis -- Developmental mechanisms of evolutionary change.

Increased emphasis on gene activity, signal transduction and the emphasis on the roles of paracrine factors in development. This undergraduate textbook synthesizes the organismal, cellular, and evolutionary aspects of animal development. The seventh edition adds a chapter on the medical implications of developmental biology. The CD-ROM contains 140 videos and 300 labeled photographs that walk through the life cycle of model organisms. Annotation (c)2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.