A Conceptual History of Modern Embryology

Brings together 13 prominent embryologists and historians to write an account of the history of embryology and to explore the concepts that underlie modern embryology. The concept of induction - from Pander and von Baer to Ephrussi and Waddington - is the book's predominant theme.

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Although embryology is one of biology's principal disciplines, its history is often largely neglected. In this volume, Scott Gilbert brings together 13 prominent embryologists and historians to write an account of that history and to explore the concepts that underlie not only modern embryology but also developmental and evolutionary biology. The historical periods covered in the text range from the rebirth of comparative developmental anatomy in the 1800s to the synthesis with genetics in the 1960s. Topics include tissue interactions, relationships between genes and phenotype, the effects of cell surface in mediating organogenesis, and the nature of morphogenetic determinants. The concept of induction - from Pander and von Baer to Ephrussi and Waddington - is the book's predominant theme.