Cover; Title page; Copyright; Preface; Conventions and Commonly used Abbreviations; Naming conventions for genes and proteins; Commonly used abbreviations; Significance of bold and blue bold terms; 1: Models and Methods for Studying Neural Development; 1.1 What is neural development?; 1.2 Why research neural development?; 1.3 Major breakthroughs that have contributed to understanding developmental mechanisms; 1.4 Invertebrate model organisms; 1.5 Vertebrate model organisms; 1.6 Observation and experiment: methods for studying neural development; 1.7 Summary
2: The Anatomy of Developing Nervous Systems2.1 The nervous system develops from the embryonic neuroectoderm; 2.2 Anatomical terms used to describe locations in embryos; 2.3 Development of the neuroectoderm of invertebrates; 2.4 Development of the neuroectoderm of vertebrates and the process of neurulation; 2.5 Secondary neurulation in vertebrates; 2.6 Formation of invertebrate and vertebrate peripheral nervous systems; 2.7 Summary; 3: Neural Induction: An Example of How Intercellular Signalling Determines Cell Fates; 3.1 What is neural induction?; 3.2 Specification and commitment
3.3 The discovery of neural induction3.4 A more recent breakthrough: identifying molecules that mediate neural induction; 3.5 Conservation of neural induction mechanisms in Drosophila; 3.6 Beyond the default model -- other signalling pathways involved in neural induction; 3.7 Signal transduction: how cells respond to intercellular signals; 3.8 Intercellular signalling regulates gene expression; 3.9 The essence of development: a complex interplay of intercellular and intracellular signalling; 3.10 Summary; 4: Patterning the Neuroectoderm; 4.1 Regional patterning of the nervous system
4.2 Patterning the anteroposterior (AP) axis of the Drosophila CNS4.3 Patterning the AP axis of the vertebrate CNS; 4.4 Refining AP axis patterning within regions and segments; 4.5 Patterning the dorsoventral (DV) axis of the nervous system; 4.6 Bringing it all together; 4.7 Summary; 5: Neurogenesis: Generating Neural Cells; 5.1 Generating neural cells; 5.2 Neurogenesis in Drosophila; 5.3 Neurogenesis in vertebrates; 5.4 The regulation of neuronal subtype identity; 5.5 The regulation of cell proliferation during neurogenesis; 5.6 Temporal regulation of neural identity
5.7 Why do we need to know about neurogenesis?5.8 Summary; 6: Neuronal Migration; 6.1 Many neurons migrate long distances during formation of the nervous system; 6.2 How can neuronal migration be observed?; 6.3 Major modes of migration; 6.4 Initiation of migration; 6.5 How are migrating cells guided to their destinations?; 6.6 Locomotion; 6.7 Journey's end -- termination of migration; 6.8 The mechanisms that govern migration of important populations of cortical neurons remain unknown; 6.9 Summary; 7: How Neurons Develop Their Shapes; 7.1 Neurons form two specialized types of outgrowth
Summary
The development of a brain from its simple beginnings in the embryo to the extraordinarily complex fully-functional adult structure is a truly remarkable process. Understanding how it occurs remains a formidable challenge despite enormous advances over the last century and current intense world-wide scientific research. A greater knowledge of how nervous systems construct themselves will bring huge benefits for human health and future technologies. Unravelling the mechanisms that lead to the development of healthy brains should help scientists tackle currently incurable diseases of the nervous
