Cellular and Molecular Biology of Plant Seed Development


Book Description

The beginnings of human civili zation can be traced back to the time , ne- ly 12 ,000 years ago , when th e early humans gradually ch anged from a life of hunting and gathering food , to producing food. This beginning of pri- tive agriculture ensured a dependable supply of food , and fostered the living together of people in groups and the development of s o c i e ty. During th is time, plant s e e ds were recognized a s a valuable s o ur c e of food and nutrition , and began to be used for growing plants for food. Ever s i n c e , plant seeds have played an important role in the development of the human civilization . Even today, s e e ds of a few crop s p e c i e s , s uc h as the cereals and legume s, are the primary s o u r c e of most human food , and the predominant commodity in international agriculture. Owing to their great importance as food for human s and in international trade , seeds have been a favorite object of s t u d y by developmental biologists and physiologi sts , nutritionist s and chem i sts . A wealth of useful information i s available on th e biology of seed s .







Genetic control of self-incompatibility and reproductive development in flowering plants


Book Description

Plant reproductive biology has undergone a revolution during the past five years, with the cloning, sequencing and localization of the genes important in reproduction. These advantages in plant molecular biology have led to exciting applications in plant biotechnology, including the genetic engineering of male sterility and other reproductive processes. This book presents an interesting and contemporary account of these new developments from the scientists in whose laboratories they have been made. The chapters focus on two areas: the molecular biology of self-incompatibility, which is the system of self-recognition controlled by the S-gene and related genes; and the cellular and molecular biology of pollen development and genetic dissection of male sterility. Some chapters feature Arabidopsis, with its unique genetic system. Reproduction is vital for seed production in crop plants, and this book presents new approaches to manipulate plant breeding systems for the 21st century.




Seed Development and Germination


Book Description

This text is intended for plant physiologists, molecular biologists, biochemists, biotechnologists, geneticists, horticulturalists, agromnomists and botanists, and upper-level undergraduate and graduate students in these disciplines. It integrates advances in the diverse and rapidly-expanding field of seed science, from ecological and demographic aspects of seed production, dispersal and germination, to the molecular biology of seed development. The book offers a broad, multidisciplinary approach that covers both theoretical and applied knowledge.




The Molecular Biology of Cell Determination and Cell Differentiation


Book Description

This series was established to create comprehensive treatises on specific topics in developmental biology. Such volumes serve a useful role in developmental biology, which is a very diverse field that receives contributions from a wide variety of disciplines. This series is a meeting ground for the various practi tioners of this science, facilitating an integration of heterogeneous information on specific topics. Each volume is comprised of chapters selected to provide the conceptual basis for a comprehensive understanding of its topic as well as an analysis of the key experiments upon which that understanding is based. The specialist in any aspect of developmental biology should understand the experimental back ground of the specialty and be able to place that body of information in context, in order to ascertain where additional research would be fruitful. The creative process then generates new experiments. This series is intended to be a vital link in that ongoing process of learning and discovery.




Molecular Genetics of Plant Development


Book Description

The purpose of this book is to present classical plant development in modern, molecular-genetic terms. The study of plant development is rapidly changing as plant genome projects uncover a multitude of new genes. This book provides a framework for integrating gene discovery and genome analysis into the context of plant development. Molecular Genetics of Plant Development is designed to be used as a text-book for upper-division or graduate courses in plant development. The book will also serve as a reference book for scientists in the field of plant molecular biology or plant molecular genetics. The book is also useful for general development courses in which both animal and plant development are presented.




Plant Hormones


Book Description

Plant hormones play a crucial role in controlling the way in which plants grow and develop. While metabolism provides the power and building blocks for plant life, it is the hormones that regulate the speed of growth of the individual parts and integrate them to produce the form that we recognize as a plant. This book is a description of these natural chemicals: how they are synthesized and metabolized, how they act at both the organismal and molecular levels, how we measure them, a description of some of the roles they play in regulating plant growth and development, and the prospects for the genetic engineering of hormone levels or responses in crop plants. This is an updated revision of the third edition of the highly acclaimed text. Thirty-three chapters, including two totally new chapters plus four chapter updates, written by a group of fifty-five international experts, provide the latest information on Plant Hormones, particularly with reference to such new topics as signal transduction, brassinosteroids, responses to disease, and expansins. The book is not a conference proceedings but a selected collection of carefully integrated and illustrated reviews describing our knowledge of plant hormones and the experimental work that is the foundation of this information. The Revised 3rd Edition adds important information that has emerged since the original publication of the 3rd edition. This includes information on the receptors for auxin, gibberellin, abscisic acid and jasmonates, in addition to new chapters on strigolactones, the branching hormones, and florigen, the flowering hormone.




Annual Plant Reviews, Seed Development, Dormancy and Germination


Book Description

The formation, dispersal and germination of seeds are crucial stages in the life cycles of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants. The unique properties of seeds, particularly their tolerance to desiccation, their mobility, and their ability to schedule their germination to coincide with times when environmental conditions are favorable to their survival as seedlings, have no doubt contributed significantly to the success of seed-bearing plants. Humans are also dependent upon seeds, which constitute the majority of the world’s staple foods (e.g., cereals and legumes). Seeds are an excellent system for studying fundamental developmental processes in plant biology, as they develop from a single fertilized zygote into an embryo and endosperm, in association with the surrounding maternal tissues. As genetic and molecular approaches have become increasingly powerful tools for biological research, seeds have become an attractive system in which to study a wide array of metabolic processes and regulatory systems. Seed Development, Dormancy and Germination provides a comprehensive overview of seed biology from the point of view of the developmental and regulatory processes that are involved in the transition from a developing seed through dormancy and into germination and seedling growth. It examines the complexity of the environmental, physiological, molecular and genetic interactions that occur through the life cycle of seeds, along with the concepts and approaches used to analyze seed dormancy and germination behavior. It also identifies the current challenges and remaining questions for future research. The book is directed at plant developmental biologists, geneticists, plant breeders, seed biologists and graduate students.




Plant Growth and Development


Book Description

Plant Growth and Development: A Molecular Approach presents the field of plant development from both molecular and genetic perspectives. This field has evolved at a rapid rate over the past five years through the increasing exploitation of the remarkable plant Arabidopsis. The small genome, rapid life cycle, and ease of transformation of Arabidopsis, as well as the relatively large number of laboratories that are using this plant for their research, have lead to an exponential increase in information about plant development mechanisms.In Plant Growth and Development: A Molecular Approach Professor Fosket synthesizes this flood of new information in a way that conveys to students the excitement of this still growing field. His textbook is based on notes developed over more than ten years of teaching a course on the molecular analysis of plant growth and development and assumes no special knowledge of plant biology. It is intended for advanced undergraduates in plant development, as well as those in plant molecular biology. Graduate students and researchers who are just beginning to work in the field will also find much valuable information in this book. Each chapter concludes with questions for study and review as well as suggestions for further reading. Illustrated with two-color drawings and graphs throughout, and containing up-to-date and comprehensive coverage, Plant Growth and Development: A Molecular Approach will excite and inform students as it increases their understanding of plant science.* * Presents plant development from a molecular and cellular perspective* Illustrates concepts with two-colour diagrams throughout* Offers key study questions and guides to further reading within each chapter* Gives an up-to-date and thorough treatment of this increasingly important subject area* Derived from the author's many years of teaching plant developmental biology




The Molecular Life of Plants


Book Description

A stunning landmark co-publication between the American Society of Plant Biologists and Wiley-Blackwell. The Molecular Life of Plants presents students with an innovative, integrated approach to plant science. It looks at the processes and mechanisms that underlie each stage of plant life and describes the intricate network of cellular, molecular, biochemical and physiological events through which plants make life on land possible. Richly illustrated, this book follows the life of the plant, starting with the seed, progressing through germination to the seedling and mature plant, and ending with reproduction and senescence. This "seed-to-seed" approach will provide students with a logical framework for acquiring the knowledge needed to fully understand plant growth and development. Written by a highly respected and experienced author team The Molecular Life of Plants will prove invaluable to students needing a comprehensive, integrated introduction to the subject across a variety of disciplines including plant science, biological science, horticulture and agriculture.