© 2009 • 365 pp., illus., index
Hardcover • £60.00 • ISBN  978-087969825-6

The thirteen chapters presented in this book summarize our current understanding of the development, biology, and evolution of the vertebrate skeleton. Written by experts in the field, chapters cover everything from the differentiation of chondrocytes, limb and craniofacial patterning, and the origins and evolution of bone to the genetics of human skeletal disease. It is a useful reference for scientists and clinicians wishing to learn how the skeleton is built and works.

  “Skeletal biology encompasses many different approaches and contexts that have one or more aspects of vertebrate skeletons as their basis. This volume emphasizes establishment of the skeleton and regulation of skeletal development in mammals (mostly mouse) and birds (mostly chick). Within that context, the approach is integrative rather than comparative, molecular rather than morphological, and genetic rather than epigenetic...The chapters fulfill the editor's intention to provide a book that meets the expectations of specialists and surveys the field for newcomers who want an entree into avian or mammalian model systems.”
      —The Quarterly Review of Biology

  “[This] book provides a wealth of useful and up-to-date information written by leading investigators who are at the forefront of the field. It is particularly thorough in its coverage of skeletal patterning and skeletal cell differentiation...[It] will be a useful addition to the bookshelves of all those interested in skeletal biology.”
      —Cell



1. Evolutionary Origin of Bone and Cartilage in Vertebrates

K.G. Ota and S. Kuratani

2. Developmental Patterning of the Limb Skeleton

K.L. Cooper and C.J. Tabin

3. Patterning and Differentiation of the Vertebrate Spine

J. Chal and O. Pourquié

4. Craniofacial Patterning

N.M. Le Douarin and S.E. Creuzet

5. Transcriptional Control of Chondrocyte Differentiation

B. de Crombrugghe and H. Akiyama

6. Growth Factors and Chondrogenesis

H.M. Kronenberg, A.P. McMahon, and C.J. Tabin

7. Transcriptional Control of Osteoblast Differentiation

G. Karsenty

8. Role of Growth Factors in Bone Development and Differentiation

S. Fujimori, D. Kostanova-Poliakova, and C. Hartmann

9. Cytokine and Growth Factor Regulation of Osteoclastogenesis

H. Takayanagi

10. Bone Mineralization

L.F. Bonewald, S.L. Dallas, and J.P. Gorski

11. Bone Remodeling: Cellular and Molecular Events

T.J. Martin and N.A. Sims

12. Genetics of Human Skeletal Disease

B.R. Olsen

13. Extracellular Matrix in the Skeleton

F. Ramirez

Index