Foundations of Neural Development

by S. Marc Breedlove

Foundations of Neural Development is a textbook written with a conversational writing style and topics appropriate for an undergraduate audience. Each chapter begins with a thought-provoking vignette, or a "real-life story," that the subsequent material illuminates. The "Researchers at Work" feature, available in every chapter, describes a classic study in detail, taking the reader through the hypothesis, test, result, and conclusion of an experiment. A marginal glossary, review questions, and bulleted summary are a few of the other features in the book. Chapters 1-7 unfold in the order of ontogeny, covering induction, the establishment of a body plan, neural migration, differentiation, axonal pathfinding, synapse formation, and apoptosis. Chapters 8-10 address activity-guided, experience-guided, and socially guided neural development--mechanisms that were crucial for the evolution of the human brain. Lively and engaging, with the finest illustrations, Foundations of Neural
Development is the perfect book to help any undergraduate student understand how a single microscopic cell, a human zygote, can develop into the most complex machine on earth, the brain.

For the Student

Companion Website

The Foundations of Neural Development Companion Website contains a range of media and review resources to help students learn the material presented in each chapter of the textbook and to visualize some of the key processes discussed. The site includes the following

* Chapter outlines
* Chapter summaries
* Detailed animations that cover some of the key processes presented in the textbook.
* Links to fascinating videos that demonstrate the processes and concepts of neural development.
* An easy way for students to learn and review the key terms introduced in each chapter.
* Glossary
* News A continuously-updated feed of links to science news articles relevant to neural developmental.

For Instructors (available to qualified adopters)

Instructor's Resource Library

The Foundations of Neural Development Instructor's Resource Library (available to qualified adopters) includes a variety of resources to aid you in the development of your course and the assessment of your students. The IRL includes the following.

* Textbook Figures & All of the figures (including photos) and tables from the textbook are provided as JPEGs, all optimized for use in presentations. Complex figures are provided in both whole and split versions.

* PowerPoint A PowerPoint presentation containing all figures and tables, with titles and full captions, is provided for each chapter.

* A collection of fascinating segments from BBC programs that illustrate important concepts from the textbook.

* Test The Test Bank consists of a range of questions covering key facts and concepts in each chapter. Multiple-choice and short-answer questions are included, and all questions are ranked according to Bloom's Taxonomy and referenced to specific textbook sections.

* Computerized Test The Test Bank is provided in Blackboard's Diploma format (software included). Diploma makes it easy to assemble quizzes and exams from any combination of publisher-provided questions and instructor-created questions. In addition, quizzes and exams can be exported for import into many different course management systems, such as Blackboard and Moodle.

* Course Management System The Test Bank is also provided in Blackboard format, for easy import into campus Blackboard systems. In addition, using the Computerized Test Bank, instructors can easily create and export quizzes and exams (or the entire test bank) for import into other course management systems, including Moodle, Canvas, and Desire2Learn/Brightspace.

370 pages, Hardcover

Published February 1, 2017

About the author

Rosenberg Professor of Neuroscience, Michigan State University.

Reviews

[Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only textbook I have read throughout and occasionally return to post graduation. Perhaps the only university textbook one can imaginably enjoy reading on their own time. A very interesting and well illustrated book on how a zygote develops all the way to a fully fledged adult, with enormous detail at every level of analysis. Probably requires a bit of previous education to fully grasp but good regardless.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

As far as a text book goes this was great. Concepts are clearly laid out. Good mix of description, focus on experimentation and clear diagrams. Even moments of humour. But still a text book.