Genética Humana e Embriologia

Ecological Developmental Biology: A Review

Abstract

Sperber GH

The appearance of a second edition of this work testifies to the rapid changes that have occurred since the first edition was published in 2008. The wide-ranging scope of this book is revealed in its secondary title: ”The Environmental Regulation of Development, Health and Evolution”. The eleven chapters, four appendices and a coda of philosophical concerns raised by ecological developmental biology engender an extensive purview of the subject. It delves into the newly developing science of “eco- devo” whereby environmental agents impact upon genetic inheritance patterns of a wide range of biota. The book integrates the medical studies of diabetes, cancers, obesity and the aging process into the environmental influences on the occurrences of diseases and infirmities. Herein, the impact of teratogens, endocrine disruptions and diet upon development is explored and explained