Oogenesis The Universal Process

The book consists of 22 chapters, divided into 8 sections that describe the process of oogenesis in chronological order. It contains contributions from an international panel of researchers working both on mammals and invertebrate model species. The book will thus highlight the common and conserved processes that take place during oogenesis.Topics covered include sex determination and gonadal development, interactions between the oocyte and the surrounding somatal cells, triggers for meiotic cell division; the question whether adult female germline cells exist will be discussed as well as the effect of maternal age on possible complications during oocyte development. A final chapter covers cloning and medically assisted reproduction. Only book that covers all aspects of oogenesis, not just meiosis. Synthesizes the recent advances in the field, drawing from studies with different model species. Chapters are presented in a logical sequence following the time line in vivo Existing books are outdated, focus mainly on mammalian oogenesis or specialize only in a particular aspect of oogenesis, usually meiosis. Deals with the basic science behind developmental and reproductive biology which is essential for developing fertility and IVF treatments.

MARIE-HÉLÈNE VERLHAC, CNRS/Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France.

ANNE VILLENEUVE, School of Medicine, Stanford University, USA.