Opportunities in Biology

National Research Council, Division on Earth and Life Studies, Commission on Life Sciences, Board on Biology, Committee on Research Opportunities in Biology

National Academies, Jan 1, 1989 - Science - 464 pages

Biology has entered an era in which interdisciplinary cooperation is at an all-time high, practical applications follow basic discoveries more quickly than ever before, and new technologiesâ€"recombinant DNA, scanning tunneling microscopes, and moreâ€"are revolutionizing the way science is conducted. The potential for scientific breakthroughs with significant implications for society has never been greater.

Opportunities in Biology reports on the state of the new biology, taking a detailed look at the disciplines of biology; examining the advances made in medicine, agriculture, and other fields; and pointing out promising research opportunities. Authored by an expert panel representing a variety of viewpoints, this volume also offers recommendations on how to meet the infrastructure needsâ€"for funding, effective information systems, and other supportâ€"of future biology research.

Exploring what has been accomplished and what is on the horizon, Opportunities in Biology is an indispensable resource for students, teachers, and researchers in all subdisciplines of biology as well as for research administrators and those in funding agencies.

Contents

• Executive Summary: 1
• The New Biology: 15
• Molecular Structure and Function: 39
• Development: 140
• The Nervous System and Behavior: 175
• The Immune System and Infectious Diseases: 224
• Evolution and Diversity: 260
• Ecology and Ecosystems: 287
• Species Loss and Conservation Ecology: 307
• Global Climate Change: 313
• Conclusion: 321
• Arthritis: 334
• Advances in Understanding Human Genetic Disorders: 344
• Advances in the Biochemical Process Industry: 352
• Advances in Animal Agriculture: 359
• Plant Biology and Agriculture: 365
• Plant Hormones: 381
• PlantPathogen Interactions: 390
• Genetic Improvement of Plants: 397
• Biology Research Infrastructure and Recommendations: 403
• Index: 425

Popular passages

Page 406 - low-fat" milk products and "lean" meat and poultry." . • The Surgeon General,2* the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute...‎

Page 182 - This gives rise to a voltage drop of some 60 to 90 millivolts across the membrane, with the inside of the cell being negative with respect to the outside. To maintain these differences in ion concentration the nerve cell contains a kind of pump that forces sodium ions "uphill...‎

Page 275 - But a species is not like a molecule in a cloud of molecules. It is a unique population of organisms, the terminus of a lineage that split off from the most closely related species thousands or even millions of years ago. It has been hammered and shaped into its present form by mutations and natural selection, during which certain genetic combinations survived and reproduced differentially out of an almost inconceivably large possible total.‎

Page 175 - ... type that nature has put into the collection. No two look alike, nor like any specimens in any other collection of children. It is only in the past few years that we have come to know, as a part of organized science, that this is no mere matter of superficial appearance; the diversity is in their very foundations; in their original constitution; in the very fiber of their being. It lies as much in their capabilities and tendencies, in their mentality and character, as it does...‎

Page 410 - ... collections. But a large fraction of these specialists, perhaps a majority, are engaged only part-time in taxonomic research. More to the point, few can identify organisms from the tropics, where the great majority of species exist and where extinction is proceeding most rapidly. Probably no more than 1,500 professional systematists in the world are competent to deal with...‎

Page 144 - Great progress has been made over the past decade in our understanding of...‎

Page 41 - Now electron and neutron diffraction have become available as tools for solid samples, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy has been developed to the point where it can be used to...‎

Page 198 - In classical conditioning, an initially weak or ineffective conditioned stimulus (CS) becomes highly effective in producing a behavioral response after it has been paired with a strong unconditioned stimulus (US).‎

Page 328 - The lipoproteins are classified into five groups: chylomicrons, very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL), low-density lipoproteins (LDL), intermediatedensity lipoproteins (IDL), and high-density lipoproteins (HDL).‎

Page 178 - The principle of electro-slag refining of metals has been known for many years but it is only in the past...‎

Bibliographic information

• Title: Opportunities in Biology
• Authors: National Research Council, Division on Earth and Life Studies, Commission on Life Sciences, Board on Biology, Committee on Research Opportunities in Biology
• Publisher: National Academies, 1989
• Length: 464 pages
• Subjects: Science / Biotechnology