The Physiology Of Nematodes

The Biology of Nematodes synthesizes knowledge of the biology of free-living, plant-parasitic, and animal-parasitic nematodes. Contributed works by recognized researchers apply groundbreaking molecular techniques, many of which resulted from work on Caenorhabditis elegans, toward new approaches to the study of nematode worms. Topics covered include: ̈ Systematics and phylogeny ̈ Neuromuscular physiology ̈ Locomotion ̈ Sense organs ̈ Behavior ̈ Aging ̈ The nematode genome ̈ Survival strategies ̈ Immunology ̈ Epidemiology ̈ Structure and organization ̈ Gametes and fertilization ̈ Development ̈ Feeding, digestion, and metabolism

"Written by leading research workers from Europe, USA, Australia and New Zealand, this is the only up-to-date reference book which reviews and integrates all the current research findings on the physiology and biochemistry of these organisms, including the molecular information which has accumulated in recent years.

Nematodes are renowned for their ability to survive severe environmental fluctuations. Their mechanisms to withstand temperature extremes, desiccation, and osmotic and ionic stress are presented here together with information on the underlying biochemical basis contributing to survival. Highlighting parallels and contrasts between parasitic and free-living nematode groups, this book integrates strategies that enable nematodes to persist in the absence of food with tactics used by parasitic forms to survive the defence responses of a plant or animal host. This functional study is an essential resource for researchers in nematology, parasitology and zoology.

General Editor: Peter Calow, Department of Zoology, University of Sheffield, England The main aim of this series will be to illustrate and to explain the way organisms 'make a living' in nature. At the heart of this - their functional biology - is the way organisms acquire and then make use of resources in metabolism, movement, growth, reproduction, and so on. These processes will form the fundamental framework of all the books in the series. Each book will concentrate on a particular taxon (species, family, class or even phylum) and will bring together information on the form, physiology, ecology and evolutionary biology of the group. The aim will be not only to describe how organisms work, but also to consider why they have come to work in that way. By concentrating on taxa which are well known, it is hoped that the series will not only illustrate the success of selection, but also show the constraints imposed upon it by the physiological, morpho logical and developmentallimhations of the groups. Another important feature of the series will be its organismic orientation. Each book will emphasise the importance of functional integration in the day-to-day lives and the evolution of organisms. This is crucial since, though it may be true that organisms can be considered as collections of gene-determined traits, they neverthe less interact with their environment as integrated wholes and it is in this context that individual traits have been subjected to natural selection and have evolved.

Contributed research papers.