Histologic Basis of Mouse Endocrine System Development: A Comparative Analysis PDF

Preface

Dr. Kaufman created the classic textbooks on mouse embryology that remain heavily used to this day and will continue to be used for years to come. Unfortunately, the technology at the time was black-and-white photomicrographs and line diagrams. While these are superb, they are small and do not provide the detail needed by today's mouse pathologists. To address this problem, we took advantage of the new digital "virtual slide" technology to scan the best images in Dr. Kaufman's collection to generate color images at various magnifications. While the focus of this book is on comparative embryology of the endocrine organs, the embryonic images at various developmental stages contain many other organs. The representative images are provided in the text for orientation and reference. The accompanying DVD designed by Dr. Nikitin provides the virtual slides that can be viewed on your computer screen in color and at various magnifications. Installing the ImageScope™ software (Aperio Technologies, Inc.) to access the files turns your computer into a "virtual microscope" where the image from the glass microscope slide can be moved across the screen and areas of interest enlarged for more detailed evaluation. This tool allows the reader to look at specific organs or structures at various magnifications at different stages of embryogenesis, making this a unique tool to help identify structures in normal mouse embryos while comparing with embryos under investigation. The text integrates historical perspectives of embryogenesis of the endocrine system between many species, but primarily between humans and mice. The digital images focus entirely on the mouse as this is intended to be an adjunct to assist with analysis of genetically engineered mice with embryonic abnormalities. The main text and histologic sections were prepared by Dr. Kaufman and, where considered necessary, the text has been amended and updated by Drs. Nikitin and Sundberg. The idea of this book was proposed by Dr. Sundberg during the first annual Practical Workshop Series on the Pathology of Mouse Models for Human Disease in the Jackson Laboratory in 2002.