The mouse is a perfect model organism to study mammalian, and thus indirectly also human, embryology. Most scientific achievements that have had an important impact on the understanding of basic mechanisms governing embryo development in humans, originated from mouse embryology. Stem cell research, which now offers the promise of regenerative medicine, began with the isolation and culture of mouse embryonic stem cells by Martin Evans (who received the Nobel Prize in medicine in 2007 for this achievement) and Matthew Kaufman.

This book provides an overview of mouse development, spanning from oocytes before fertilization to the state-of-the-art description of embryonic and adult stem cells. The chapters, written by the leading specialists in the field, deal with the most recent discoveries in this extremely fast-developing area of research.

Post-transcriptional control of gene expression during mouse oogenesis

Polarity and asymmetry during mouse oogenesis and oocyte maturation
Chromatin Structure and ATRX Function in Mouse Oocytes
Cyclin B in mouse oocytes and embryos: importance for human reproduction and aneuploidy
Src protein kinases in mouse and rat oocytes and embryos
Gradual meiosis-to-mitosis transition in the early mouse embryo
Maternal control of mouse preimplantation development.- Preimplantation mouse embryo: developmental fate and potency of blastomeres
Creation of trophectoderm, the first epithelium, in mouse preimplantation development
Cell Lineage Allocation within the Inner Cell Mass of the Mouse Blastocyst
Formation of distinct cell types in the mouse blastocyst
Cell Movements in the Egg Cylinder Stage Mouse Embryo
Balancing the Dose in the Mouse
Mouse Oviduct Development
Cell Lineages, Growth and Repair of the Mouse Heart
Cellular reprogramming during mouse development
Differentiation of Definitive Endoderm from Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells
Mouse and human pluripotent stem cells and the means of their myogenic differentiation
Stem cells and corneal epithelial maintenance - insights from the mouse and other animal models
Mouse induced pluripotent stem cells
Aging in the mouse and perspectives of rejuvenation through induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).