"Who would believe that so small a space could contain the images of all the universe?" Leonardo da Vinci The last years of the 20th century have found the discipline of Developmental Biology returning to its original position at the forefront of biological re search. This progress can be attributed to the burgeoning knowledge base on molecules and gene families, and to the power of the molecular genetic ap proach. Topping the list of organ systems which have provided the most significant advances would have to be the eye. The vertebrate eye was one of the classic embryologic models, used to demonstrate many important prin ciples, including the concepts of inductive tissue interactions first put forth in the early 1900s. Within the last decade of this century, a return to some of the old questions with the new approaches has put eye development back into the limelight. I find this a highly appropriate topic for a book which aims to spark research for the new millennium. We begin with a chapter that discusses the anatomy of eye development, providing the basic reference information for the chapters that follow. A novel aspect of this introduction is the connection made between develop mental strategies and the eye's optical function. What also emerges from this chapter is the number of important eye structures that have barely been touched by the modern developmental biologist. Work on cornea and ante rior chamber development has lagged behind lens and retina.

Overview

Vertebrate Eye Development and Refractive Function: An Overview
Early Pattern Formation
Pax6 and the Genetic Control of Early Eye Development
Early Retinal Development in Drosophila
Embryonic Induction
Induction of the Lens
Retinal Differentiation
Molecular Control of Cell Diversification in the Vertebrate Retina
Cell Fate Specification in the Drosophila Retina
Roles of the Extracellular Matrix in Retinal Development and Maintenance
Adhesive Events in Retinal Development and Function: The Role of Integrin Receptors
Formation of Neural Pathways for Vision
Connecting the Eye with the Brain: The Formation of the Retinotectal Pathway
Regeneration
Regeneration of the Lens in Amphibians
How the Neural Retina Regenerates
Genetic Models
Mouse Mutants for Eye Development
Genetic Analysis of Eye Development in Zebrafish.