Bones: A Study of the Development and Structure of the Vertebrate Skeleton

Bones was originally published in 1936 and is still essential reading for anyone entering bone research. A classic in the field of skeletal development, biology, anatomy and anthropology, the book sets out in clear and lucid prose the experimental basis for our current notions on how intrinsic and extrinsic (largely mechanical) factors interact in initiating differentiation of cartilage and bone, in shaping the skeleton and in regulating its growth. It established the skeleton as a dynamic, responsive system of tissues, not just inert bones. The present edition, in the Cambridge Science Classics Series, includes an introductory essay by Professor B.K. Hall, who was the last of Professor Murray's Ph.D. students and who is himself distinguished for his work in the area. Brian Hall provides an overview of research during the half-century since Bones was first published, on major topics covered in the book - the origin of skeletal cells, cartilage morphogenesis, the formation of joints, the trajectory theory and bone structure, growth of cartilage and bone.