This chapter explores contemporary animal cognition. The chapter opens with an examination of different methods used to characterize the cognitive abilities of animals. It goes on to discuss the positive associations between cognitive ability and fitness as well as the association between cognition and brain size. Large brains are energetically costly to maintain, and so to understand their evolution there is a need to examine the kinds of conditions that can favor their evolution and the enhanced cognitive ability associated with them. In the final two sections, the chapter examines how environmental and social challenges can influence the evolution of cognition.
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Animal Cognition
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Stress Responses and The Changing Cell Environment
This chapter analyses the importance of perceiving the environment and describes what happens when cells undergo a pathogen challenge, in both animals and plants. It discusses how organisms adapt to changing environments and talks about the impact of human activity and how organisms respond. It also mentions the necessity for organisms to sense their environment, noting how humans have easily evolved to be able to see the surroundings, to hear what is around, and to sense the presence of chemicals. The chapter reviews the ability of cells to survive, sense aspects of their environment, and mount the appropriate response when required. It cites climate change as one of the biggest challenges facing the world in present times and notes that the unprecedented rise in global temperature forces organisms to adapt to the changing environment to survive.
Book
Aysha Divan and Janice A. Royds
Cancer Biology and Treatment starts off by describing the fundamentals of canceras a disease of the genome. It then looks at the pathology of cancer. It also examines molecular epidemiology and looks at key players and pathways in cancer. Cancer treatment and cancer management are important topics to consider in this field. Finally, the text looks at major challenges and new opportunities in the study and research of cancer.
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Food Systems: Challenges and Ways Forward
Wilma Waterlander and Boyd Swinburn
This chapter provides a broad overview of food and nutrition issues at the global and population levels. It considers emerging trends in food systems, population health, and planetary health that nutritionists need to be familiar with if they are going to help provide the answers for today's and tomorrow's nutrition challenges. The chapter begins by looking at some of the global contextual factors that are influencing the very shape and nature of food systems. It then evaluates the increased awareness of the importance of food systems to human and planetary health and some of the key paradigms for thinking about the changing nature of food systems. Finally, the chapter outlines several broad challenges within the global food system, before identifying some of the potential ways forward in trying to address these complex food and nutrition problems.
Book
John T. Hancock
Cell Signalling starts with a brief history and general principles of cell signalling. It then turns to an examination of signals and their perception. It also discusses modifications to proteins that control cell signalling. Next, it looks at intracellular signals. The text also covers cell development before explaining cell signalling disorders, cancers, and apoptosis. Towards the end, the text moves on to stress responses and the changing cell environment. Finally, the book looks to the future, including challenges and perspectives in cell signalling, such as how its manipulation may enable new medical treatments or increase efficiency in agriculture.
