Springer Working with Ferns: Issues and Applications

Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION CONTRIBUTION OF FERNS TO UNDERSTANDING OF PLANT DEVELOPMENT Chapter 2 Cellular, molecular and genetic changes during the development of Ceratopteris richardii gametophytes Authors: Salmi M, Bushart T and Roux S J Chapter 3 Laboratory-induced Apogamy and Apospory in Ceratopteris richardii Authors: Cordle AR., Bui LT, Irish EE, and Cheng C-L Chapter 4 Sexual reproduction in ferns Authors: Menéndez V, Revilla A, Peredo E, Revilla MA, and Fernández H. Chapter 5 Gibberellic acid and ethylene control male sex determination and development of Anemia phyllitidis gametophytes Author: Kazmierczak A. Chapter 6 The sporophytes of seed-free vascular plants -major vegetative developmental features and molecular genetic pathways Authors: Tomescu A. PROPAGATION, CONSERVATION AND CONTROL OF GENETIC VARIABILITY IN FERNS. Chapter 7 Form spore to sporophyte: How to proceed in vitro Authors: Menéndez V, Arbesú R, Somer M, Revilla A, and Fernández H. Chapter 8 In vitro regeneration systems of Platycerium Authors: Camloh M and Ambrozic-Dolinsek J. Chapter 9 Stipule propagation in five Marattioid species native to Taiwan (Marattiaceae; Pteridophyta) Authors: Huang Y-M, Huang M-H, Chen C-M, Chiou W-L Chapter 10 Tree ferns biotechnology: from spores to sporophytes Authors: Rybczy?ski JJ and Miku?a A. Chapter 11 In Vitro Propagation of Rare and Endangered Serpentine Fern Species Authors: Marsza?-Jagacka J and Kromer K Chapter 12 Conservation of fern spores. Authors: Ballesteros D. Chapter 13 Exploration of cryo-methods to preserve tree and herbaceous fern gametophytes Authors: Miku?a A, Makowski D, Walters C, and Rybczy?ski JJ. Chapter 14 Pteridophyte spores viability Autores: Gabriel y Galán JM, and Prada C. Chapter 15 Microsatellites: a powerful genetic marker for fern research Author: Jiménez-Soria A. Chapter 16 Diversity in natural fern populations: dominant markers as genetic tools. Authors: Peredo EL, Revilla MA, Méndez M,Menéndez V and Fernández H. ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY: ECOTOXICOLOGY AND BIOREMEDIATION IN FERNS Chapter 17 Mitochondrial activity of fern spores for the evaluation of acute totoxicity in higher plant development Authors: Catalá M, Esteban M and García L. Chapter 18 Chronic phytotoxicity in gametophytes: DNA as biomarker of growth and chlorophyll autofluorescence as biomarker of cell function Authors: Catalá M and Rodriguez-Gil JL. Chapter 19 Arsenic hyperaccumulator fern Pteris vittata: Utilities for arsenic phytoremediation and plant biotechnology Author: Rathinasabapathi B. Chapter 20 Aerobiology of Pteridophyta spores: preliminary results and applications Author: Rodriguez de la Cruz D. THERAPEUTICAL/MEDICINAL APPLICATIONS Chapter 21 Studies on Folk Medicinal Fern: An example of "Gusuibu" Author: Chang H-C, Gupta SK and Tsay H-S. Chapter 22 Ecdysteroids in Ferns: diversity, distribution, biosynthesis and functions Authors: Lafont R, Ho R, Raharivelomanana P and Dinan L. Chapter 23 Ferns - from traditional uses to pharmaceutical development; chemical identification of active principles Authors: Ho R, Teai T, Bianchini JP, Lafont R and Raharivelomanana P. Chapter 24 Functional activities of ferns for human health Authors: Lee CH and Shin SL. Chapter 25 Toxicological and medicinal aspects of the most frequent fern species Pteridium aquilinum Author: Vetter J. From the Back Cover Ferns existing today represent a genetic inheritance of great value as they include species of ancient vascular plants, which have direct connection with the crucial steps done in the past for settling life on Earth. Their life cycle is an example of alternation of generations, in which both a multicellular diploid organism and a multicellular haploid organism occur and give rise to the other. Spore, gametophyte and sporophyte have been studied either for basic and practical purposes. In the first case, they offer us simple and easy to grow experimental systems to investigate on plant developme