This is the first comprehensive, integrated account of one of the most exciting areas of neuroscience - the intersection between the discoveries that the adult brain makes new neurons and that it contains stem cells. The book begins with the historical background and discusses theories of adult neurogenesis and neural stem cell biology in the context of learning and memory processes as well as structural plasticity. It describes in detail neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus and olfactory system and then surveys the regulatory, functional, and comparative aspects, concluding with a chapter on the provocative hypotheses that link failing adult neurogenesis with such diseases as temporal lobe epilepsy, major depression, brain tumours, and dementias. This readable, single-authored volume is a unique resource for graduate students, investigators, and clinicians in the neurosciences, developmental biology, and stem cell research.