Comp. Biochem. PhysioL, 1975, Vol. 5013, pp. 215 to 217. Pergamon Press. Printed in Great Britain

BOOK REVIEWS

Structure--Activity Relationships of Protein and Poly- peptide Hormones. Edited by M. MARGOULIES & F. C. GREENWOOV. 566 pp. North Holland-American Elsevier. 1973. $55.50.

Tins is the proceedings of the International Symposium held in Liege in October 1971. The main headings are: 1. Small Polypeptides: (a) Chemical Aspects. (b) Im- munological Aspects. 2. Glycoprotein Hormones: (a) Chemical Aspects. CO) Immunological Aspects. 3. Conformation and Receptors: (a) Conformational Studies of Peptide Hormones. Co) Hormone Receptors.

Methods in Investigative and Diagnostic Endocrinology. Edited by S. A. BERSON and R. S. YALOW. A, 711 pp; B, 1298 pp. North Holland-American Elsevier. 1973.

THESE tWO volumes, A and B, are multi-authored works giving excellent accounts of the general methodology, and basic information concerning the practical aspects of the study of the pituitary hormones and hypothelemic releasing factors in Vol. 2A and in Vol. 213 the chorionic hormones, pancreatic hormones, calcitropic hormones, gastrointestinal hormones and the vasoactive "tissue hormones". The latter include angiotensin and brady- kinin.

The two volumes are of a very high standard and the editors are to be congratulated on having obtained such exceLlent contributors, and cc~ordinating the work between them.

Monographs in Developmental Biology. Vol. 7. Morpho- genesis of T-even Bacteriophages. Edited by B. F. POOLAZOV. 105 pp. S. Karger AG, Basel. 1973.

THIS provides an excellent account of the structure and composition of the bacteriophage T4. It is one of the most complex viruses and the manner in which the different structural elements come together and are con- trolled is very nicely described. It is a big step forward in the mechanistic interpretation of living form and function.

The Generation of Subcellular Structures. Edited by R. MARKHAM, J. BANCROFT, D. R. DAVIES, D. A. HOP- WOOD & R. W. HORNE. 372 pp. North HoLland- American Elsevier. 1973, $15.75.

Tins is the published proceedings of the 1st John Innes Symposium held in Norwich in July 1972. The headings are: 1. The Sixth Bateson Memorial Lecture, Molecular genetics in retrospect. 2. Bacteriophages. 3. Plant viruses. 4. Prokaryote flagella. 5. Bacterial ribosomes. 6. Bacterial cell walls. 7. Bacterial spores. 8. Mito- chondria.

Bacterial Plasmids. By G. G. MEYNELL. 164 pp. M.I.T. Press. 1973. $14.95.

MANY species of bacteria possess, in addition to their chromosomes, other genetic elements which lead an in- dependent existence within the cell, these are called plas- mids. Some of these can unite with chromosomes by crossing over, these are called episomes. The plasmids

can often transfer resistance to antibiotics or drugs. The present volume provides a useful survey and summary of plasmids and the chapter headings include: The discovery of plasmids. Plasmid genetics. Sex factors. Physical studies of plasmid molecules. Replication of autonomous plasmids. Plasmid-determined characters and their expression.

It is likely that much of the information on plasmids is also applicable to protozoa and possibly even to metazoa.

Possible Episomes in Eukaryotes, Fourth Lepetit Col- Ioquinm. Edited by L, G. SILWSTPJ. 321 pp. North Holland-AmericanElsevier. 1973. $19.50.

Tins symposium was held in Mexico in November 1972. The main topics involved cell transformation by tumour viruses, gene amplification and ammune response. The tumour viruses were considered as possible candidates in the transfer of episomes in eukawotes.

The volume is produced in litho from the differing typescripts of the contributors.

Biochemislry and Physiology of Visual Pigments, Edited by H. LANGER. 366 pp. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. 1973.

Tins is an account of the symposium held at Bochum in August 1972. It provides a very useful summary of our knowledge of the topic and many of the leading workers present their results and views concisely. The main topics axe: 1. Pigment Structure and Chemical Properties. 2. Photolysis and Intermediates of the pigments. 3. Re- generation of the Pigments. 4. Excitation and Adaptation of Photorceeptor Cells. 5. Ionic Aspects of Excitation and Regeneration. 6. Enzymology and Molecular Architecture of the Light-sensitive Membrane.

Fixation in Histochemistry. Edited by P. J. STOWARD. 201 pp. Chapman and HAL1. 1973. $16.00; £5.00.

THIS is a multi-author work, and the chapter headings are: 1. Reactions of aldehydes with unsaturated fatty acids during histological fixation. 2. Theoretical and practical aspects of giutaraldehyde fixation. 3. Osmolarity of osmium tetroxide and glutaraldehyde fixatives. 4. The effect of fixative tonicity on the myosin filament lattice volume. 5. The demonstration of acid phosphatase in in vitro cultured tissue cells. 6. Cytochemical evidence for the leakage of acid phosphatase through ultrastruc- turaLly intact lysosomal membranes. 7. Improved pre- servation of alkaline phosphatase in salivary glands of the cat. 8. Fixation and tissue preservation for antibody studies. 9. Enzyme markers: their linkage with proteins and use in immuno-histochemistry. 10. Fixation: What should the pathologist do ?

Immune Response at the Cellular Level. Edited by T. P. ZACHARIA. 235 pp. Marcel Dekker, New York. 1973. $15.50.

THIS is a multi-author work and the chapter headings are: 1. Approaches to the qunntitation and isolation of immunogiobulins associated with plasma membranes. 2, Immunoglobulin secretion by single cells. 3. Methods

215