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Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
758
Book reviews
biota, helps explain the dynamically stable anomalous atmospheric composition, modulated alkalinities, and temperatures at the earth surface over the last 3.5 million years. The theory has been extended to include the composition of the lower atmosphere, and the surface sediments. Part 1 of the book discusses global cycling and biomineralization in terms of G A l A theory; composition of seawater, carbonate-silicate sedimentary system, calcification and atmospheric carbon dioxide, distribution and geological history of calcium carbonate boring microorganisms. Part II deals with aspects of calcilication from the mitochondrion, to the mollusc shell, egg shell, the enamel on teeth. Part Ill is concerned with the biological accumulation of metals other than calcium, such as Si, Fe, Mn, Au. their detection and localization. The volume with its 50 chapters provides an excellent account of the sell-organizing mineralization system interacting in the geological and biological environment.
Oxygen Transport to Tissue--V
Edited by D. W. LUBBERS,
H. ACKER, E. LENIN(;ER-F()LLERT and T. K. GOLI)STI('K.
Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, Vol. I69. 942 pp. 1984. Plenum Press, New York. SI25. This is the published proceedings of the Fifth meeting of the International Society on Oxygen Transport to Tissues. The first 100 pages are taken up with the invited lectures on the topics of: Facilitated diffusion of oxygen: Muscle oxygen gradients from Hb to cytochrome; Metabolic rate and microcirculation; Tissue oxygen supply under normal and pathological conditions: Relationship between steady rcdox statc and brain activation induced N A D / N A D H redox responses. The rest of the w)lumc contains papers grouped under the headings: Theoretical aspects: Blood and oxygen transport: Brain: Heart; Muscle: Abdominal organs; Tumor; Other organs: Oxygen chemoreceptors: Microcirculation; Practical aspects: Instrumentation and methods (reflectance spectroscopy, oxygen electrodes, fluorescence photometric indicators). The volume provides a very good picture of the present state of research in the measurement and evaluation of oxygen supply to the different tissues of the body under normal and pathological conditions. The editor in the preface states that few people ever read the preface to a book and those that do read the preface realise that nothing of any substance is said. However it would certainly help the general reader to have a preface or introduction in which the main highlights of the meeting arc picked out so that the reader can see what is new and important. This, though difficult to do. would make the volume of more use to the non-specialist. Possibly it can be done in the next meeting.
Contractile Mechanisms in M u s c i ~ E d i t e d by G. H. POLLt,CK and H. SUGL Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, Vol. 170. 921 pp. 1984. Plenum Press, New York. $125. This is the published proceedings of the second international symposium on cross bridge mechanisms in muscle contraction. The papers are grouped into the sections: Structure of the myofilaments; Do thick filaments shorten?; X ray diffraction approaches to structural dynamics: Structural basis of forces in resting muscle: The composition of the intracellular milieu; Do cross bridges rotate during contraction'?: Length tension relations: Activation of the myolilaments; Tension transients and stiffness; Influence of myofilament lattice
dimensions on contractile function; Contraction dynamics: Cardiac muscle mechanics; Energetics. This meeting produced clear evidence that the physiological shortening of Limulus muscle takes place without any significant shortening of the A-filaments. The flight muscles of insects shows stepwise shortening which is synchronized throughout the whole of the muscle. It is possible that similar synchronized slepwise shortening occurs during other muscle fibre contraction. There had been some doubt whether the linear fall of isometric tension with decreasing overlap, demonstrated the action of independent tension generators adding up in parallel in the region where actin tilaments overlapped myosin cross bridges. The evidence presented at this meeting indicated that the cross bridges in the overlap region are all involved equivalently in the production of tension. There is also the possibility that the myosin head consists of several domains, one of which is always attached to the actin and in rigor conliguration, whilst the other domains can adopt various conligurations during the working stroke. The volume presents in detail the arguments in favour of these and many other ideas about the contractile mechanisms of muscle.
Aging and Cell Function Edited by J. E. JOHNSON. 283 pp. 1984. Plenum Press, New York. S42.50. This volume contains five chapters: ( 1) Evolutionary biology of ageing and longevity in mammalian species', (2) Receptors and ageing; (3) Metabolism of the brain, a measure of cellular function in ageing; (4) Age related aheralion in beta-adrenergic modulation of cardiac cell function; (5) A systems analysis thermodynamic view of cellular and organismic aging. Though all the chapters are of considerable interest, the first chapter will be of special interest to readers of this journal. In man the m a x i m u m life span of 95 years has not apparently changed over the last 12.000 years, but the age to which 50°o of the population survivcd has mcreased dramatically from the age of 35 in classical Greece, to 48 in 15th century England, 61 in U.S.A. (1900) to 72 in U.S.A. (1970). The m a x i m u m age potential of birds varies from blue tit (9 years) European robin (12), swift (21). herring gull (36), royal albatross (45}. Therc is a relationship between the metabolic rate of an animal, its size and its potential life span. It is possible that metabolism leading to heat production is more ageing than metabolism producing kinetic energy. Prevention of sexual maturity by removal of rats" pituitary or castration also prolongs the life span. Restricted calorific diet can increase the life span of rats from 835 dltys to 1138 days, with a corresponding delay' in the onset of sexual maturity (from 30(1 days It:. 10()0 days). Natural antioxidants such its SOD, catalasc, urate, alpha tocopherol and carotenoids all can play a part in extending the life span of a species. This is only part of lhe story and the reader will lind a very interesting account of some of the lhctors that contribute to ageing and thc duration of lifc span in this volume.
Cystic Fibrosis Edited by D. LAWSON.446 pp. 1984. Wiley, Chichester. £ 15. This is the proceedings of the 9th International CF Congress. CF is a disease of secretory epithelia. CE is common amongst Caucasians (one in two thousand children born have CF) and less common in Blacks and Oriemals. It is probably inherited through an autosomal recessive factor.
Book reviews
biota, helps explain the dynamically stable anomalous atmospheric composition, modulated alkalinities, and temperatures at the earth surface over the last 3.5 million years. The theory has been extended to include the composition of the lower atmosphere, and the surface sediments. Part 1 of the book discusses global cycling and biomineralization in terms of G A l A theory; composition of seawater, carbonate-silicate sedimentary system, calcification and atmospheric carbon dioxide, distribution and geological history of calcium carbonate boring microorganisms. Part II deals with aspects of calcilication from the mitochondrion, to the mollusc shell, egg shell, the enamel on teeth. Part Ill is concerned with the biological accumulation of metals other than calcium, such as Si, Fe, Mn, Au. their detection and localization. The volume with its 50 chapters provides an excellent account of the sell-organizing mineralization system interacting in the geological and biological environment.
Oxygen Transport to Tissue--V
Edited by D. W. LUBBERS,
H. ACKER, E. LENIN(;ER-F()LLERT and T. K. GOLI)STI('K.
Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, Vol. I69. 942 pp. 1984. Plenum Press, New York. SI25. This is the published proceedings of the Fifth meeting of the International Society on Oxygen Transport to Tissues. The first 100 pages are taken up with the invited lectures on the topics of: Facilitated diffusion of oxygen: Muscle oxygen gradients from Hb to cytochrome; Metabolic rate and microcirculation; Tissue oxygen supply under normal and pathological conditions: Relationship between steady rcdox statc and brain activation induced N A D / N A D H redox responses. The rest of the w)lumc contains papers grouped under the headings: Theoretical aspects: Blood and oxygen transport: Brain: Heart; Muscle: Abdominal organs; Tumor; Other organs: Oxygen chemoreceptors: Microcirculation; Practical aspects: Instrumentation and methods (reflectance spectroscopy, oxygen electrodes, fluorescence photometric indicators). The volume provides a very good picture of the present state of research in the measurement and evaluation of oxygen supply to the different tissues of the body under normal and pathological conditions. The editor in the preface states that few people ever read the preface to a book and those that do read the preface realise that nothing of any substance is said. However it would certainly help the general reader to have a preface or introduction in which the main highlights of the meeting arc picked out so that the reader can see what is new and important. This, though difficult to do. would make the volume of more use to the non-specialist. Possibly it can be done in the next meeting.
Contractile Mechanisms in M u s c i ~ E d i t e d by G. H. POLLt,CK and H. SUGL Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, Vol. 170. 921 pp. 1984. Plenum Press, New York. $125. This is the published proceedings of the second international symposium on cross bridge mechanisms in muscle contraction. The papers are grouped into the sections: Structure of the myofilaments; Do thick filaments shorten?; X ray diffraction approaches to structural dynamics: Structural basis of forces in resting muscle: The composition of the intracellular milieu; Do cross bridges rotate during contraction'?: Length tension relations: Activation of the myolilaments; Tension transients and stiffness; Influence of myofilament lattice
dimensions on contractile function; Contraction dynamics: Cardiac muscle mechanics; Energetics. This meeting produced clear evidence that the physiological shortening of Limulus muscle takes place without any significant shortening of the A-filaments. The flight muscles of insects shows stepwise shortening which is synchronized throughout the whole of the muscle. It is possible that similar synchronized slepwise shortening occurs during other muscle fibre contraction. There had been some doubt whether the linear fall of isometric tension with decreasing overlap, demonstrated the action of independent tension generators adding up in parallel in the region where actin tilaments overlapped myosin cross bridges. The evidence presented at this meeting indicated that the cross bridges in the overlap region are all involved equivalently in the production of tension. There is also the possibility that the myosin head consists of several domains, one of which is always attached to the actin and in rigor conliguration, whilst the other domains can adopt various conligurations during the working stroke. The volume presents in detail the arguments in favour of these and many other ideas about the contractile mechanisms of muscle.
Aging and Cell Function Edited by J. E. JOHNSON. 283 pp. 1984. Plenum Press, New York. S42.50. This volume contains five chapters: ( 1) Evolutionary biology of ageing and longevity in mammalian species', (2) Receptors and ageing; (3) Metabolism of the brain, a measure of cellular function in ageing; (4) Age related aheralion in beta-adrenergic modulation of cardiac cell function; (5) A systems analysis thermodynamic view of cellular and organismic aging. Though all the chapters are of considerable interest, the first chapter will be of special interest to readers of this journal. In man the m a x i m u m life span of 95 years has not apparently changed over the last 12.000 years, but the age to which 50°o of the population survivcd has mcreased dramatically from the age of 35 in classical Greece, to 48 in 15th century England, 61 in U.S.A. (1900) to 72 in U.S.A. (1970). The m a x i m u m age potential of birds varies from blue tit (9 years) European robin (12), swift (21). herring gull (36), royal albatross (45}. Therc is a relationship between the metabolic rate of an animal, its size and its potential life span. It is possible that metabolism leading to heat production is more ageing than metabolism producing kinetic energy. Prevention of sexual maturity by removal of rats" pituitary or castration also prolongs the life span. Restricted calorific diet can increase the life span of rats from 835 dltys to 1138 days, with a corresponding delay' in the onset of sexual maturity (from 30(1 days It:. 10()0 days). Natural antioxidants such its SOD, catalasc, urate, alpha tocopherol and carotenoids all can play a part in extending the life span of a species. This is only part of lhe story and the reader will lind a very interesting account of some of the lhctors that contribute to ageing and thc duration of lifc span in this volume.
Cystic Fibrosis Edited by D. LAWSON.446 pp. 1984. Wiley, Chichester. £ 15. This is the proceedings of the 9th International CF Congress. CF is a disease of secretory epithelia. CE is common amongst Caucasians (one in two thousand children born have CF) and less common in Blacks and Oriemals. It is probably inherited through an autosomal recessive factor.