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Annual review of biochemistry. Vol. 29
HOOK
KE\‘IE\Vd
If ittformation for those biologists who have little ,I’ no background in electronics. Such persons will find Whitfield’s presentation clear, readable and helpful. Stjttdents and investigators who wish a more det,ailed and more recent treatment of the subject will probaljly wish to consider Donaldson’s Electrmic Appnrutrcs ,for Biological Research ot Stacy’s Biological and Medical Electronics. WILI,IAM 1,. SAWI-K, New York, Xew Pork
Selective
revised and Of _\Iedic:tl Chemistry, Australian Sationnl University, Canbprr:t. 1Iethuett I% Co. Ltd, Lottdon; John Rile>& Sons, Inc.. Kew Tork, 1960. s 233 1,p. Price $5.50. The revised and ettlargcd edit,ion of Allxrt’s uniqttc book hns retained its character of :L l~rief and rcatkal~le collection of lectures in which biological activity is analyzed by and correlated with the l)hJ-sical and chemical properties of the SClectivc~l~ toxic cotnportnds. In this volume f he “artivity” comprises I)iological ot espresston biorh?tnic*nl cffcct B in t,heir Ijroadeut ‘;cnsc and ittcltttlrs J)h:lrm:tcotl~tlaniic phenomena, all nspect,s of antimicrobial, antiparasitic, attd antittroplastic functions, and ittserticidal effects. 1Iorrovrr, “:trtivit-” is not limited to practical u~frtlncis bnt ko rvcsry t,vpe of influence cscrtrd t)y chrniic:il ggcnts itt t~iological systems. .A grc:tt v:trirt,y of substances are tliscttss?d btttl tttcir sprcifir properties intcrpretetl in rpl:iltion to t,httir m~tsbolism, t,o ionization, rhclatiott, strric f:iclor5. cov:tlcttc?-, and surface act ivit,y. TabIe~ of itnport.:t ttt data sttpplemrnt ittg t hc shortrr t:~t)lt~ and graphs of the test are givrtt Cn :ttt :tppentliz. The ittt,roduct,ory chapters offrt #it ittcitl introduction 1o cottcc,pts of pharmacology land ctt(~mother:tp3. and arc ~upplemrtttrd 1)~ sections on the, chemical 1,:t.G:: of sclcctivif y :rttd on mc~t:tt)olite :rntngouism. ‘I% text is Itot free from 0cc:wion:tl inaccrtracirls; profiavittf~, for instance, dor,G not 1:tclc tryp:tttocicl:tl :tctivil)y; “B:t~~er 205” is not :ttt analog of t ryI):ttt red it1 :L strict sett3c. Srtrh .-light shortrotnings arc, trowcvrr, count erb:tl;tttcccl 1)~. a wealth of ittfortnatiott, interesting correlation*, and cl(>:rr tlrfnitiott~. Thea statement that pharmacotl~ti:m~ic :~1ioft is ttsu:rll~- reversiblP, but, chenlotItcr:tl)c,lttic ef’fecta irrevetGl)le, cott,-tilrttrs the brst tiifferrtttiation of these t,ypex of activity. reset.
13).
Toxicity.
ADRIAN
Second edition,
ALBERT,
h-OfWWL'
everybodyof rtarrbw
3’7’7
who ciljoys broader specialization.
viewpoints
in ficltlr
Annual Review of Biochemistry. Vol. 29. .I. .\I. Editor, St,anford University, Cnlifornin. Annual Reviews, Palo Alto, California, 1960. vii + 786 pp. Price $7.00. This year 7‘he Annurtl Rwiew commences wit It a prcf:ttor?chapter by the I:ttr Dr. fI. 0. I,. l-ears ‘Synthetiker’ it1 Fischer etttit)led “ Fifty thr Service of 13iochcmistry.” I)r. Fischer’s recollcctions provide us with noteworthy itnpres;;ionsof :I life that spattnf~tl the >~c~ar’sbetween the present attd the period that might \vrll be callccl the Golden Age of organic chemistry, :I time whrtt thr: related sriettcc of biochetnktry wad in its ittfancy. We are given a warm and humatt portr:ty:rl of l>r. Fischer’:: illustrious father, :md revealing glimpses of Ihe vitalit). attd ~tinirtlntiott that. char:~cterized the :ttmosphrre of the Emil Fischer laboratory during its most protluct.ivr ?-care. So review t hrsc days cm claim to tte cotn[,t’f’hettsive in thy SPIIW tht this ~vortl TV:ISttsetl whrxtt 7’hc ,lanzral llwiezo was first. started. iVi;;cl?-, t tirnfore, the corttribittors t.0 (he prrsetit volumr h:tvc restricted the scope of their sitrveys, and, l)y itr clttdittg pertittettt critical comments, have gre:tt.l?. f~tthattccd the valttc of their work. The revie\vr begin with :L chapter b?- 1’. I>. I3oJ.er on ‘%lcch:k nism of Enzyme Action,! the first 1imr this topic Iins been singled ortt for *c,p:ir:tte cover:*gr. It, i:: :t plr:tsurr to lx :~blr to record that thcl high st:tntlart1 of nsccllcttce set I>>, 1)r. Ik?-car’,* ctittp~rr ii m:tittt:tined 1)). the rotttritltttors of the sltccretling reviews. It is thrrcfore tttrtteccss:~~ to single out :rtt>- particular contrit~tttiotrs for .‘pccial mrtltiott. As the rstrnt atl(1 the rate of grolvt tt of the pttbli*hctl record of I)iochentisir~ irtcre:tsc>s, it hcomes progtW;sivrl? more tliflicult, for att ittdvitlual to kclep nl,rc~ts1 of tlrrc~lopmc~tit-: not, 01tl,~ in i he sricxttce :ts :I \vtiolr, l)ut in his okvtt fkltl of spccializntiotl in p:trtirttl:tr. Thr rc3pottsibilit >. :tsstttnrd I)?- those \3-tto voltttttccr to prepare rrit.ic;tl rc>vic\ls of the littlratttre is therrforc Iwcotnittg att ittcrc:Gttgl~ seriort?i ott(~. From 1his st :ttitil)oirtt~ it is clttitr clear ttt:tt ttttx rorttril)ttlors of thfx valtiable rrvic1r.q itt this volumt~ have, in t It<, ~ortl-; of t tie l’klitor;;, “ givrtt 10 t hcar:t.elIc:tn (‘~1 r:lorditt:tr?:tntonttl, of time :mtl rffort .” Both t Itry and t ttr Miters who aided 1hrm itt 1hr rotnI~I~~tiort of thrit assignment3 arc’ t 0 l)c c~ortgr:rtrtl:ltctl ott the ont.~;t:ttttling sc,rvicxe tlic,?- h:rvr rrttdrrctl to the profcssiott ii8 :t whole. LOCK,
KE\‘IE\Vd
If ittformation for those biologists who have little ,I’ no background in electronics. Such persons will find Whitfield’s presentation clear, readable and helpful. Stjttdents and investigators who wish a more det,ailed and more recent treatment of the subject will probaljly wish to consider Donaldson’s Electrmic Appnrutrcs ,for Biological Research ot Stacy’s Biological and Medical Electronics. WILI,IAM 1,. SAWI-K, New York, Xew Pork
Selective
revised and Of _\Iedic:tl Chemistry, Australian Sationnl University, Canbprr:t. 1Iethuett I% Co. Ltd, Lottdon; John Rile>& Sons, Inc.. Kew Tork, 1960. s 233 1,p. Price $5.50. The revised and ettlargcd edit,ion of Allxrt’s uniqttc book hns retained its character of :L l~rief and rcatkal~le collection of lectures in which biological activity is analyzed by and correlated with the l)hJ-sical and chemical properties of the SClectivc~l~ toxic cotnportnds. In this volume f he “artivity” comprises I)iological ot espresston biorh?tnic*nl cffcct B in t,heir Ijroadeut ‘;cnsc and ittcltttlrs J)h:lrm:tcotl~tlaniic phenomena, all nspect,s of antimicrobial, antiparasitic, attd antittroplastic functions, and ittserticidal effects. 1Iorrovrr, “:trtivit-” is not limited to practical u~frtlncis bnt ko rvcsry t,vpe of influence cscrtrd t)y chrniic:il ggcnts itt t~iological systems. .A grc:tt v:trirt,y of substances are tliscttss?d btttl tttcir sprcifir properties intcrpretetl in rpl:iltion to t,httir m~tsbolism, t,o ionization, rhclatiott, strric f:iclor5. cov:tlcttc?-, and surface act ivit,y. TabIe~ of itnport.:t ttt data sttpplemrnt ittg t hc shortrr t:~t)lt~ and graphs of the test are givrtt Cn :ttt :tppentliz. The ittt,roduct,ory chapters offrt #it ittcitl introduction 1o cottcc,pts of pharmacology land ctt(~mother:tp3. and arc ~upplemrtttrd 1)~ sections on the, chemical 1,:t.G:: of sclcctivif y :rttd on mc~t:tt)olite :rntngouism. ‘I% text is Itot free from 0cc:wion:tl inaccrtracirls; profiavittf~, for instance, dor,G not 1:tclc tryp:tttocicl:tl :tctivil)y; “B:t~~er 205” is not :ttt analog of t ryI):ttt red it1 :L strict sett3c. Srtrh .-light shortrotnings arc, trowcvrr, count erb:tl;tttcccl 1)~. a wealth of ittfortnatiott, interesting correlation*, and cl(>:rr tlrfnitiott~. Thea statement that pharmacotl~ti:m~ic :~1ioft is ttsu:rll~- reversiblP, but, chenlotItcr:tl)c,lttic ef’fecta irrevetGl)le, cott,-tilrttrs the brst tiifferrtttiation of these t,ypex of activity. reset.
13).
Toxicity.
ADRIAN
Second edition,
ALBERT,
h-OfWWL'
everybodyof rtarrbw
3’7’7
who ciljoys broader specialization.
viewpoints
in ficltlr
Annual Review of Biochemistry. Vol. 29. .I. .\I. Editor, St,anford University, Cnlifornin. Annual Reviews, Palo Alto, California, 1960. vii + 786 pp. Price $7.00. This year 7‘he Annurtl Rwiew commences wit It a prcf:ttor?chapter by the I:ttr Dr. fI. 0. I,. l-ears ‘Synthetiker’ it1 Fischer etttit)led “ Fifty thr Service of 13iochcmistry.” I)r. Fischer’s recollcctions provide us with noteworthy itnpres;;ionsof :I life that spattnf~tl the >~c~ar’sbetween the present attd the period that might \vrll be callccl the Golden Age of organic chemistry, :I time whrtt thr: related sriettcc of biochetnktry wad in its ittfancy. We are given a warm and humatt portr:ty:rl of l>r. Fischer’:: illustrious father, :md revealing glimpses of Ihe vitalit). attd ~tinirtlntiott that. char:~cterized the :ttmosphrre of the Emil Fischer laboratory during its most protluct.ivr ?-care. So review t hrsc days cm claim to tte cotn[,t’f’hettsive in thy SPIIW tht this ~vortl TV:ISttsetl whrxtt 7’hc ,lanzral llwiezo was first. started. iVi;;cl?-, t tirnfore, the corttribittors t.0 (he prrsetit volumr h:tvc restricted the scope of their sitrveys, and, l)y itr clttdittg pertittettt critical comments, have gre:tt.l?. f~tthattccd the valttc of their work. The revie\vr begin with :L chapter b?- 1’. I>. I3oJ.er on ‘%lcch:k nism of Enzyme Action,! the first 1imr this topic Iins been singled ortt for *c,p:ir:tte cover:*gr. It, i:: :t plr:tsurr to lx :~blr to record that thcl high st:tntlart1 of nsccllcttce set I>>, 1)r. Ik?-car’,* ctittp~rr ii m:tittt:tined 1)). the rotttritltttors of the sltccretling reviews. It is thrrcfore tttrtteccss:~~ to single out :rtt>- particular contrit~tttiotrs for .‘pccial mrtltiott. As the rstrnt atl(1 the rate of grolvt tt of the pttbli*hctl record of I)iochentisir~ irtcre:tsc>s, it hcomes progtW;sivrl? more tliflicult, for att ittdvitlual to kclep nl,rc~ts1 of tlrrc~lopmc~tit-: not, 01tl,~ in i he sricxttce :ts :I \vtiolr, l)ut in his okvtt fkltl of spccializntiotl in p:trtirttl:tr. Thr rc3pottsibilit >. :tsstttnrd I)?- those \3-tto voltttttccr to prepare rrit.ic;tl rc>vic\ls of the littlratttre is therrforc Iwcotnittg att ittcrc:Gttgl~ seriort?i ott(~. From 1his st :ttitil)oirtt~ it is clttitr clear ttt:tt ttttx rorttril)ttlors of thfx valtiable rrvic1r.q itt this volumt~ have, in t It<, ~ortl-; of t tie l’klitor;;, “ givrtt 10 t hcar:t.elIc:tn (‘~1 r:lorditt:tr?:tntonttl, of time :mtl rffort .” Both t Itry and t ttr Miters who aided 1hrm itt 1hr rotnI~I~~tiort of thrit assignment3 arc’ t 0 l)c c~ortgr:rtrtl:ltctl ott the ont.~;t:ttttling sc,rvicxe tlic,?- h:rvr rrttdrrctl to the profcssiott ii8 :t whole. LOCK,