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Annual review of plant physiology. Vol. 9
BOOK
discussed, along with methods of synthesis. Useful additions the general one.
477
REVIEWS
of isolation, elucidation of structure, include a zoological and a botanical MARJORIE
ANCHEL, New York,
and methods index besides New York
Annual Review of Plant Physiology. Vol. 9. A. S. CRAFTS, LEONARD MACHLIS AND JOHN TORREY, Editors. Annual Reviews, Inc., Palo Alto, California, 1958. vi + 510 pp. Price $7.00. The important questions of plant physiology are now being asked, and in part answered, in molecular terms. Of the 15 review articles in the present ninth volume of Annual Review of Plant Physiology, eight are biochemical or biophysical papers. I feel that the Editors of this Annd Review have very wisely chosen to maintain in this manner their tradition of scientific catholicity. Surely, physiology has gone far toward completing its primary task of discovering and describing organ function, and now has before it a new task-that of explaining function in the most fundamental manner possible, in terms of physics and chemistry. On this frontier of biology there is certainly no substantial difference between the objectives of physiology, biophysics, and biochemistry, the last of which has virtually completed its task of mapping the metabolic network and is turning toward an essentially physiological problem. This problem is the chemical reconstruction of cell and organ function. The articles which comprise this volume of the dnnual Review are of a high technical standard. All are organized as useful creative syntheses in their fields. They are not mere encyclopedic coverages of literature. The subjects of the papers, and their authors, are the following: “The Quantum Yield of Photosynthesis,” by R. Emerson; “Physiology of Salt Tolerance,” by L. Bernst,ein and H. E. Hayward; “The Naturally Occurring Auxins and Inhibitors,” by J. A. Bentley; “Destruction of Ausin,” by P. M. Ray; “Metabolism of Ascorbic Acid in Plants: Part I. Function,” by L. W. Mapson; “Physiology of the Tobacco Plant,” by R. A. Steinberg and T. C. Tso; “Mineral Nutrition of Tree Crops,” by W. Reuther, T. W. Embleton, and W. W. Jones; “Physiology of the Fresh-Water Algae,” by R. W. Krauss; “The Metahby E. W. Bemm and B. F. Folkes; olism of Amino Acids and Proteins in Plants,” “Ausin Uses in the Control of Flowering and Fruiting,” by A. C. Leopold; “Herbicides,” by E. K. Woodford, Ii. Holly, and C. C. McCready; “Morphogenesis in Lower Plants,” by L. F. Jaffe; “Postharvest Physiology of Fruits,” by R. Ulrich; by L. Bogorad; and “Cytochromes in Plants,” by“The Biogenesis of Flavanoids,” L. Smith and B. Chance. H. S. MASON, Cambridge,
England
Advances in Biological and Medical Physics. Vol. V. Edited by JOHN H. LAWRENCE and CORNELIUS A. TOBIAS. Academic Press Inc., New York, N. Y., 1957. 487 pp. Price $12.00. The subject of biophysics has emerged rather rapidly in the last 18 months as a definite branch of scientific effort. The formation of the new Biophysics1 Society and the rate of increase in the formation of Biophysics Departments in institutions all over America have taken place so rapidly that it is almost difficult to believe that ten years ago we were debating whether biophysics was a subject or not. Among the very important formative agencies which have helped the subject of
discussed, along with methods of synthesis. Useful additions the general one.
477
REVIEWS
of isolation, elucidation of structure, include a zoological and a botanical MARJORIE
ANCHEL, New York,
and methods index besides New York
Annual Review of Plant Physiology. Vol. 9. A. S. CRAFTS, LEONARD MACHLIS AND JOHN TORREY, Editors. Annual Reviews, Inc., Palo Alto, California, 1958. vi + 510 pp. Price $7.00. The important questions of plant physiology are now being asked, and in part answered, in molecular terms. Of the 15 review articles in the present ninth volume of Annual Review of Plant Physiology, eight are biochemical or biophysical papers. I feel that the Editors of this Annd Review have very wisely chosen to maintain in this manner their tradition of scientific catholicity. Surely, physiology has gone far toward completing its primary task of discovering and describing organ function, and now has before it a new task-that of explaining function in the most fundamental manner possible, in terms of physics and chemistry. On this frontier of biology there is certainly no substantial difference between the objectives of physiology, biophysics, and biochemistry, the last of which has virtually completed its task of mapping the metabolic network and is turning toward an essentially physiological problem. This problem is the chemical reconstruction of cell and organ function. The articles which comprise this volume of the dnnual Review are of a high technical standard. All are organized as useful creative syntheses in their fields. They are not mere encyclopedic coverages of literature. The subjects of the papers, and their authors, are the following: “The Quantum Yield of Photosynthesis,” by R. Emerson; “Physiology of Salt Tolerance,” by L. Bernst,ein and H. E. Hayward; “The Naturally Occurring Auxins and Inhibitors,” by J. A. Bentley; “Destruction of Ausin,” by P. M. Ray; “Metabolism of Ascorbic Acid in Plants: Part I. Function,” by L. W. Mapson; “Physiology of the Tobacco Plant,” by R. A. Steinberg and T. C. Tso; “Mineral Nutrition of Tree Crops,” by W. Reuther, T. W. Embleton, and W. W. Jones; “Physiology of the Fresh-Water Algae,” by R. W. Krauss; “The Metahby E. W. Bemm and B. F. Folkes; olism of Amino Acids and Proteins in Plants,” “Ausin Uses in the Control of Flowering and Fruiting,” by A. C. Leopold; “Herbicides,” by E. K. Woodford, Ii. Holly, and C. C. McCready; “Morphogenesis in Lower Plants,” by L. F. Jaffe; “Postharvest Physiology of Fruits,” by R. Ulrich; by L. Bogorad; and “Cytochromes in Plants,” by“The Biogenesis of Flavanoids,” L. Smith and B. Chance. H. S. MASON, Cambridge,
England
Advances in Biological and Medical Physics. Vol. V. Edited by JOHN H. LAWRENCE and CORNELIUS A. TOBIAS. Academic Press Inc., New York, N. Y., 1957. 487 pp. Price $12.00. The subject of biophysics has emerged rather rapidly in the last 18 months as a definite branch of scientific effort. The formation of the new Biophysics1 Society and the rate of increase in the formation of Biophysics Departments in institutions all over America have taken place so rapidly that it is almost difficult to believe that ten years ago we were debating whether biophysics was a subject or not. Among the very important formative agencies which have helped the subject of