Calcium and the cell

for marrying the molecular biology of intracellular Ca2+ to its cell and a rationalisation of the interactions between Ca2+ and the other intracellular signals. For us enthusiasts this book provides a further opportunity to gain a clearer perspective on cell regulation and cell injury. Whilst we all need a distinct focus, we also need the ability to cross interdisciplinary boundaries , and to learn about phenomena with which we are less familiar than our own. A fascinating feature of intracellular calcium as a field study, illustrated by this book, is that the more we dissect nature into its constituent parts, the more chance we should have of realising the dream of integrating the mechanistic and holistic approaches to key problems in framework biology,

the

Natural

and Medical

Sciences. DR.

Ciba Wiley, Ed.

The awaited cation cast

Calcium Foundation Chichester

and

Evered,

D.

the Cell Symposium 1986, 300 and

Whelan,

A.K.

CAMPBELL

122 pages

J.

of a new Ciba Foundation Symposium is always an eaqerlyCalcium is a ‘Calcium and the Cell’ does not disappoint. importance in many cellular processes and the organisers in their choice of subject and speaker. The fifteen chapters a review of voltage-dependent calcium channels (Reuter), through aspects of calcium-binding proteins (Williams) to the role of The discussions which followed each exocytosis (Knight). are also included and are a valuable additional source of

publication event and of enormous far and wide

range

from

physico-chemical calcium in presentation information.

to save money and to speed publication, the authors’ own been used. The variations in style and quality of these, both within and between chapters, sometimes contrasts sharply with the uniformity the text. The references are adequate and there is both a contributor and a subject index. Symposium 122 should find a wide readership amongst those with an active interest in the role of calcium and at E27.50 it represents a value-for-money addition to libraries large and small. Presumably

diagrams

have

DR.

186

A.H.

WESTON

of