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Eigenschaften und wirkungen der gibberelline: Symposium der Oberhessischen Gesellschaft für Natur- und Heilkunde, Naturwissenschaftliche Abteilung, zu Giessen vom 1. bis 3. Dezember 1960
320
BOOK
species of animal is most suitable for a particular experiment. The book as a whole fulfills its purpose in providing a readable account of the vegetative aspects of ocular physiology at an advanced level. The book is well printed, adequately illustrated, and well indexed. E. S. PERKINS,
London,
England
REVIEWS
of the gibberellins in agriculture. Surprisingly, there is no contribution dealing fully with the acceleration by gibberellic acid of seed germination, an effect which, in barley seed, has become of importance t.o the brewing industry. J. F.
Comprehensive
GROVE,
Biochemistry.
Welt-yn,
England
Vol.
I.
Atomic
Eigenschaften und Wirkungen berelline: Symposium der Oberhessischen
der
Gib-
CesellXaturwissenvom 1. his 3.
schaft fiir Naturund Heilkunde, schaftliche Abteilung, ZII Giessen Dezember 1960. Edited by R~~DIGER KNAPP, Botanisches Instit,ut der UniversitLt, Giessen, Germany. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1962. viii, 275 pp. Paper bound DM 48.
The appearance in 1950 in C%enGcal dbstracts of an account of the work published in Japan during World War II by Prof. Y. Smniki and his collaborators on the isolation, chemist,ry, and biological activity of the crude plant growt.h factof gibberellin A aroused intense and widespread interest among organic chemists and plant physiologists. Work along similar lines was started in many laboratories and, in December, 1960, after almost, exactly 10 years, a symposium devoted t,o the “Properties and Effects of the Gibberellins” was held at the Botanical Institute at Giessen. The papers presented, some 30 in all, including contributions from many leading workers in the field, have now been published. Although the editing, layout, and illustrations are of a high standard, and the references in the text are supplemented by an extensive bibliography covering the period 192G1960, the lapse of 2 years between the presentation of the papers and their publication is to be regretted. There is :I helpful index. [Tnderstandably. the emphasis at this synposillm was on botanical rather than on chemical aspects of gibberellin research; but one group of papers very briefly outlines the chemistry of the nine gibberellins which have now been isolated from fungal and plant sources. wit,h particular reference t,o the more recently discovered conpor~nds, and describes the changes in the IcvelD of those endogenous gibbrrcllins of two plant species and of potato tllber which a.rc associated with t,he onset, of flowering and sprouting, respectively. The remaining papers are grouped together in five sect,ions dealing with the effects of added gibberellin (usually gibberellic acid) on flowering, plant growth, other physiological aspects of plant development and growth horand with possible practical applications manes,
and Molecular Structure. Edited by MARCEL FLORKIN and ELMER H. HTOTZ. Elsevier, Amsterdam and New York, 1962. xii, 253 pp. Price $11.50. This is the first volume of a project to assemble in a single set of books (37, according to publisher’s notices) the principal areas of biochemistry. The first section (Vols. l-4) is devoted to areas of organic and physical chemistry important to the comprehension of modern biochemistry. Volume 1 contains chapters by W. Parker Alford (“Atomic Structure”), H. H. Jaffe (“Electronic Theory of Organic Molecules”), J. n. Bcrnal (“The Structure of Molecules”), and K. Mislow (“Stereoisomerism”). The ambition, energy, and vision of the editors and publishers must be acknowledged and admired; their concept is monumental. The first section, devot,rd t,o physical md organic foundations of biochemistry, is clrarly the pedestal of the monrmrent,, and teachers of contemporary biochemistr?will applaltd this approach to the subject. The fact that biochemistry will be encompassed in this single set, of volumes dots not, by itself, justify the work. Since the same subjects are treated in well-known and readily-:lccessit,le textt)ooks and reviews. the trlhe value of the set will emerge when the amolmt of useful, original, and creative scholarship which it, contains clt11 Ix assessed. In the case of 1’01. l> t,hree chapters arc conciscx, well-written summaries of their subjects; the topics are not. reviewed in very new or creative forms, and it will be primarily a mat&r of taste and convenience which will determine whether a reader uses one of these chapters or some other source. Bernnl’s “The St,rllcturc of Mol~cr~ler;.” on the other hand, is an original surve)of the physical structures of the major classes of biochemical molecules; I am sure most, chemical1.v minded biochemists will find it st,imul:tting. The production of this volume is good, and, being only 253 pages long. it is quite handy. It, costs 4.55 cents :t page isomewhat less if OIW sub scribes to the whole set). .4not,her, larger work covering similar subjects but, prlblished in thr [Tnited States, where publication costs arc pr+ sumably higher, is only 2.83 cents prr page. The editors’ plan of breaking the whole work into
BOOK
species of animal is most suitable for a particular experiment. The book as a whole fulfills its purpose in providing a readable account of the vegetative aspects of ocular physiology at an advanced level. The book is well printed, adequately illustrated, and well indexed. E. S. PERKINS,
London,
England
REVIEWS
of the gibberellins in agriculture. Surprisingly, there is no contribution dealing fully with the acceleration by gibberellic acid of seed germination, an effect which, in barley seed, has become of importance t.o the brewing industry. J. F.
Comprehensive
GROVE,
Biochemistry.
Welt-yn,
England
Vol.
I.
Atomic
Eigenschaften und Wirkungen berelline: Symposium der Oberhessischen
der
Gib-
CesellXaturwissenvom 1. his 3.
schaft fiir Naturund Heilkunde, schaftliche Abteilung, ZII Giessen Dezember 1960. Edited by R~~DIGER KNAPP, Botanisches Instit,ut der UniversitLt, Giessen, Germany. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1962. viii, 275 pp. Paper bound DM 48.
The appearance in 1950 in C%enGcal dbstracts of an account of the work published in Japan during World War II by Prof. Y. Smniki and his collaborators on the isolation, chemist,ry, and biological activity of the crude plant growt.h factof gibberellin A aroused intense and widespread interest among organic chemists and plant physiologists. Work along similar lines was started in many laboratories and, in December, 1960, after almost, exactly 10 years, a symposium devoted t,o the “Properties and Effects of the Gibberellins” was held at the Botanical Institute at Giessen. The papers presented, some 30 in all, including contributions from many leading workers in the field, have now been published. Although the editing, layout, and illustrations are of a high standard, and the references in the text are supplemented by an extensive bibliography covering the period 192G1960, the lapse of 2 years between the presentation of the papers and their publication is to be regretted. There is :I helpful index. [Tnderstandably. the emphasis at this synposillm was on botanical rather than on chemical aspects of gibberellin research; but one group of papers very briefly outlines the chemistry of the nine gibberellins which have now been isolated from fungal and plant sources. wit,h particular reference t,o the more recently discovered conpor~nds, and describes the changes in the IcvelD of those endogenous gibbrrcllins of two plant species and of potato tllber which a.rc associated with t,he onset, of flowering and sprouting, respectively. The remaining papers are grouped together in five sect,ions dealing with the effects of added gibberellin (usually gibberellic acid) on flowering, plant growth, other physiological aspects of plant development and growth horand with possible practical applications manes,
and Molecular Structure. Edited by MARCEL FLORKIN and ELMER H. HTOTZ. Elsevier, Amsterdam and New York, 1962. xii, 253 pp. Price $11.50. This is the first volume of a project to assemble in a single set of books (37, according to publisher’s notices) the principal areas of biochemistry. The first section (Vols. l-4) is devoted to areas of organic and physical chemistry important to the comprehension of modern biochemistry. Volume 1 contains chapters by W. Parker Alford (“Atomic Structure”), H. H. Jaffe (“Electronic Theory of Organic Molecules”), J. n. Bcrnal (“The Structure of Molecules”), and K. Mislow (“Stereoisomerism”). The ambition, energy, and vision of the editors and publishers must be acknowledged and admired; their concept is monumental. The first section, devot,rd t,o physical md organic foundations of biochemistry, is clrarly the pedestal of the monrmrent,, and teachers of contemporary biochemistr?will applaltd this approach to the subject. The fact that biochemistry will be encompassed in this single set, of volumes dots not, by itself, justify the work. Since the same subjects are treated in well-known and readily-:lccessit,le textt)ooks and reviews. the trlhe value of the set will emerge when the amolmt of useful, original, and creative scholarship which it, contains clt11 Ix assessed. In the case of 1’01. l> t,hree chapters arc conciscx, well-written summaries of their subjects; the topics are not. reviewed in very new or creative forms, and it will be primarily a mat&r of taste and convenience which will determine whether a reader uses one of these chapters or some other source. Bernnl’s “The St,rllcturc of Mol~cr~ler;.” on the other hand, is an original surve)of the physical structures of the major classes of biochemical molecules; I am sure most, chemical1.v minded biochemists will find it st,imul:tting. The production of this volume is good, and, being only 253 pages long. it is quite handy. It, costs 4.55 cents :t page isomewhat less if OIW sub scribes to the whole set). .4not,her, larger work covering similar subjects but, prlblished in thr [Tnited States, where publication costs arc pr+ sumably higher, is only 2.83 cents prr page. The editors’ plan of breaking the whole work into