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Film review
BIOCHEMICAL EDUCATION
October 1973 Vol. 1 No. 4
of teachers for integrated science, for mathematics, for social sciences (or social studies), and for language?"
Enzymes. Thus the coverage is comprehensive enough for its purpose. The text is clearly written and the index adequate, the typography is good and the line drawings excellent. The photographs however are not so good and are well below the general standard of presentation. SI units have been employed and it was a good idea to relate these to the older units. An appendix is devoted to the literature of chemistry but the authors have not been very discriminating bearing in mind the potential readership - it would be more effective for the technician to rely on advice from his supervisor than to present him with a long list of reference works which include Beilstein and Partington's "Treatise". Why not include Jantz on "Reference Electrodes" which contains a wealth of information on the preparation and testing of electrodes?
Biochemical Education is orientated towards teaching at the University level while the discussions on integrated science are largely aboutteaching at the school level. Nevertheless, we think that biochemists should be concerned and be aware of these trends since biochemists are, if the spirit moves them, in a particularly favourable position to engage in integrated science teaching because their biochemical education has been built on a background of biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics. Few other scientific disciplines expose the graduate to such a broad spectrum of science and expect him to integrate it. B.A. Kilby
Laboratory Techniques in Chemistry and Biochemistry By P.S. Diamond and R.F. Denman. Pp. 523. Butterworths, London. £7. This is the second edition of a book which first appeared in 1966. It is intended as a text-book for those students working towards the examinations of CGLI and IST in Chemistry and Biochemistry and its contents are based on the examination syllabus. In view of this the book avoids any mathematical treatment and the physical principles it employs are of the simplest. In his brief introduction Professor H.D. Kay suggests that the book will be of value "to many a young graduate getting down to serious laboratory work in these fields". Maybe a few pages here and there will be useful but for such readers much of the book will be trivial and disappointing. It has been written expressly for the young technician coming to a chemistry/ biochemistry laboratory straight from school, having had a minimum of contact with or experience of laboratories. For this limited group the book will be of value. It consists of twelve chapters covering: Basic Materials and Methods; Purification; Electrochemistry; Inorganic Analysis; Elementary Organic Analysis; Absorptiometry; Chromatography and Electrophoresis; Automation in the Laboratory; Some Special Techniques; Biochemical Laboratory Apparatus and Methods; An Introduction to Biochemical Compounds; I
87
The price is high (but in keeping with the quality of production). If a third edition is contemplated the authors should seriously consider severe pruning. In most cases the photographs are of little value; much of the first chapter could go and in many other chapters readers could get all the information they need from manufacturers' catalogues thus saving many pages of description. However, the book will no doubt serve its purpose of preparing young technicians for their examinations. A.W. Walton
Careers for Biochemists Compiled by Dr. Gilian M. Powell and published by the Biochemical Society, 7 Warwick Place, London WC1R 5DP, from whom it may be obtained at 25p post free. Pp. 40, paperback, 1973. A useful booklet intended for boys and girls in their final years at school in the United Kingdom who wish to know what biochemistry has to offer. It outlines career opportunities in higher education, research institutes, hospital service, industry, school teaching, etc. followed by a summary of degree courses, scholarships, etc. which are available. The information refers to the U.K. and Ireland but Biochemical societies elsewhere who comtemplate drawing up their own booklets for local use might find this one provides some useful ideas.
III
FILM REVIEW
The Laws of Disorder. Part 1. Entropy. By Professor George Porter FRS. Distributed hy Imperial Chemical Industries; no charge; 1968. Millbank Films in conjunction with the Royal Institution for I.C.I. 16 mm film (colour/sound). Running time 22 minutes.
Although this film has been available for five years, not all those engaged in biochemical teaching may be familiar with it. The subject matter does not get out of date and it may be useful to draw attention to the film for use in first year teaching. This film uses more than a dozen demonstrations to explain spontaneous physical and chemical changes, the laws of probability, and heat as disordered molecular motion. Entropy is introduced as a simple statistical concept leading to the familiar equation relating entropy to k In P in which k is the Boltzmann constant and P is the probability, which may be defined as the number of micro states needed to characterise the macro state. These micro states are related to the probability of molecules having different configurations and energies.
While biochemists are pleased to emphasise their affinities with biologists, it is also important to show that biochemistry still adheres to the fundamental laws of physics and chemistry. Although the film was produced for schools, it still makes valid points at university level. The statistical approach to entropy ties in with a development (not in the Vilm) of solution nonideality, deviations from Raouit's law and the significance of the second virial coefficient in terms of molecular size, asymmetry and charge. Unless these matters are clearly understood estimates of molecular weights of macromolecules and their sub-units will not be evaluated critically. Such a film is also relevant to an understanding of denaturation, solute-solvent interaction and indeed the whole field of bioenergetics. The lecture-demonstration is delivered smoothly as one has learned to expect from Professor Porter. As well as being instructive to students it serves to show university teachers new ways of presenting an old theme. The remaining parts of the series have not been reviewed but Part 2 (23 minutes) deals with the second law of thermodynamics, Part 3 (30 minutes) deals with molecules at work and embraces reversible change, heat engines and heat pumps, while Part 4 (25 minutes) deals with equilibrium - the limit of disorder. T.J. Bowen
October 1973 Vol. 1 No. 4
of teachers for integrated science, for mathematics, for social sciences (or social studies), and for language?"
Enzymes. Thus the coverage is comprehensive enough for its purpose. The text is clearly written and the index adequate, the typography is good and the line drawings excellent. The photographs however are not so good and are well below the general standard of presentation. SI units have been employed and it was a good idea to relate these to the older units. An appendix is devoted to the literature of chemistry but the authors have not been very discriminating bearing in mind the potential readership - it would be more effective for the technician to rely on advice from his supervisor than to present him with a long list of reference works which include Beilstein and Partington's "Treatise". Why not include Jantz on "Reference Electrodes" which contains a wealth of information on the preparation and testing of electrodes?
Biochemical Education is orientated towards teaching at the University level while the discussions on integrated science are largely aboutteaching at the school level. Nevertheless, we think that biochemists should be concerned and be aware of these trends since biochemists are, if the spirit moves them, in a particularly favourable position to engage in integrated science teaching because their biochemical education has been built on a background of biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics. Few other scientific disciplines expose the graduate to such a broad spectrum of science and expect him to integrate it. B.A. Kilby
Laboratory Techniques in Chemistry and Biochemistry By P.S. Diamond and R.F. Denman. Pp. 523. Butterworths, London. £7. This is the second edition of a book which first appeared in 1966. It is intended as a text-book for those students working towards the examinations of CGLI and IST in Chemistry and Biochemistry and its contents are based on the examination syllabus. In view of this the book avoids any mathematical treatment and the physical principles it employs are of the simplest. In his brief introduction Professor H.D. Kay suggests that the book will be of value "to many a young graduate getting down to serious laboratory work in these fields". Maybe a few pages here and there will be useful but for such readers much of the book will be trivial and disappointing. It has been written expressly for the young technician coming to a chemistry/ biochemistry laboratory straight from school, having had a minimum of contact with or experience of laboratories. For this limited group the book will be of value. It consists of twelve chapters covering: Basic Materials and Methods; Purification; Electrochemistry; Inorganic Analysis; Elementary Organic Analysis; Absorptiometry; Chromatography and Electrophoresis; Automation in the Laboratory; Some Special Techniques; Biochemical Laboratory Apparatus and Methods; An Introduction to Biochemical Compounds; I
87
The price is high (but in keeping with the quality of production). If a third edition is contemplated the authors should seriously consider severe pruning. In most cases the photographs are of little value; much of the first chapter could go and in many other chapters readers could get all the information they need from manufacturers' catalogues thus saving many pages of description. However, the book will no doubt serve its purpose of preparing young technicians for their examinations. A.W. Walton
Careers for Biochemists Compiled by Dr. Gilian M. Powell and published by the Biochemical Society, 7 Warwick Place, London WC1R 5DP, from whom it may be obtained at 25p post free. Pp. 40, paperback, 1973. A useful booklet intended for boys and girls in their final years at school in the United Kingdom who wish to know what biochemistry has to offer. It outlines career opportunities in higher education, research institutes, hospital service, industry, school teaching, etc. followed by a summary of degree courses, scholarships, etc. which are available. The information refers to the U.K. and Ireland but Biochemical societies elsewhere who comtemplate drawing up their own booklets for local use might find this one provides some useful ideas.
III
FILM REVIEW
The Laws of Disorder. Part 1. Entropy. By Professor George Porter FRS. Distributed hy Imperial Chemical Industries; no charge; 1968. Millbank Films in conjunction with the Royal Institution for I.C.I. 16 mm film (colour/sound). Running time 22 minutes.
Although this film has been available for five years, not all those engaged in biochemical teaching may be familiar with it. The subject matter does not get out of date and it may be useful to draw attention to the film for use in first year teaching. This film uses more than a dozen demonstrations to explain spontaneous physical and chemical changes, the laws of probability, and heat as disordered molecular motion. Entropy is introduced as a simple statistical concept leading to the familiar equation relating entropy to k In P in which k is the Boltzmann constant and P is the probability, which may be defined as the number of micro states needed to characterise the macro state. These micro states are related to the probability of molecules having different configurations and energies.
While biochemists are pleased to emphasise their affinities with biologists, it is also important to show that biochemistry still adheres to the fundamental laws of physics and chemistry. Although the film was produced for schools, it still makes valid points at university level. The statistical approach to entropy ties in with a development (not in the Vilm) of solution nonideality, deviations from Raouit's law and the significance of the second virial coefficient in terms of molecular size, asymmetry and charge. Unless these matters are clearly understood estimates of molecular weights of macromolecules and their sub-units will not be evaluated critically. Such a film is also relevant to an understanding of denaturation, solute-solvent interaction and indeed the whole field of bioenergetics. The lecture-demonstration is delivered smoothly as one has learned to expect from Professor Porter. As well as being instructive to students it serves to show university teachers new ways of presenting an old theme. The remaining parts of the series have not been reviewed but Part 2 (23 minutes) deals with the second law of thermodynamics, Part 3 (30 minutes) deals with molecules at work and embraces reversible change, heat engines and heat pumps, while Part 4 (25 minutes) deals with equilibrium - the limit of disorder. T.J. Bowen