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Modern Bioelectrochemistry
107
Bioelectrochemistry and Bioenergetics, 21" 0 9 8 9 ) 107-127 A f.eetion o f J. ElectroanaL Chem., ~ad constituting Vol. 275 (1988) Elsevier Sequoia S~A., Lausanne - Printed in T h e Netherlands
B o o k reviews
Modern Bioelectrochemistry. F. G u t m a n n and H. Keyzer (Editors). Plenum Press, New York, London, 1986, ISBN 0-306-41981-5, xxvi 4-627 pp., US$107.40. Contrary to the forerunner "Bioelectrochemistry" (1980, Plenum Press) by the same editors, this assembly of 22 chapters written by outstanding experts shows quantitatively and qualitatively the fast development as well as new interrelations to other frontiers of biology and physics. The main topics related to biology are: the origin of cellular electric Potentials ((3. Ling); d elementary analysis of chemical electric field effects in biological macromolecules (E. Neumann); m some aspects of char;$e transfer in biological systems (F. Gutmann); ion, electron and proton transport in membranes (R. Pethig); coherent excitation in active biological systems (H. Fr~lich); biological dielectrophoresis, cellular spinning and cell sorting (H. Pohl). These and other topics cover nearly the whole field of bioelectrochemistry, i.e. mutual interactions between el~tric fields and biological systems~ and materials from electron exchange to soliton excitation using widely modified e~ectrodes. The text is concentrated and in some chapters, owing to instructive illustrations, reads like a didactic textbook, e.g. fundamental aspects of electron transfer at interfaces (Sh. Khan and J.O'M. Bockris). There are only a few shortcomings, e.g., a large gap in respect to electric field ~ffects on membranes leading to electroporation, electrotransformation and electro,usion. Moreover. there axe a lot of other electromagnetic field effects on living systems which can be measured biochemically (compare such topics in "J. Bioelectricity", "Bioelectrochemistry and Bioenergetics"). The referee believes a complete chapter on experimental techniques and equipment, not just a mention, would be helpful for a beginner (Chapter 19). In the same chapter, "Electrochemistry of drug interactions and incompatibilities" (G. Eckert, F. Gutmann, H. Keyzer), rather special complexes are mostly stressed instead of the polarographic and other electrochemical determinations of interactions between antibiotics and DNA, proteins and lipids. The spectroscopic characterization of chlorpromn~ine seems to be an outstanding example of organic or quantum chemistry (Chapter 18)! Nevertheless, this edition is currently the most comprehensive book on bioelectrochemistry. H. B E R G Jena
Bioelectrochemistry and Bioenergetics, 21" 0 9 8 9 ) 107-127 A f.eetion o f J. ElectroanaL Chem., ~ad constituting Vol. 275 (1988) Elsevier Sequoia S~A., Lausanne - Printed in T h e Netherlands
B o o k reviews
Modern Bioelectrochemistry. F. G u t m a n n and H. Keyzer (Editors). Plenum Press, New York, London, 1986, ISBN 0-306-41981-5, xxvi 4-627 pp., US$107.40. Contrary to the forerunner "Bioelectrochemistry" (1980, Plenum Press) by the same editors, this assembly of 22 chapters written by outstanding experts shows quantitatively and qualitatively the fast development as well as new interrelations to other frontiers of biology and physics. The main topics related to biology are: the origin of cellular electric Potentials ((3. Ling); d elementary analysis of chemical electric field effects in biological macromolecules (E. Neumann); m some aspects of char;$e transfer in biological systems (F. Gutmann); ion, electron and proton transport in membranes (R. Pethig); coherent excitation in active biological systems (H. Fr~lich); biological dielectrophoresis, cellular spinning and cell sorting (H. Pohl). These and other topics cover nearly the whole field of bioelectrochemistry, i.e. mutual interactions between el~tric fields and biological systems~ and materials from electron exchange to soliton excitation using widely modified e~ectrodes. The text is concentrated and in some chapters, owing to instructive illustrations, reads like a didactic textbook, e.g. fundamental aspects of electron transfer at interfaces (Sh. Khan and J.O'M. Bockris). There are only a few shortcomings, e.g., a large gap in respect to electric field ~ffects on membranes leading to electroporation, electrotransformation and electro,usion. Moreover. there axe a lot of other electromagnetic field effects on living systems which can be measured biochemically (compare such topics in "J. Bioelectricity", "Bioelectrochemistry and Bioenergetics"). The referee believes a complete chapter on experimental techniques and equipment, not just a mention, would be helpful for a beginner (Chapter 19). In the same chapter, "Electrochemistry of drug interactions and incompatibilities" (G. Eckert, F. Gutmann, H. Keyzer), rather special complexes are mostly stressed instead of the polarographic and other electrochemical determinations of interactions between antibiotics and DNA, proteins and lipids. The spectroscopic characterization of chlorpromn~ine seems to be an outstanding example of organic or quantum chemistry (Chapter 18)! Nevertheless, this edition is currently the most comprehensive book on bioelectrochemistry. H. B E R G Jena