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Problems in photosynthesis
BOOK fields. The volume should be a welcome to the library of all chemists. ROLAND
WARD,
Storm,
347
REVIEWS
addit’ion
Connecticut
Problems
in Photosynthesis. By W. BLADERLtd., Basle, Switzerland. Charles C Thomas, Springfield, Illinois, 1960. xiv + 198 pp. Price $10.50.
GROEX, Sandoz
This is a curious little book by an author whose name is unknown in the photosynthetic literature. The tone of this monograph is revealed in the preface where Bladergroen states that the chemistry of photosynthesis still is in its infancy yet “a critical and objective review of the work done on the photochemical energetic part of photosynthesis would suggest that the work has been completed.” The text permits no doubt that Bladergroen attributes this achievement in all its finality to Dr. Otto Warburg to whom the book is dedicated and whose photograph appears as the frontispiece. Bladergroen exercises an author’s prerogative in selecting those works which he chooses to emphasize. Unfortunately, his selection and his appraisal are neither critical nor objective. The book opens with a necessarily superficial introduction devoted chiefly to plant pigments and chloroplast structure (10 pp.) followed by some elementary physical chemistry (20 pp.). The next 30 pages are devoted to a detailed rehash of theory and practice of manometry restricted to procedures used in Warburg’s laboratory. A beginning student might find this part a useful supplement to UmMethods. Another 45 breit et al.‘s Manomctric pages are used to recapitulate many experimental claims of high photosynthetic quantum yields. The theoretical impossibility of achieving even close to 100% efficiency is ignored. Criticisms of Warburg’s experimental methods (in the few instances where these are noted) are dismissed as unworthy of serious attention. Where other workers have failed to confirm Warburg’s rrsults or have discovered technical inadequacies in his experiments, Bladergroen tither does not cite such work or quotes it out of context in a manner which can only be deliberately intended to mislead the innocent. The last half of the book (“Chemistry of Photosynthesis”) opens with conventional summaries of glycolytic and respiratory reaction pathways. It includes a section on “water phot,olpsis” which concept the author contemptuously dismisses. To argue that the Or of photosynthesis and of the Hill reaction must be derived from CO, involves Bladergroen in theoretical interpretations and speculations which are awkward to say the least. The last third of the book is a miscellaneous
hodgepodge on presumed photosynthetic intermediates in which the author makes a sincere attempt to interpret diverse phenomena in a manner consistent with published views of Warburg. We are told, for example, that current theories of photophosphorylation are “difficult to accept” because “light induced phosphorylation does not exist.” Also, most of the C’” studies of the last 10 or 12 years are dismissed as “pure paper chemistry” which are only ‘Luseful as working hypotheses.” For students of photosynthesis who want to consult a readable, comprehensive, and competent treatment of the subject, this book is not recommended. A far superior monograph is now available in the form of Graffron’s 275page chapter in Steward’s Plant Physiology, Vol. IB. Academic Press, New York, 1960. The publisher and the printer of Bladergroen’s book are congratulated on the quality of the paper, the binding, and the freedom from mechanical errors. ALLAN
H. BROR’S, Minneapolis,
Minnesota
Physical Methods in Chemical Analysis. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). Edited by WALTER G. BERL. Academic Press, New York, 1960. xiv + 686 pp. illus. Price $19.00. This is a revised edition of a volume which met a favorable reception when it first appeared in 1950. Consequently it is appropriate to point out in what ways the new edition differs from the old. The volume has grown by some 20 pages, although a chapter entitled “Polariscopic and Polarimetric Examination of Materials by Transmitted Light” has been dropped. The chapter on “Mass Spectrometry” has been completely rewritten. The chapters on “Electron Diffract,ion” and on “Spect,rophotometry and Absorptimetry” have been extensively rewritten. The other chapters have had more or less new material grafted onto them. As is usual in a book of this type, the individual chapters vary considerably in quality. To this reviewer, the outstanding chapters are the ones dealing with mass spectrometry, x-ray absorption and diffraction, and infrared spectroscopy. This last-mentioned chapter lays more emphasis on the physical background of the subject than on applications to chemical analysis. The weakest chapter is the one on Raman spectroscopy, which does not adequately reflect modern developments in this subject. To summarize, this volume had some valuable features when it was first published, and it has gained substantially by its revision. E. J. ROSEXBACM,
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania
WARD,
Storm,
347
REVIEWS
addit’ion
Connecticut
Problems
in Photosynthesis. By W. BLADERLtd., Basle, Switzerland. Charles C Thomas, Springfield, Illinois, 1960. xiv + 198 pp. Price $10.50.
GROEX, Sandoz
This is a curious little book by an author whose name is unknown in the photosynthetic literature. The tone of this monograph is revealed in the preface where Bladergroen states that the chemistry of photosynthesis still is in its infancy yet “a critical and objective review of the work done on the photochemical energetic part of photosynthesis would suggest that the work has been completed.” The text permits no doubt that Bladergroen attributes this achievement in all its finality to Dr. Otto Warburg to whom the book is dedicated and whose photograph appears as the frontispiece. Bladergroen exercises an author’s prerogative in selecting those works which he chooses to emphasize. Unfortunately, his selection and his appraisal are neither critical nor objective. The book opens with a necessarily superficial introduction devoted chiefly to plant pigments and chloroplast structure (10 pp.) followed by some elementary physical chemistry (20 pp.). The next 30 pages are devoted to a detailed rehash of theory and practice of manometry restricted to procedures used in Warburg’s laboratory. A beginning student might find this part a useful supplement to UmMethods. Another 45 breit et al.‘s Manomctric pages are used to recapitulate many experimental claims of high photosynthetic quantum yields. The theoretical impossibility of achieving even close to 100% efficiency is ignored. Criticisms of Warburg’s experimental methods (in the few instances where these are noted) are dismissed as unworthy of serious attention. Where other workers have failed to confirm Warburg’s rrsults or have discovered technical inadequacies in his experiments, Bladergroen tither does not cite such work or quotes it out of context in a manner which can only be deliberately intended to mislead the innocent. The last half of the book (“Chemistry of Photosynthesis”) opens with conventional summaries of glycolytic and respiratory reaction pathways. It includes a section on “water phot,olpsis” which concept the author contemptuously dismisses. To argue that the Or of photosynthesis and of the Hill reaction must be derived from CO, involves Bladergroen in theoretical interpretations and speculations which are awkward to say the least. The last third of the book is a miscellaneous
hodgepodge on presumed photosynthetic intermediates in which the author makes a sincere attempt to interpret diverse phenomena in a manner consistent with published views of Warburg. We are told, for example, that current theories of photophosphorylation are “difficult to accept” because “light induced phosphorylation does not exist.” Also, most of the C’” studies of the last 10 or 12 years are dismissed as “pure paper chemistry” which are only ‘Luseful as working hypotheses.” For students of photosynthesis who want to consult a readable, comprehensive, and competent treatment of the subject, this book is not recommended. A far superior monograph is now available in the form of Graffron’s 275page chapter in Steward’s Plant Physiology, Vol. IB. Academic Press, New York, 1960. The publisher and the printer of Bladergroen’s book are congratulated on the quality of the paper, the binding, and the freedom from mechanical errors. ALLAN
H. BROR’S, Minneapolis,
Minnesota
Physical Methods in Chemical Analysis. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). Edited by WALTER G. BERL. Academic Press, New York, 1960. xiv + 686 pp. illus. Price $19.00. This is a revised edition of a volume which met a favorable reception when it first appeared in 1950. Consequently it is appropriate to point out in what ways the new edition differs from the old. The volume has grown by some 20 pages, although a chapter entitled “Polariscopic and Polarimetric Examination of Materials by Transmitted Light” has been dropped. The chapter on “Mass Spectrometry” has been completely rewritten. The chapters on “Electron Diffract,ion” and on “Spect,rophotometry and Absorptimetry” have been extensively rewritten. The other chapters have had more or less new material grafted onto them. As is usual in a book of this type, the individual chapters vary considerably in quality. To this reviewer, the outstanding chapters are the ones dealing with mass spectrometry, x-ray absorption and diffraction, and infrared spectroscopy. This last-mentioned chapter lays more emphasis on the physical background of the subject than on applications to chemical analysis. The weakest chapter is the one on Raman spectroscopy, which does not adequately reflect modern developments in this subject. To summarize, this volume had some valuable features when it was first published, and it has gained substantially by its revision. E. J. ROSEXBACM,
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania