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Promoting active learning notes for teachers in higher and further education
246 In summary, this book gives an excellent introduction to cancer research and many of the chapters contain basic information which would be useful to those in other areas of research. H E Knaggs
Promoting Active Learning Notes for Teachers in Higher and Further Education by M W i l l i a m s a n d R H o r o b i n . p p 35. D a t a s c o p e Services, Sheffield, U K . 1991. £1.95 + p o s t a g e ISBN 1-87-1937-05-1 The authors of this booklet have spent their working lives as University teachers in laboratory-based subjects in the UK. They were motivated to share their views on teaching in institutions of Higher Learning in the form of these notes, under the sponsorship of the University of Sheffield Enterprise Unit. Their central belief (well founded on the results of modern research in cognitive psychology) is that effective learning results from 'an involving and involved activity' which can be achieved within the context of 'pedagogical pluralism'. Some suggestions are offered as to how the 'talking textbook model' of teaching (represented by 'presentation' methods such as traditional lectures, visual displays, videotapes, etc) can be supplemented by activities that encourage active learning with large groups. Focused on are activities that involve essay writing, tutorials, interactive lectures and simulations of professional activities. Some ideas are also offered to teachers for constructing a workbook for use in the teaching laboratory. Although the booklet would have profited from independent editing for grammatical errors and from closer proofreading, its brevity and simplicity of presentation should prove attractive. An hour devoted to reading and reflecting on its contents should encourage many teachers of biochemistry (as well as of almost any other subject) to experiment with teaching activities which really engage the students. By promoting active learning the intellectual development of students is enhanced and that is what all education is about. F Vella
Inorganic Biochemistry of Iron Metabolism by R R C r i c h t o n . p p 263. Ellis H o r w o o d , C h i c h e s t e r , U K . 1991. £12.95 ISBN 0-13-728742-9 Iron is the second most abundant metal (after aluminium) and the fourth most abundant element in the Earth's crust. It is a transition metal and was obviously incorporated into life systems at a very early stage of evolution. Presently it is vitally involved in a multitude of proteins where it acts as an electron carrier, an oxygen carrier, and catalytically: in addition there are iron storage and iron transport proteins. The competition for iron supplies is important, too, and microbes have developed lowmolecular weight iron chelators called siderophores. To write a small book about biological iron is consequently rather difficult. Professor Crichton has done very well to condense a great deal into 263 pages and has produced a very readable book. He gives a very personal touch to all aspects without concentrating too much on his own topic of research, ferritin. He gives background and history, some literary and poetic quotes, and keeps our interest. He gives sufficient inorganic chemistry for the biochemist without overwhelming us. This is an interesting book to dip into or a useful starting point for many topics. The first two chapters deal with chemical considerations and the next three give an account of iron uptake and release. Chapter 6 is on transferrin, Chapter 7 on the transferrin receptor BIOCHEMICAL
EDUCATION
20(4)
1992
and Chapter 8 on ferritin. The last four chapters have a more medical/physiological slant, being on iron homeostasis, deficiency and overload, oxidative damage and iron and infection. The pictures are mostly clear and simple and any of the chapters might be read, at a sitting, simply out of interest, for anyone interested in biology. One could quibble that there ought to be more on haemoglobins or on iron-sulphur proteins, but that would be churlish. There is too much about these already! In any case, the book is about iron metabolism rather than its function, and indeed Crichton states that he gives "only the mariner's view of an iceberg concerning the fundamental importance of iron in ecological systems". The book would be of interest to students at all levels and also to lecturers preparing to lecture. The latter sections on the more medical aspects will appeal specially to those teaching medical students. B T Eastham
Receptor-Effector Coupling. A Practical Approach E d i t e d b y E C H u l m e . p p 221. I R L Press at O x f o r d U n i v e r s i t y Press. 1990. $45 ISBN 0-19-963095-X This is the second in the set of three books covering the major aspects of receptor biochemistry, receptor-effector coupling, and neurotransmitter/hormone receptor-ligand interactions. This volume aims to provide practical instruction for measurement of the main varieties of receptor response. The book begins with a brief definition and functions of the GTP-dependent regulatory proteins (G-proteins) followed by the different procedures, along with the required solutions, employed in G-proteins purification from different sources. This is an important chapter as the techniques described herein are useful in subsequent chapters (Chapters 2 to 8). Chapter 2 deals with the detection and characterization of pre-existing receptorG protein complexes while chapters 3 and 4 describe the methods by which the reconstitution of both cyclase-stimulatory and cyclase-inhibitory receptors with G-proteins can be achieved. Some of the recent methods for assaying of inositol phosphates are reported in chapter 5. The estimation and control of intracellular calcium levels and their relation to inositol triphosphate production has been given due attention. Spectroscopic and electrochemical methods used in the measurement of intracellular calcium levels are covered in chapter 6. Chapter 7 describes the various technological aspects of patch clamp and its applications in studying the electrical characteristics and molecular pharmacology of individual channels. The detection of tyrosine phosphorylating activity, and the isolation of phosphorylated proteins, is discussed in chapter 8. The book ends with a useful appendix. Although the outline of receptor binding studies given in appendix A1 is brief, it still gives some insight, for beginners as well as experienced researchers, into the different possible explanations of some plots such as the Scatchard plot. It would have been quite useful had a chapter been included on cloning and sequencing of genes pertaining to the G-protein family. This extremely important and rapidly emerging area has been given no attention. The book is easy to read and the theoretical and practical basis of most of the techniques described are well integrated. As the topics covered in the book are rarely encountered in the common textbooks of medical and basic sciences, it will be a valuable reference for researchers and postgraduate students in biochemistry, pharmacology and neurosciences. K M Abu-Salah
Promoting Active Learning Notes for Teachers in Higher and Further Education by M W i l l i a m s a n d R H o r o b i n . p p 35. D a t a s c o p e Services, Sheffield, U K . 1991. £1.95 + p o s t a g e ISBN 1-87-1937-05-1 The authors of this booklet have spent their working lives as University teachers in laboratory-based subjects in the UK. They were motivated to share their views on teaching in institutions of Higher Learning in the form of these notes, under the sponsorship of the University of Sheffield Enterprise Unit. Their central belief (well founded on the results of modern research in cognitive psychology) is that effective learning results from 'an involving and involved activity' which can be achieved within the context of 'pedagogical pluralism'. Some suggestions are offered as to how the 'talking textbook model' of teaching (represented by 'presentation' methods such as traditional lectures, visual displays, videotapes, etc) can be supplemented by activities that encourage active learning with large groups. Focused on are activities that involve essay writing, tutorials, interactive lectures and simulations of professional activities. Some ideas are also offered to teachers for constructing a workbook for use in the teaching laboratory. Although the booklet would have profited from independent editing for grammatical errors and from closer proofreading, its brevity and simplicity of presentation should prove attractive. An hour devoted to reading and reflecting on its contents should encourage many teachers of biochemistry (as well as of almost any other subject) to experiment with teaching activities which really engage the students. By promoting active learning the intellectual development of students is enhanced and that is what all education is about. F Vella
Inorganic Biochemistry of Iron Metabolism by R R C r i c h t o n . p p 263. Ellis H o r w o o d , C h i c h e s t e r , U K . 1991. £12.95 ISBN 0-13-728742-9 Iron is the second most abundant metal (after aluminium) and the fourth most abundant element in the Earth's crust. It is a transition metal and was obviously incorporated into life systems at a very early stage of evolution. Presently it is vitally involved in a multitude of proteins where it acts as an electron carrier, an oxygen carrier, and catalytically: in addition there are iron storage and iron transport proteins. The competition for iron supplies is important, too, and microbes have developed lowmolecular weight iron chelators called siderophores. To write a small book about biological iron is consequently rather difficult. Professor Crichton has done very well to condense a great deal into 263 pages and has produced a very readable book. He gives a very personal touch to all aspects without concentrating too much on his own topic of research, ferritin. He gives background and history, some literary and poetic quotes, and keeps our interest. He gives sufficient inorganic chemistry for the biochemist without overwhelming us. This is an interesting book to dip into or a useful starting point for many topics. The first two chapters deal with chemical considerations and the next three give an account of iron uptake and release. Chapter 6 is on transferrin, Chapter 7 on the transferrin receptor BIOCHEMICAL
EDUCATION
20(4)
1992
and Chapter 8 on ferritin. The last four chapters have a more medical/physiological slant, being on iron homeostasis, deficiency and overload, oxidative damage and iron and infection. The pictures are mostly clear and simple and any of the chapters might be read, at a sitting, simply out of interest, for anyone interested in biology. One could quibble that there ought to be more on haemoglobins or on iron-sulphur proteins, but that would be churlish. There is too much about these already! In any case, the book is about iron metabolism rather than its function, and indeed Crichton states that he gives "only the mariner's view of an iceberg concerning the fundamental importance of iron in ecological systems". The book would be of interest to students at all levels and also to lecturers preparing to lecture. The latter sections on the more medical aspects will appeal specially to those teaching medical students. B T Eastham
Receptor-Effector Coupling. A Practical Approach E d i t e d b y E C H u l m e . p p 221. I R L Press at O x f o r d U n i v e r s i t y Press. 1990. $45 ISBN 0-19-963095-X This is the second in the set of three books covering the major aspects of receptor biochemistry, receptor-effector coupling, and neurotransmitter/hormone receptor-ligand interactions. This volume aims to provide practical instruction for measurement of the main varieties of receptor response. The book begins with a brief definition and functions of the GTP-dependent regulatory proteins (G-proteins) followed by the different procedures, along with the required solutions, employed in G-proteins purification from different sources. This is an important chapter as the techniques described herein are useful in subsequent chapters (Chapters 2 to 8). Chapter 2 deals with the detection and characterization of pre-existing receptorG protein complexes while chapters 3 and 4 describe the methods by which the reconstitution of both cyclase-stimulatory and cyclase-inhibitory receptors with G-proteins can be achieved. Some of the recent methods for assaying of inositol phosphates are reported in chapter 5. The estimation and control of intracellular calcium levels and their relation to inositol triphosphate production has been given due attention. Spectroscopic and electrochemical methods used in the measurement of intracellular calcium levels are covered in chapter 6. Chapter 7 describes the various technological aspects of patch clamp and its applications in studying the electrical characteristics and molecular pharmacology of individual channels. The detection of tyrosine phosphorylating activity, and the isolation of phosphorylated proteins, is discussed in chapter 8. The book ends with a useful appendix. Although the outline of receptor binding studies given in appendix A1 is brief, it still gives some insight, for beginners as well as experienced researchers, into the different possible explanations of some plots such as the Scatchard plot. It would have been quite useful had a chapter been included on cloning and sequencing of genes pertaining to the G-protein family. This extremely important and rapidly emerging area has been given no attention. The book is easy to read and the theoretical and practical basis of most of the techniques described are well integrated. As the topics covered in the book are rarely encountered in the common textbooks of medical and basic sciences, it will be a valuable reference for researchers and postgraduate students in biochemistry, pharmacology and neurosciences. K M Abu-Salah