The nucleic acids: Chemistry and biology (in 2 vols)

BOOK

REVIEWS

Iii

T h e discussions are p a r t i c u l a r l y s t i m u l a t i n g because t h e y consider w h a t h a p p e n s in t h e specimen and not merely its static components. P e r h a p s phase diagrams here a n d t h e r e would be c o n v e n i e n t for reference, b u t even w i t h o u t t h e m physical and inorganic chemists should find t h e book i n t e r e s t i n g reading, and could h a r d l y resist looking i n t o some of t h e references. T h e value of an encyclopedic work such as this is comes not only from w h a t it includes for t h e seeker of special i n f o r m a t i o n , b u t in w h a t it suggests to him from outside this specialty. B y writing it, the authors h a v e c o m m i t t e d themselves to an ever-increasing coverage in l a t e r editions. I t is hoped t h a t this m a y include more on a b n o r m a l i t i e s and service failures, and an i m p r o v e d c h a p t e r on abrasives. C. W. MAson, I t h a c a , New York

T h e Nucleic Acids: Chemistry and Biology (in Z vols). E d i t e d b y ERWIN CHARGAFF a n d J. N. DAVIDSON. Academic Press, New York, 1955. Vol. I, 692 pp. Price $16.80. Vol. I I , 576 pp. Price 814.50. T h e efforts of t h e editors a n d a t o t a l of t h i r t y - t h r e e c o n t r i b u t o r s h a v e g a t h e r e d t o g e t h e r in these two large volumes an enormous a m o u n t of detailed i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t t h e nucleic acids, t h e i r c o n s t i t u e n t s , a n d w h a t is k n o w n of t h e p a r t they play in various aspects of cellular biology. T h e plan of t h e work is exhaustive. N e a r l y 2400 references to t h e original l i t e r a t u r e are given in Volume I alone. By far t h e largest n u m b e r of these references are of c o m p a r a t i v e l y recent date, a n d a v e r y subs t a n t i a l p a r t are the p r o d u c t of t h e last t e n years. This c o m p e n d i u m will, therefore, be of great value to all those working with nucleic acids and t h e i r c o n s t i t u e n t s , or to those concerned w i t h t h e i r role in biology. T h e c o n t r i b u t i o n s in t h e first volume arc devoted to t h e organic a n d physical c h e m i s t r y a n d the physical properties of the nucleic acids : t h e i r isolation, resolution into, a n d c h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n of, t h e i r components, characteristic reactions, and determ i n a t i o n of t h e i r chemical s t r u c t u r e . T h e second volume deals extensively w i t h biological aspects: t h e e x t e n t to which nucleic acids are found in cells and tissues; cytochemical techniques for t h e i r d e t e c t i o n and e s t i m a t i o n ; t h e i r occurrence a n d d i s t r i b u t i o n in cell nuclei, and p a r t i c u l a r l y in chromosomes; t h e i r occurrence in c y t o p l a s m ; biosynthesis of t h e i r c o n s t i t u e n t s and of t h e nucleic acids t h e m s e l v e s ; metabolic aspects; a n d t h e i r role in growth a n d in infection, and as genetic determinants. I t is not easy for a single specialist to e v a l u a t e every c o n t r i b u t i o n . T h e work as a whole suffers slightly, as is i n e v i t a b l e in one of this s t r u c t u r e , from only p a r t l y successful i n t e g r a t i o n , and a certain a m o u n t of duplication occurs in t h e work of various contributors. This appears to be deliberate r a t h e r t h a n by editorial oversight, since the work is n o t of such a c h a r a c t e r t h a t every reader m i g h t be expected to read it as a whole. F o r the biochemist or biologist whose own speciality lies elsewhere this is a d i s a d v a n t a g e . For t h e l a t t e r an additional c h a p t e r (even t h o u g h necessarily a long one) which would outline and summarize a n d thus provide a conv e n i e n t o r i e n t a t i o n in this complex and rapidly expanding field, would h a v e been welcome. JACINTO STEINHARDT,Cambridge, M a s s a c h u s e t t s