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The physical chemistry of biological organization
946
Book reviews
cal shortening of Limulus muscle takes place without any significant shortening of the A-filaments. The flight muscles of insects show stepwise shortening which is synchronized throughout the whole of the muscle. It is possible that similar synchronized stepwise shortening occurs during other muscle fibre contraction. There had been some doubt whether the linear fall of isometric tension with decreasing overlap demonstrated the action of independent tension generators adding up in parallel in the region where actin filaments overlapped myosin cross bridges. The evidence presented at this meeting indicated that the cross bridges in the overlap region are all involved equivalently in the production of tension. There is also the possibility that the myosin head consists of several domains, one of which is always attached to the actin and in rigor configuration, whilst the other domains can adopt various configurations during the working stroke. The volume presents in detail the arguments in favour of these and many other ideas about the contractile mechanisms of muscle. Glucocorticoid effects and their biological consequences. Advances in experimental medicine and biology, Vol. 17lL edited by L. V. AVIOLI,C. GENNARI and B. IMBIMBO.419~~. 1984. Plenum Press, New York. $57.50. The anti-inflammatory action of hydrocortisone (half life S-12 hr) is associated with the undesirable side effect of sodium retention. This is reduced in the synthetic glucocorticoid analogues such as prednisone, prednisolone, methylprednisone (half lives 12-36 hr): dexamethasone, betamethasane and paramethosone (half lives 3672 hr). Though the sodium retention is reduced, these drugs have metabolic, gastro-intestinal, cardiovascular, ocular, cutaneous, musculo-skeletal, endocrine and CNS undesirable side effects. The major side effect of prolonged treatment is reduction in bone mass (osteopenia) which can lead to bone fractures. The new drug Deflazacort, a derivative of prednisolone, appears to bring about minimal alterations in calcium absorption and bone metabolism, when compared in equipotent dosages with prednisone or betamethasone. The present volume provides an up-to-date account and discussion of the major effects of the glucocorticoids on the different tissues of the body and evaluates their side effects and role in the treatment of disease. A biologist’s basic mathematics by DAVID R. CAUSTON. 216~~. 1983. Edward Arnold, London. E7.50 paperback. This is a modified second edition, though the author has changed the text to allow for the later production of a second volume A Biologist’s Advanced Malhematics. The present volume deals with numbers, indices, logs, linear functions, polynomials, power functions, rectangular hyperbolae, differentiation, first and second derivatives, growth curves, integration, area under curves, differential equations, arithmetic series, geometric series, binomial series, exponentials, allometry, matrices and vectors. Worked examples are provided, together with a series of problems on each section. The answers are provided at the back of the book. The volume will be useful for those whose basic maths is neglected or rusty, or who wish to start learning the subject from new. The physical chemistry of biological organizationby A. R. Peacocke. 302~~. 1983. Oxford University Press, Oxford. $65. Most biologists, though impressed with the complexities of living systems, tend to get on with their own research and assume that the general analysis of the organization of biological systems will take place in due course. The present volume provides an excellent readable account of the extent to which it is now possible to understand
the organization of biochemical and biophysical processes in cells and organisms, in terms of their thermodynamics, network communication systems, self-organization, origin and evolution. New concepts are discussed such as that of dissipative structures and order through fluctuations, and selection and quality factor in the assembly of macromolecules. This book is an introduction to the subject with a good bibliography to allow the reader to pursue the subject still deeper. Biologists, biochemists, physiologists and pharmacologists will benefit from reading this thought-provoking volume.
Electrophoresis 83%edited by H. HIRAI. 787~~. 1984. W. de Gruyter, Berlin. DM 280. This volume contains the papers from the Third International Electrophoresis Society meeting held in Tokyo. Electrophoretic techniques allow the separation of the many charged substances in the living system. so that present-day techniques allow the separation of 1000 proteins and enable a protein index to be made of that species. It is possible that new developments will allow up to 10,000 proteins to be separated and identified. There are difficulties in getting high resolution separations. Increasing the length of the SDS-PAGE gel does not produce the expected increase in resolution due to diffusion of materials. With isoelectric focussing, there can be an increase of 1.8 times the resolution by increasing the voltage four times (from 125 V! cm to 500 V/cm). The running time can also be reduced from 52 min at 150 V to 29 min at 500 V. With the increased voltage it is necessary to reduce the thickness of the gel to 125%200pm and also to apply some cooling system to remove the heat and so reduce convection. With a twodimensional run using iso-electric focussing in the first direction and SDS-PAGE in the second direction, a protein index of up to 2000 bits can be identified. Another advance that has been made is to develop the electrorophoresis of material within thin glass tubes (i.d. 0.05-X)).2mm, wall thickness 0.1 mm) and have automatic UV measurement of the proteins as they separate under 100@3000 V (75-200 V/cm). A run for 5-10 min can separate up to ten different proteins in the O.Ol~-5 pg sample, and the results are clearly displayed without any need for protein staining. In this, the technique is equivalent to HPLC. The volume describes the application of electrophoresis to cell mixtures so that RBCs of rabbit, dog and man can be easily separated. The technique is also applied to lymphocytes, and for the better matching of donor kidneys to a recipient. All those using the techniques of electrophoresis will find this book stimulating and helpful. Biomineralization and biological metal accumulation. Biological and geological perspectives-edited by P. Westbroek and E. W. de Jong. 533~~. 1983. Reidel. Dordrecht and Kluwer Boston, Hingham, MA. This is the published proceedings of the Fourth Internatlonal Symposium on Biomineralization. The GAIA hypothesis that certain properties of the atmosphere are actively maintained by the biota for the biota, helps explain the dynamically stable anomalous atmospheric composition. modulated alkalinities, and temperatures at the earth surface over the last 3.5 billion years. The theory has been extended to include the composition of the lower atmosphere, and the surface sediments. Part 1 of the book discusses global cycling and biomineralization in terms of the GAIA theory: composition of sea water, carbonate- silicate sedimentary system, calcification and atmospheric carbon dioxide, distribution and geological history of calcium carbonate boring microorganisms. Part II deals with aspects of calcification from the mitochondrion to the mollusc shell. egg shell and enamel on teeth. Part 111 is
Book reviews
cal shortening of Limulus muscle takes place without any significant shortening of the A-filaments. The flight muscles of insects show stepwise shortening which is synchronized throughout the whole of the muscle. It is possible that similar synchronized stepwise shortening occurs during other muscle fibre contraction. There had been some doubt whether the linear fall of isometric tension with decreasing overlap demonstrated the action of independent tension generators adding up in parallel in the region where actin filaments overlapped myosin cross bridges. The evidence presented at this meeting indicated that the cross bridges in the overlap region are all involved equivalently in the production of tension. There is also the possibility that the myosin head consists of several domains, one of which is always attached to the actin and in rigor configuration, whilst the other domains can adopt various configurations during the working stroke. The volume presents in detail the arguments in favour of these and many other ideas about the contractile mechanisms of muscle. Glucocorticoid effects and their biological consequences. Advances in experimental medicine and biology, Vol. 17lL edited by L. V. AVIOLI,C. GENNARI and B. IMBIMBO.419~~. 1984. Plenum Press, New York. $57.50. The anti-inflammatory action of hydrocortisone (half life S-12 hr) is associated with the undesirable side effect of sodium retention. This is reduced in the synthetic glucocorticoid analogues such as prednisone, prednisolone, methylprednisone (half lives 12-36 hr): dexamethasone, betamethasane and paramethosone (half lives 3672 hr). Though the sodium retention is reduced, these drugs have metabolic, gastro-intestinal, cardiovascular, ocular, cutaneous, musculo-skeletal, endocrine and CNS undesirable side effects. The major side effect of prolonged treatment is reduction in bone mass (osteopenia) which can lead to bone fractures. The new drug Deflazacort, a derivative of prednisolone, appears to bring about minimal alterations in calcium absorption and bone metabolism, when compared in equipotent dosages with prednisone or betamethasone. The present volume provides an up-to-date account and discussion of the major effects of the glucocorticoids on the different tissues of the body and evaluates their side effects and role in the treatment of disease. A biologist’s basic mathematics by DAVID R. CAUSTON. 216~~. 1983. Edward Arnold, London. E7.50 paperback. This is a modified second edition, though the author has changed the text to allow for the later production of a second volume A Biologist’s Advanced Malhematics. The present volume deals with numbers, indices, logs, linear functions, polynomials, power functions, rectangular hyperbolae, differentiation, first and second derivatives, growth curves, integration, area under curves, differential equations, arithmetic series, geometric series, binomial series, exponentials, allometry, matrices and vectors. Worked examples are provided, together with a series of problems on each section. The answers are provided at the back of the book. The volume will be useful for those whose basic maths is neglected or rusty, or who wish to start learning the subject from new. The physical chemistry of biological organizationby A. R. Peacocke. 302~~. 1983. Oxford University Press, Oxford. $65. Most biologists, though impressed with the complexities of living systems, tend to get on with their own research and assume that the general analysis of the organization of biological systems will take place in due course. The present volume provides an excellent readable account of the extent to which it is now possible to understand
the organization of biochemical and biophysical processes in cells and organisms, in terms of their thermodynamics, network communication systems, self-organization, origin and evolution. New concepts are discussed such as that of dissipative structures and order through fluctuations, and selection and quality factor in the assembly of macromolecules. This book is an introduction to the subject with a good bibliography to allow the reader to pursue the subject still deeper. Biologists, biochemists, physiologists and pharmacologists will benefit from reading this thought-provoking volume.
Electrophoresis 83%edited by H. HIRAI. 787~~. 1984. W. de Gruyter, Berlin. DM 280. This volume contains the papers from the Third International Electrophoresis Society meeting held in Tokyo. Electrophoretic techniques allow the separation of the many charged substances in the living system. so that present-day techniques allow the separation of 1000 proteins and enable a protein index to be made of that species. It is possible that new developments will allow up to 10,000 proteins to be separated and identified. There are difficulties in getting high resolution separations. Increasing the length of the SDS-PAGE gel does not produce the expected increase in resolution due to diffusion of materials. With isoelectric focussing, there can be an increase of 1.8 times the resolution by increasing the voltage four times (from 125 V! cm to 500 V/cm). The running time can also be reduced from 52 min at 150 V to 29 min at 500 V. With the increased voltage it is necessary to reduce the thickness of the gel to 125%200pm and also to apply some cooling system to remove the heat and so reduce convection. With a twodimensional run using iso-electric focussing in the first direction and SDS-PAGE in the second direction, a protein index of up to 2000 bits can be identified. Another advance that has been made is to develop the electrorophoresis of material within thin glass tubes (i.d. 0.05-X)).2mm, wall thickness 0.1 mm) and have automatic UV measurement of the proteins as they separate under 100@3000 V (75-200 V/cm). A run for 5-10 min can separate up to ten different proteins in the O.Ol~-5 pg sample, and the results are clearly displayed without any need for protein staining. In this, the technique is equivalent to HPLC. The volume describes the application of electrophoresis to cell mixtures so that RBCs of rabbit, dog and man can be easily separated. The technique is also applied to lymphocytes, and for the better matching of donor kidneys to a recipient. All those using the techniques of electrophoresis will find this book stimulating and helpful. Biomineralization and biological metal accumulation. Biological and geological perspectives-edited by P. Westbroek and E. W. de Jong. 533~~. 1983. Reidel. Dordrecht and Kluwer Boston, Hingham, MA. This is the published proceedings of the Fourth Internatlonal Symposium on Biomineralization. The GAIA hypothesis that certain properties of the atmosphere are actively maintained by the biota for the biota, helps explain the dynamically stable anomalous atmospheric composition. modulated alkalinities, and temperatures at the earth surface over the last 3.5 billion years. The theory has been extended to include the composition of the lower atmosphere, and the surface sediments. Part 1 of the book discusses global cycling and biomineralization in terms of the GAIA theory: composition of sea water, carbonate- silicate sedimentary system, calcification and atmospheric carbon dioxide, distribution and geological history of calcium carbonate boring microorganisms. Part II deals with aspects of calcification from the mitochondrion to the mollusc shell. egg shell and enamel on teeth. Part 111 is