reviewed in the eigth issue of the G.E.I.S. (1959, p. 237). In the second edition 

 the organization of the subject matter has remained unchanged, but many 

 sections have been ampHfied or revised, leading to a slight increase in the 

 number of pages. Many figures have been replaced by newer ones. 



8. CELL AND TISSUE CULTURE 



3rd ed.. 1965 



by J. Paul E. & S. Livingstone Ltd. 



382 pp., 56 figs., 12 pis., 23 tbs. Edinburgh — London 



Price: 35 s. 



The third edition of this book does not differ substantially from the second 

 edition of 1960. Apart from minor alterations in the text and selective, up-to- 

 date additions to the bibliography, the central chapters on primary explantation 

 techniques have been more logically arranged and the section on organ culture 

 expanded. The book remains one of the most informative and practically useful 

 on the subject. 



See also review no. 32 below 



9. THE EMERGENCE OF BIOLOGICAL ORGANIZATION 



1964 



by H. Quastler f Yale University Press 



95 pp., 12 figs. New Haven — London 



This essay is based on notes for a course of lectures given by the author as 

 visiting Professor of theoretical biology at Yale University in 1963, Although 

 the book does not concern itself specifically with developmental problems, it 

 is reviewed here for the benefit of those who are interested in an introduction 

 to an important aspect of theoretical biology. 



The author had planned a book on a mathematical theory of biological 

 organization, but his untimely death prevented this. The present essay may be 

 regarded as representing the beginnings of such a book. The essay, left un- 

 finished by the author, was edited by P. A. Steward of Emory University and 

 T, H. Waterman of Yale University, but is opened by a brief preface by the 

 author. The book will be of interest only to those having a good knowledge of 

 mathematics and molecular genetics, combined with some knowledge of 

 information theory. 



To characterize the book, we will restrict ourselves to citing the second part 

 of the preface: "For individual components of biological systems the problem 

 of organization is one of specification, or information content; this will be 

 illustrated by the question of the specification and development of nucleic acids. 

 With pairs of components different problems arise relating to function, inform- 

 ation transmission, action and interaction of information, and the like; these 

 will be discussed in terms of the enzymatic role of proteins. The next level of 

 analysis deals with interactions of actions; it is represented by the inter- 

 relations, inside the cell, of nucleic acids which have acquired usefulness by 

 specifying functional proteins. This is as far as the analysis has been carried. 

 Evolution is considered at all levels since evolutionary history is a very 

 important feature of living things". 



337 



