66. 



J.H.P.JONXIS, H.K.A.VISSER, J . A . TROELSTRA , eds. 1971. METABOLIC 



PROCESSES IN THE FOETUS AND NEWBORN INFANT 



Stenfert Kroese, Leiden. Nutricia Symposium. XII, 307 pp., 122 



figs., 59 taos., author and suDject indexes. D.fl.55.12, £ 6.80 



The third Nutricia Symposium was held in October, 1970 in Rot- 

 terdam, Netherlands. It was attended oy 56 scientists mostly 

 working in oDstetric and pediatric departments. Of the 27 con- 

 tributors about half came from England and the U.S.A., the oth- 

 ers from seven Western-European countries. The discussions fol- 

 lowing the papers are recorded. 



The 19 contributions are arranged in three sessions as follows: 

 The development of enzyme systems in the mammal (6 papers); Ami- 

 noacid metabolism (6); Carbohydrate-fat metabolism (7). We will 

 mention only those subjects that are of more general interest. 

 In session I attention is focussed on the development of liver 

 and erythrocyte enzymes. One paper (by Villee) discusses the ba- 

 sic effects of hormones on the development of enzyme systems. In 

 session II one paper deals with placental transport of amino- 

 acids. In session III two papers deal with the development of 

 insulin and glucagon secretion, respectively, and one with the 

 development of carbohydrate "tolerance". 



The book is well produced. The author index gives the names of 

 participants in the discussions, but it does not include authors 

 cited but not mentioned by name in the text; this seems a rather 

 arbitrary practice. 



Collections of papers 



67. 



Et. WOLFF, ed. 1971. LA SYNTHESE DES ARN ET SON ROLE DANS LE 

 DEVELOPPEMENT PRIMITIF ET LA DIFFERENCIATION DE L ' EMBRYON 

 Gordon & Breach, London, etc. Cours et Documents de Biologie 

 Vol.2. XIII, 152 pp., 49 figs., 6 tabs., author index 



Like its predecessor in this series, this rather heterogeneous 

 collection of essays is based on seminars given at the College 

 de France in I969. The purpose of publishing such a series of 

 loosely connected papers of varying and partly very limited 

 scope, two years after they were held, seems doubtful. In so far 

 as the book is meant for the use of students better sources are 

 available . 



Nevertheless the two reviews by Brachet (44 pp.) and Denis 

 (16 pp.) on the regulation of gene activity in amphibian develop- 

 ment, in early stages and during gastrulation and neurulation, 

 respectively, are valuable. The contributions by Monroy and Giu- 

 dice on the sea urchin are far too short to be of real value, 

 while those by Soriano on RNA synthesis in embryonic skin, and 

 by Chapeville on "vestigial" enzymes in the chick yolk sac are 

 very specialistic , though no doubt interesting. 



The addition of an author index is an improvement. 



