wirkung; 1^. Regulation Del der Embryogenese ; 15. Steuerung 

 der funktlonellen Dif ferenzlerung durch Hormone; 16. Steuerung 

 der Entwlcklung durch Llcht; 17. Die beiden Stufen der Dif fer- 

 enzlerung; l8. Enzymlnduktlon und Enzymumsatz ; 19. Steuerung 

 der Entwlcklung bei Pilzen; 20 Hormonale Wechselwirkungen 

 zwischen Organismen; 21. Entwlcklung der Chloroplasten; 22. 

 Entwlcklung der Mitochondrien; 23. Ausbllcke 



As will be immediately apparent from the table of contents, 

 this is an unusual book. The authors are botanists, but they 

 have endeavoured to provide a synthesis which far transcends 

 their own specializations. They have succeeded admirably by be- 

 ing at once rigorous in their theoretical treatment and judi- 

 ciously selective in their examples. This has resulted in a book 

 that is rigorously scientific, yet at the same time remains 

 readable for the student with a reasonable background in general 

 biology. The slight predominance of examples from the plant 

 kingdom is understandable. 



For the developmental biologists trained in zoology the book 

 has the added advantage of bringing out the essential unity of 

 developmental problems throughout living nature. The connecting 

 strand is that of cellular differentiation viewed from the 

 standpoint of molecular biology and the regulation of gene ac- 

 tivity. (Spatial differentiation or pattern formation is hardly 

 considered, but this is understandable because virtually nothing 

 is known of its molecular basis.) In view of all these features 

 the book merits to be considered for translation into other lan- 

 guages . 



The book is profusely illustrated with good original line 

 drawings and contains a wealth of graphs and diagrams summariz- 

 ing important biochemical findings from the primary literature. 

 Each chapter has a good selective bibliography containing recent 

 to very recent titles. 



Monographs 



63. 



Ph. BENSON, ed. 1971. THE BIOCHEMISTRY OF DEVELOPMENT 



Spastics Intern. Med. Publ. , London; Heinemann, London. Clinics 



in Developmental Medicine Wo. 37. VI, 273 pp., 58 figs., 27 tabs., 



author and subject Indexes. $ 16.00, £ 3.25 



The title of this collection of reviews is misleading if one 

 does not know that its primary aim is to bring pediatricians and 

 Obstetricians up to date with what is going on in the field of 

 biochemistry relative to mammalian and human development. Within 

 these restrictions it is a valuable book. The ten chapters are 

 on the whole competently written, although they are only loosely 

 related to one other. 



The chapters of most general significance are that by Brinstei- 

 on the biochemistry of the early mammalian embryo (l4 pp.) and 

 that by Benson on the regulation of gene expression (^7 pp.). 

 The latter consists of three parts entitled Levels of control. 

 Differential genomic expression during embryogenesis, and Con- 

 trol of protein and ribonucleic acid biosynthesis in the perina 

 tal period. Other chapters cover a variety of subjects such as 

 liver function. Inherited diseases, carbohydrate, lipid, arginl 

 ne and ornithine metabolism, haemoglobins, "autacolds" (local 

 hormones and autopharmacological agents), and fetal proteins. 



The book is well printed and very well Illustrated. 



36 



