metabolism of the rat conducted at the Pathophysiological Institute of the 

 University of Jena, D.D.R. The treatment concentrates on the structural 

 findings; their interpretation is not always discussed exhaustively, the reader 

 being referred to the relevant specialist literature. 



Of the six brief introductory chapters, one is a survey of the ultrastructural 

 and functional organisation of animal cells in general, while another treats 

 in detail the methods used in this investigation, which were elaborated 

 particularly with the aim of obtaining large-surface longitudinal sections. The 

 next five chapters deal with the structure of the 19-day placenta, used as 

 a basis of reference for the other stages. The following zones are described 

 consecutively: decidua basalis, giant cell zone, trophospongium, and laby- 

 rinth. After a brief chapter on early development and placentation in murids, 

 the same four zones are again taken up, this time with reference to the 

 changes occurring between the 10th and the 22nd day of gestation. From 

 chapter 7 onwards the major chapters each have a brief summary. 



More than half of the book is taken up by plates. The majority of these 

 are full-page, often composite electron micrographs. Unfortunately their 

 quality is not very good, which is probably largely due to unsatisfactory 

 fixation of the material. In addition to the plates there are five large, loose 

 out-folding plates, attached to the back cover of the book. The book is 

 concluded by an extensive bibliography, with an appendix bringing it up 

 to date until 1968, and a detailed subject index. 



45 THYROIDE MATERNELLE 



ET DEVELOPPEMENT PRENATAL DU RAT 

 1968 

 By A. Gommers Editions Arscia S.A., Bruxelles 



296 pp., 2.3 figs., 72 tbs., 32 pis. Librairie Maloine S.A., Paris 



Price: F 70.— 



The author of this monograph works at the University of Louvain, Bel- 

 gium. The book is essentially an account of her own extensive experimental 

 work on the rat, preceded by a thorough literature review. The original 

 data are organized in four chapters, discussing successively: the influence 

 of thyroid hormone on reproduction and on the survival and growth of the 

 fetus; the influence of the thyroid state of the mother on carbohydrate 

 metabolism of fetal tissues; the influence of thyroid hormone on oxygen 

 consumption of fetal tissues; and the influence of thyroid hormone on dif- 

 ferentiation (organogenesis and ossification). 



The book has a laudative preface by Prof. H. Tuchmann-Duplessis (Paris). 

 It is well printed and illustrated with high-quality original photographs, and 

 has an extensive bibliography. 



46 HUMAN TROPHOBLAST 



1968 

 By A. T. Hertig Charles C. Thomas 



363 pp., 274 figs., 5 tbs. Springfield, 111. 



Price: $ 12.— 



Although this monograph was written primarily with pathologist and 

 obstretician readers in mind, it will be received with great interest by human 

 embryologists, because a large part of it is concerned with the normal 

 trophoblast. We will mainly focus our attention on this part; it consists ol 

 1 ) a brief historical review, 2) a brief chapter on the origin of the trophoblast 



332 



