Textbooks 



126. 



C.R.AUSTIN and R.V. SHORT, eds. 1972. GERM CELLS AND FERTILIZA- 

 TION 



Cambridge Univ. Press, London. Reproduction in mammals, Book 1. 

 VIII, 136 pp., 50 figs., 3 tabs., subject index. £ 3.40 (cloth), 

 £ 1.30 (paper) 



Contents: 1. Primordial germ cells (Baker); 2. Oogenesis and 

 ovulation (Baker); 3. Spermatogenesis and the spermatozoa 

 (Monesi); 4. Cycles and seasons (Sadleir); Fertilization 

 (Austin) 



This series of five small textbooks was written mainly for 

 the use of undergraduate students, but is eminently suited for 

 specialists in other fields to update their knowledge of mammal- 

 ian and human reproduction. 



Book 2 of the series was reviewed in this issue under no. 34. 

 All that was said there applies to the present volume. The illus- 

 trations by Fuller are of unsurpassable quality; those based on 

 electron micrographs are stunningly realistic. 



Monographs 



127. 



A.S.GINZBURG. 1972. FERTILIZATION IN FISHES AND THE PROBLEM OF 



POLYSPERMY, translated from the Russian by Z.Blake 



Israel Program for Scient. Translations, Jerusalem. VIII, 366 pp., 



68 figs., 14 pis., 38 tabs. $ 25.00, £ 11.73 



Contents: 1. The egg; 2. The spermatozoon; 3. Gametic associ- 

 ation; 4. Number of spermatozoa penetrating egg and fate of 

 supernumerary spermatozoa; 5. The cortical reaction in physi- 

 ologically monospermic eggs of fishes and other animals; 6. 

 The mechanism of the block to polyspermy 



This is an unchanged translation of a book first published 

 in Russian in 1968; it is the first comprehensive review of fer- 

 tilization patterns in relation to the problem of polyspermy, 

 with special reference to fishes. The author has worked in this 

 area for many years and has incorporated many of her own re- 

 search findings. Morphological, ultrastructural , and physio- 

 logical aspects are extensively discussed. 



The first two chapters each have a general and a comparative 

 section, both restricted to fishes. Ch.3 is a general discus- 

 sion of sperm-egg interaction and of the various hypotheses 

 proposed to explain it. Ch.4 is largely comparative and deals 

 first with fishes and then, more briefly, with invertebrates 

 and chordates other than fishes. Ch.5 is likewise comparative. 

 Finally, ch.6 suggests a one-step mechanism for the block to 

 polyspermy based on the discharge of cortical granules and al- 

 veoli, which is discussed with special reference to fishes and 

 sea urchins. 



The book is produced in offset print. Most of the photogra- 

 phic illustrations are brought together in plates at the end of 

 the book; unfortunately all have suffered badly from reproduc- 

 tion. The bibliography has more than 1,300 entries; about 250 

 of these are Russian titles (with English translations). The 

 book has no indexes. 



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