12 



4. AN OUTLINE OF DEVELOPMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY 



3rded., 1966 



by Chr. P. Raven Pergamon Press 



International Series of Monographs Oxford etc. 



in Pure and Applied Biology 

 236 pp., 63 figs., 16 pis. 



The 2nd edition of this widely known little book appeared in 1959. The 

 present edition has again been slightly revised by the inclusion of new im- 

 portant literature up to 1963, and the elimination of some older less relevant 

 material. The organization and size of the book have hardly changed. 



Among the new subjects included are the genetic code and gene activation, 

 cortical grafting experiments in amphibians, and dis- and reaggregation ex- 

 periments with embryonic chick cells. The paragraphs on the submicroscopic 

 structure of the cytoplasm have been brought in accordance with newer 

 findings. 



The number of photographic plates has been increased from ten to sixteen. 



5. INTRODUCTION TO CELL DIFFERENTIATION 



1965 



by N. T. Spratt Jr. Chapman & Hall Ltd. 



"Selected Topics in Modern Biology" London 



Series Price: 10s. 6d. 



124 pp., 41 figs., 3 tbs. 

 (paper-bound) 



This booklet opens another new series of paperback editions intended for 

 beginning students of biology. There are by now at least five such series 

 published in English, and all of these contain a volume devoted to develop- 

 mental biology (M. Sussman, 1961/64; L. J. Barth, 1964, see review no. 2 

 above; J. D. Ebert, 1965; N. T. Spratt, 1965; C. H. Waddington. 1966, see 

 review no. 6 below). However, all of these differ more or less markedly in 

 scope and approach. 



The present book is the most concise of the ones mentioned, and perhaps 

 the one that most clearly bears the mark of the author's primary interest, i.e. 

 differentiation in early chick development. This is intentional, and it lends an 

 admirable unity to the book. The treatment is kept at a simple level, and is 

 didactically lucid. The author's starting point is that true comprehension of 

 the nature of cell differentiation requires its study in the context of normal 

 development. 



After an introductory chapter three chapters deal with definitions, chronol- 

 ogy, and mechanisms of cell differentiation. The next three chapters discuss 

 the role of the micro-environment, the stability of cell types, and the role of the 

 genes in cell differentiation. The final chapter deals with supracellular patterns 

 of cell differentiation. The chapters range in size from 8-18 small-size pages. 



The book is illustrated with simple but clear line drawings and a number of 

 photographs pertaining to the chick blastoderm and embryo. It is concluded 

 by a short list of selected readings (mostly recent Symposium reports) and a 

 subject index. 



