Most of the 17 chapters are a mixture of review and research report, and a great 

 variety of aspects are considered. Among these are circulation, volume, and water 

 dynamics of amniotic fluid; biochemistry, cytology, and spectrophotometry; hormones, 

 enzymes, lipids (among them prostaglandins); and gas tensions, pH, and amniotic fluid 

 pressure. Proper attention is given to methodology. All chapters have up-to-date bibliog- 

 raphies. 



The book is well produced and well illustrated; the price is on the high side. 



I A.PHTROPOULOS. 1973. MATERNAL AND FETAL FACTORS AFFECTING THE 

 GROWTH AND FUNCTION OF THE RAT PLACENTA 



Periodica. Copenhagen. Acta Endocrinologica Suppl. 176. 69 pp., 34 figs., 10 tabs. 



Ovariectomy, adrenalectomy, and fetectomy (alone or in combination) of 13-day 

 pregnant rats; determination at day 15-21 of placental weight, histology, protein, DNA 

 and RNA content, leucine incorporation, and labelled blood uptake; statistical analysis; 

 main result: only ovariectomy and fetectomy in combination affect the endocrine 

 elements, which proliferate and undergo biochemical changes similar to those of normal 

 gestation; numerous excellent colour photographs and micrographs; 162 references. 



Symposium reports 



29. 



L.D.LONGO and H.BARTELS, eds. 1973. RESPIRATORY GAS EXCHANGE AND 



BLOOD FLOW IN THE PLACENTA 



U.S. Dept. of Health, Education & Welfare, Bethesda. DHWE publication No(NIH) 



73—361. XX, 5 70 pp., 256 figs., 47 tabs., author and subject indexes. $ 6.05 (paper) 



This book embodies the proceedings of a symposium held in Hannover, Germany in 

 1971. It was attended by 40 scientists of many different specializations from nine 

 countries. The 32 papers presented range in length from less than five to over 20 pages; 

 two papers, both dealing with mathematical models of placental oxygen transfer, are over 

 40 pages long. Most papers are research reports, several contain a certain amount of 

 review material, and a few are pure reviews. The group discussions are often extensive and 

 have their own references and sometimes separate illustrations. 



The papers are arranged in Sessions as follows: I. Embryologic and anatomic aspects 

 (4 papers); II. Physiologic aspects — blood (4); III. Physiologic aspects - blood flow (8); 

 IV. Physiologic aspects respiratory gas exchange (4); V. Physiologic aspects — 



mathematical models (4); VI. Pharmacologic aspects ( 1); VII. Clinical aspects (7). 



The illustrations are mainly graphs and diagrams; the papers in Session I have good 

 photographs. The book is well printed at a surprisingly low price. 



Collections of papers 



30. 



K.S.LUDWIG and H.BARTELS. 1973. PROGRESS IN COMPARATIVE PLACEN- 



TOLOGY 



Karger, Basel, etc. Acta Anat. suppl. 61. IV, 102 pp., 63 figs., 2 tabs. S.Fr. 39.50 



Contents: Fine structure of the fetal-maternal area of exchange in the epitheliochorial 

 and endotheliochorial types of placentation (Bjorkman, 22 pp.); Guinea pig placenta: 

 fine structure and development (Davidoff, 24 pp.); Ultrastructure of the abnormal 

 human trophoblast (Larsen, 28 pp.); Notes on the use of stereological methods in 

 comparative placentology (Baur, 28 pp.); excellent photo- and electronmicrographs. 



180 



