27 PROTEIN BIOSYNTHESIS AND PROBLEMS OF 



HEREDITY, DEVELOPMENT AND AGEING 

 1966 



by Zh. A. Medvedev Oliver & Boyd 



translated by Ann Synge Edinburgh and London 



608 pp., 68 figs., 18 tbs. Price: £ 5.10.0.; $ 25.— 



This is a translation of a book that appeared in Russian at the end of 1963. 

 The author is a noted gerontologist, and chief of the Laboratory of Molecular 

 Radiobiology, Institute of Medical Radiology at Obninsk. The book aims at 

 logical clarity and objectivity of presentation, rather than at bibliographical 

 completeness. Much emphasis is placed on theoretical discussion, particularly 

 of the most recent findings in this field. 



The Russian edition contained material published up to the end of 1962, but 

 for the English edition the author wrote a supplementary chapter incorporating 

 the most important advances of 1963 and early 1964. One of the most obvious 

 features of interest to non-Russian readers is the fact that full attention is paid 

 to the contributions of workers in Russia and other countries in Eastern Europe. 

 Among a total of about 2,500 references given, some 600 refer to Russian work, 

 most of it recent to very recent. 



The book is in four parts, which are entitled respectively: I "General features 

 of the biological synthesis of proteins"; II "The special features of different 

 forms of biological synthesis of proteins"; III "Problems of reproduction of the 

 specificity of proteins and nucleic acids"; IV "The biosynthesis of proteins and 

 nucleic acids and problems of individual development". 



It is obviously part IV that is of the most immediate interest to developmental 

 biologists. It consists of three chapters dealing respectively with heredity (55 

 pp.), morphogenesis and differentiation (30 pp.), and ageing (66 pp.). The 

 second of these chapters has sections on morphogenetic changes of proteins in 

 plants and animals respectively, on the genetic control of morphogenesis at the 

 molecular level (information transfer), and on the hereditary programming of 

 cellular differentiation in space and time. It is interesting that in part IV the 

 relative number of Russian literature references is much higher than in the book 

 as a whole (about 40%). This reflects the traditional Russian preoccupation 

 with problems of ontogenesis. 



The book is sparsely illustrated. It has an author index, especially compiled 

 for the English edition, which is unsatisfactory since it refers only to chapters 

 and chapter bibliographies, not to text pages. Consequently it is almost im- 

 possible to locate a reference to a particular author in the text. The lack of an 

 alphabetical index is a serious shortcoming, particularly in a book of this size. 

 It is very partially compensated for by the detailed table of contents. 



28 FERTILIZATION 



Comparative Morphology, Biochemistry, and Immunology 

 vol. 1. 1967 

 Editors: Ch. B. Metz and A. Monroy Academic Press 



503 pp., 1 14 figs., 26 tbs. New York - London 



Price: $ 22.— 



Contents: I. Introduction: problems and procedures of comparative gametology and syngamy 

 (A. Tyler); II. Sperm motility (L. Nelson); III. Sperm metabolism (T. Mann); IV. Mechanisms 

 of gametic approach in plants (L. Machlis et al.); V. Gamete surface components and their 

 role in fertilization (Ch. B. Metz); VI. Acrosome reaction and lysins (J. C. Dan); VII. 

 Membrane fusion in relation to sperm-egg association (L. Hunter Colwin et al.); VIII. The 

 activation of the egg (A. Monroy et al); IX. Parthenogenesis in vertebrates (R. A. Beatty) 



This is the first volume of a multi-volume treatise written by an international 

 team of active specialists. It is intended as a critical evaluation of existing 

 data and ideas, presented in a form that will point up new lines of research. 



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