18 



dures, rather than on structural or functional classifications. The author devotes 

 special attention to such problems as the third dimension of biological structures, 

 and the dynamic interpretation of static pictures. The material is organised in 

 such a fashion that continuity is maintained between macroscopic, light micro- 

 scopic, and electron microscopic levels of analysis. The book is meant for those 

 scientists who need an understanding of normal and abnormal morphology but 

 who have had no training in this discipline. The book is not supposed to replace 

 textbooks or laboratory manuals. Its contents are methodological rather than 

 descriptive. 



The first two parts of the book (together 3 chapters, 77 pages) deal with 

 fundamental aspects of physiology in order to supply the background for the 

 subsequent parts, which are devoted to functional morphology (which the 

 author considers to be a method of physiology) . Part III is entitled "Procedures, 

 interpretations, and the problems of presentation in dynamic morphology" (8 

 chapters, 280 pages). Part IV (4 chapters, 63 pages) discusses, among other 

 things, general properties and components of cells, association patterns of cells, 

 and intercellular substances and spaces. Finally part V (4 chapters, 76 pages) 

 deals with the classification and identification of biological structures. 



It should be borne in mind that the contents of the book are much richer than 

 can be seen from the above brief enumeration. Probably almost every biologist 

 would, at one time or another, find certain points of interest in it. This may 

 e.g. apply to chapters like that on natural and artificial units, that on models 

 of biological phenomena, and that on techniques of presentation. However, 

 many more examples could be mentioned. 



Each of the parts II — V is concluded by an extensive list of references. 

 The book is well-illustrated with photographs and original drawings. It is 

 concluded by a subject index. 



2. CINEMICROGRAPHY IN CELL BIOLOGY 



1963 

 Editor: G. G. Rose Acad. Press 



500 pp., 251 figs., 13 tbs. New York and London 



Price: $ 18.50 



The reasons for reviewing this book here can be made clear by a quotation 

 from one of its chapters (by E. Borghese et al.): "In view of the huge develop- 

 ment of time-lapse cinemicrography for the study of cellular structures and 

 activities, it may seem surprising that the same method has been very rarely 

 applied to research on morphogenesis . . . the advantage of obtaining an extend- 

 ed series of records of phenomena lasting several days, such as those of 

 morphogenesis, generally has not been recognized . . .". 



The present book, written by 25 contributors, brings together for the first 

 time data from many disciplines of biology which have already made use of 

 this technique. Moreover, it presents a survey of techniques and apparatus 

 currently in use in cinemicrography and flying spot microscopy, and in the 

 combination of cine analysis with autoradiography. The seven contributions 

 dealing predominantly with techniques form the first part of the book. Then 

 follow 13 contributions dealing with a variety of applications, mostly to the 

 study of animal tissues and cells. Among these, the following may be specifically 



