614 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXIX. No. 1008 



General Biochemistry (pp. 20 to 240) and 

 Special Biochemistry (pp. 240 to 820). The 

 first part is subdivided into four chapters : 



1. The substratum of the chemical changes 

 in the living organism, the protoplasm (pp. 

 20 to 65). 



2. The chemical reaction in the living 

 plant organism (pp. 66 to 146) including 

 such topics as the conditions of the reactions, 

 the time element, catalysis, enzymes, immu- 

 nity. 



3. Chemical stimulation (pp. 147 to 233) 

 including growth in all of its aspects. 



4. Phenomena of chemical adaptation and 

 inheritance (pp. 234 to 239). 



The subject-matter under special biochem- 

 istry is arranged into parts, divisions and 

 chapters. Part I. deals with Saccharides 

 and the role which they play in plant metab- 

 olism (pp. 240 to 708). The "general di- 

 vision " discusses the vegetable sugars. The 

 " special division " takes up the following sub- 

 jects in as many chapters : 



5. The sugars and carbohydrates in fungi 

 and bacteria. 



6. The resorption of sugars and carbohy- 

 drates by fungi and bacteria. 



7. The carbon assimilation and sugar for- 

 mation by fungi and bacteria. 



8. The carbohydrate metabolism in the 



9. The reserve carbohydrates of the seeds. 



10. The resorption of sugar and carbohy- 

 drates in the germinating seeds. 



11. The formation of reserve carbohydrates 

 in the seed. 



12. The carbohydrate metabolism in under- 

 ground reserve organs. 



13. The carbohydrate metabolism in shoots 

 and leaf buds. 



14. The carbohydrate metabolism in foliage 

 leaves. 



15. The carbohydrate metabolism in the re- 

 productive system. 



16. The carbohydrate metabolism in pha- 

 nerogamic parasites and saprophytes. 



17. Resorption of carbon compounds by 

 means of the roots and leaves of phanero- 

 gams. 



18. Secretion of sugar and carbohydrates. 



The phytochemical synthesis of sugar in the 

 chlorophyll receives an exhaustive treatment 

 (pp. 506 to 628). The subject of saccharides 

 as skeleton substances of the plant body is 

 similarly treated. 



Part II., the last part of the first volume, 

 is devoted to the lipoids in plant metabolism, 

 which subject is treated under two principal 

 heads : the nutritive lipoids and the cyto- 

 lipoids. Under the former head we find, 



22. The reserve fats of the seeds. 



23. The resorption of fats during the ger- 

 mination of the seed. 



24. The formation of fats in ripening seeds 

 and fruits. 



25. Reserve fats in stems, etc., and foliage 

 leaves. 



26. Pat as reserve material in thallophytes, 

 mosses, ferns and pollen grains. 



Under the head of cytolipoids the following 

 subjects are discussed: 



27. Vegetable lecithines (phospholipoids) . 



28. Vegetable cerebrosides. 



29. Sterinolipoids of plants. 



30. Vegetable chromolipoids. 



31. The production of wax (cerolipoids) in 

 plants. 



Thus it becomes apparent that volume one, 

 although it has greatly increased in size, con- 

 siders but two groups of phytochemical sub- 

 stances and the biological problems which 

 they suggest. If the chemistry of the simple 

 saccharides has been in a fairly satisfactory 

 condition since Fischer paved the way to a 

 better understanding, we must not forget that 

 we have but entered the vestibule of a carbo- 

 hydrate chemistry and that the problem of 

 the photosynthesis of the simplest sugar has 

 not yet been solved to the complete satisfac- 

 tion of the physiologist. 



It has evidently been the endeavor of 

 Czapek to bring together the available infor- 

 mation on a given subject and to classify the 

 information as indicated by the chapter 

 headings quoted above. This manner of treat- 

 ment does not make a good text-book, but with 

 the extensive references to original literature 



