This book was originated from a series of lectures given in a course on the physical properties of biological membranes and their functional implica tions. The course was intended to allow students to get acquainted with the physical techniques used to study biological membranes. The experience was valuable and we feel that a detailed description of the procedures used and of various examples of the results obtained allowed many students to become familiar with a theme that is not often part of regular courses on membrane physiology or biophysics. This book is designed as a tutorial guide for graduate students interested in understanding how physical methods can be utilized to study the proper ties of biological membranes. It includes first a detailed description of applications of physical techniques-such as X-ray fiber diffraction methods (Chapter 1), 2H and 13C NMR spectroscopy (Chapter 2), and calorimetry (Chapter 3)-in the study of the properties of lipid model membranes. A description of how to measure molecular mobility in membranes (Chapter 4) follows, and the book concludes with three chapters in which biological membranes are the subject of study. Chapter 5 deals with the acetylcholine receptor and its membrane environment; Chapter 6 discusses how fluorescence techniques can be applied in the study of the calcium ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum; and Chapter 7 explains how protein lipid interactions modulate the function of the sodium and proton pumps."

This comprehensive treatise on the reticuloendothelial system is a project jointly shared by individual members of the Reticuloendothelial (RE) Society and bio- medical scientists in general who are interested in the intricate system of cells and molecular moieties derived from those cells that constitute the RES. It may now be more fashionable in some quarters to consider these cells as part of what is called the mononuc1ear phagocytic system or the lymphoreticular system. Nevertheless, because of historical developments and current interest in the subject by investigators from many diverse areas, it seems advantageous to present in one comprehensive treatise current information and knowledge con- cerning basic aspects of the RES, such as morphology, biochemistry, phylogeny and ontogeny, physiology, and pharmacology, as well as c1inical areas inc1uding immunopathology, cancer, infectious diseases, allergy, and hypersensitivity. It is anticipated that, by presenting information concerning these apparently het- erogeneous topics under the unifying umbrella of the RES, attention will be focused on the similarities as well as interactions among the cell types constitut- ing the RES from the viewpoint of various disciplines. The treatise editors and their editorial board, consisting predominantly of the editors of individual vol- umes, are extremely grateful for the enthusiastic cooperation and enormous task undertaken by members of the biomedical community in general and especially by members of the American as well as European and Japanese Reticuloen- dothelial Societies.

This is a book about how Cl- crosses the cell membranes of nerve, muscle, and glial cells. Not so very many years ago, a pamphlet rather than book might have resulted from such an endeavor! One might ask why Cl-, the most abundant biological anion, attracted so little attention from investigators. The main reason was that the prevailing paradigm for cellular ion homeostasis in the 1950s and 1960s assigned Cl- a ther modynamically passive and unspecialized role. This view was particularly prominent among muscle and neuroscience investigators. In searching for reasons for such a negative (no pun intended) viewpoint, it seems to us that it stemmed from two key experimental observations. First, work on frog skeletal muscle showed that Cl- was passively distributed between the cytoplasm and the extracellular fluid. Second, work on Cl- transport in red blood cells confirmed that the Cl- transmembrane distribution was thermodynamically passive and, in addition, showed that Cl- crossed the mem brane extremely rapidly. This latter finding [for a long time interpreted as being the result of a high passive chloride electrical permeability(? CI)] made it quite likely that Cl- would remain at thermodynamic equilibrium. These two observations were gener alized and virtually all cells were thought to have a very high P Cl and a ther modynamically passive Cl- transmembrane distribution. These concepts can still be found in some physiology and neuroscience textbooks.

This book is based on a series of lectures for a course on ionic channels held in Santiago, Chile, on November 17-20, 1984. It is intended as a tutorial guide on the properties, function, modulation, and reconstitution of ionic channels, and it should be accessible to graduate students taking their first steps in this field. In the presentation there has been a deliberate emphasis on the spe cific methodologies used toward the understanding of the workings and function of channels. Thus, in the first section, we learn to "read" single channel records: how to interpret them in the theoretical frame of kinetic models, which information can be extracted from gating currents in re lation to the closing and opening processes, and how ion transport through an open channel can be explained in terms of fluctuating energy barriers. The importance of assessing unequivocally the origin and purity of mem brane preparations and the use of membrane vesicles and optical tech niques in the stUGY of ionic channels are also discussed in this section. The patch-clamp technique has made it possible to study ion channels in a variety of different cells and tissues not amenable to more conven tional electrophysiological methods. The second section, therefore, deals with the use of this technique in the characterization of ionic channels in different types of cells, ranging from plant protoplasts to photoreceptors.

It is now over 30 years since the idea of ion-conducting pores burst on the elec- trophysiological scene, 15 years since these were generalIy realized to be mem- brane-spanning proteins, and 10 years since the first observations of single ion channels from higher organisms were made. During the past 5 years, several integral membrane channel proteins have been purified in a functionalIy competent state: the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, the Na + channel, mitochondrial "VDAC," and a variety of porins. The stage is thus set to attack ion channels in the same ways that biochemists have been attacking enzymes for decades: isolation folIowed by functional analysis in as simple a system as possible, with a view towards understanding the molecular mechanisms ofthe protein's behavior and how this is related to the underlying molecular structure. This is always a daunting task, alI the more so with ion channels because of our still primitive and scanty understanding of channel structures and because of the difficulty in iso- lating functionally active channel proteins. In this volume, which can be considered a biochemically slanted companion to Sakmann and Neher's Single-Channel Recording, I have tried to present a view of the current landscape of ion-channel reconstitution. These chapters illustrate not only the different approaches and techniques of the major practitioners of ion- channel reconstitution but, as importantly, the varied motivations for doing this kind of work.

Primate locomotion has typically been studied from two points of view. Laboratory-based researchers have focused on aspects like biomechanics and energetics, whereas field-based researchers have focused on (locomotor) behaviour and ecology. Unfortunately, to date, there is relatively little scientific exchange between both groups. With a book, which will be the result of a symposium on the 2008 Meeting of the International Primatological Society in Edinburgh, we would like to bring together laboratory and field-based primate locomotion studies. We are convinced this will be beneficial for both research lines. For example, biomechanists might wonder how frequently the locomotor style they study in the lab actually occurs in nature, and field workers might use calculated costs of locomotion to understand why certain locomotor behaviours are favoured under specific conditions. Thus, on the one hand, an established link between both groups may help interpret the results by using each other's findings. On the other hand, recent technological advances (e.g. portable high-speed cameras) make it possible to bridge the gap between lab-based and field-based research by actually collecting biomechanical data in situ. Again, communication between both groups is necessary to identify the specific needs and start up achievable and successful research projects in the field. In order to generate a wide interest, we have invited biomechanists, ecologists, and field-based researchers who combine both disciplines, and we hope their combined contributions will facilitate lasting cooperation between the mentioned disciplines and stimulate innovative research in Primatology. We are convinced that the most appropriate format to publish the different symposium contributions is a conference volume within an existing book series. Firstly, the chapters will not only contain new data but will also review existing data and elaborate on potential future work - more so than can be done in a journal article. Secondly, the combination of chapters will form an entity that is more valuable than the sum of the separate chapters and therefore they need to be presented together. Lastly, this volume will benefit from the typically long "shelf life" of a book in a renowned series, allowing it to be used as reference book for both researchers and students.

This comprehensive treatise on the reticuloendothelial system is a project jointly shared by individual members of the Reticuloendothelial (RE) Society and bio medical scientists in general who are interested in the intricate system of cells and molecular moieties derived from those cells which constitute the RES. It may now be more fashionable in some quarters to consider these cells as part of what is called the mononuclear phagocytic system or the lymphoreticular system. Nevertheless, because of historical developments and current interest in the subject by investigators from many diverse areas, it seems advantageous to present in one comprehensive treatise current information and knowledge con cerning basic aspects of the RES, such as morphology, biochemistry, phylogeny and ontogeny, physiology, and pharmacology as weIl as clinical areas including immunopathology, cancer, infectious diseases, allergy, and hypersensitivity. It is anticipated that by presenting information concerning these apparently heterogeneous topics under the unifying umbrella of the RES attention will be focused on the similarities as weIl as interactions among the cell types constitut ing the RES from the viewpoint of various disciplines. The treatise editors and their editorial board, consisting predominantly of the editors of individual vol umes, are extremely grateful for the enthusiastic cooperation and enormous task undertaken by members of the biomedical community in general and especially by members of the American as weIl as European and Japanese Reticuloendothe lial Societies."

Anatomy, to be sure, is the essential foundation of clinical practice, but it is much more than that. First and foremost, anatomy is a biological science. There is order and logic to the organization of the human body and the arrangement of its parts. And, as all sciences, anatomy offers challenge and discovery. Concepts in Anatomy is not a textbook, but more of a brief handbook that is selective rather than encyclopedic in scope, conception rather than particular in its approach. It stresses general principles, so as to minimize rote learning, and it provides order and direction to the study of gross anatomy. Anatomy is inherently complicated and confusing; this volume helps you make sense of it in a way that also aims to inspire its study. Richly illustrated with original drawings, Concepts in Anatomy is a valuable resource for anyone currently studying or teaching the subject, or as a reference for advanced researchers.

(Chapters 11 to 14) summarise important features of the biological clock at the level of whole animal covering all vertebrate classes (fish to mammal). Chapters 15 and 16 are on long term (seasonal) rhythms in plants and higher vertebrates. Short term rhythms (ultradian rhythms), the significance of having a clock system in animals living in extreme (arctic) environments, and the diversity of circadian responses to melatonin, the key endocrine element involved in regulation of biological rhythms, have been discussed in Chapters 17 to 19. Finally, a chapter on sensitivity to light of the photoperiodic clock is added which, using vertebrate examples, illustrates the importance of wavelength and intensity of light on circadian and non-circadian functions. A well-known expert writes each chapter. When presenting information, the text provides consistent thematic coverage and feeling for the methods of investigation. Reference citation within the body of the text adequately reflects the literature as subject is developed. A chapter begins with an abstract that enables a reader to know at the first glance the important points covered in that chapter. The chapter concludes with a full citation of references included in the text, which could be useful for further reading. The book ends with a comprehensive subject index that may be useful for quick searches.

A wealth of information has been accumulated about the function of ion channels of excitable cells since the extensive and pioneering voltage clamp studies by Hodgkin, Huxley, and Katz 36 years ago. The study of ion chan nels has now reached a stage at which a quantum jump in progress is antici pated. There are many good reasons for this. Patch clamp techniques origi nally developed by Neher and Sakmann 12 years ago have made it possible to study the function of ion channels in a variety of cells. Membrane ionic currents can now be recorded practically from many types of cells using the whole-cell patch clamp technique. The opening and closing of individual ion channels can be analyzed using the single-channel patch clamp method. Techniques have also been developed to incorporate purified ion channels into lipid bilayers to reconstitute an "excitable membrane. " Advanced tech niques developed in molecular biology, genetics, and immunology, such as gene cloning and the use of monoclonal antibodies, are now being applied to the study of ion channels. A variety of drugs have now been found or are suspected to interact with ion channels to exert therapeutic effects. In addition to the classical exam ples, as represented by local anesthetics, many other drugs, including cal cium antagonists, psychoactive drugs, cardiac drugs, and anticonvulsants, shown to alter ion channel function. For certain pesticides such as have been pyrethroids and DDT, sodium channels are clearly the major target site.

The German land of Hesse (Bundesland Hessen) is well known for its excellent wines (Rheinhessen), for its financial centre and for its airport (FrankfurtlMain). It is, unjustifiably, far less well known for its importance to thennoregulation. Within the small area of Bad Nauheim, Giessen and Marburg (in alphabetical order) a greater concentration of students of thenno regulation has been trained or worked or is working than probably in any other single area of Europe, if not the world. It is thus most appropriate to hold the Ninth International Symposium on the Pharmacology of Thennoregulation in Giessen, from August 7 to 12, 1994. The community of students of thennoregulation was extremely grateful that Professor Kurt Bruck and the lustus-Liebig-University of Giessen had extended this invitation. The same community was even more saddened that Kurt Bruck died on April 27, 1992 and thus could not participate in this event that had been planned to honour his achievements. As a small token of friendship and affection, the many friends of Kurt Bruck from all over the world who will participate in this event dedicate this symposium to the memory of Kurt Bruck. Another staunch friend, researcher of temperature regulation and supporter of this series of symposia died in October 1993: Professor Wilhelm Siegmund Feldberg. We feel fortunate to be able to start this volume with two brief infonnal and personal accounts of professors Bruck and Feldberg."

The concept for Vasopressin: Principles and Properties originated during the sum mer of 1983. From reviewing the rich and diverse literature on vasopressin, it became evident that the rapid advancements in this field made it difficult to syn thesize the information gathered from divergent scientific disciplines into a coherent view of the biological role of vasopressin. We perceived the need for a series of critical reviews delineating this recent progress. Over the past decade, major advances have been made in studies of the anatomy, physiology, phar macology, molecular biology, and behavioral activities of vasopressin. This is, in no small measure, due to the finding that vasopressin can no longer be regarded solely as a neurohypophysial hormone. Our present knowledge is that vasopressin is synthesized in also has an axonal messenger role in the nervous system and of the brain, although the functions of vasopressin in these periph sites outside of vasopressin eral sites are not well understood. In order to prepare an overview concentrating on recent studies in vertebrates, authors were selected based on their expertise and asked to review their research area, including the work from other laboratories. It was our intent to provide an updated definitive reference which would complement and extend such past texts as Neurohypophysial Hor mones and Similar Polypeptides (Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, Vol ume XXIII, 1968) and The Pituitary Gland and Its Neuroendocrine Control (Handbook of Physiology, Section 7: Volume IV, 1974)."

Regeneration, i.e. the replacement of lost body parts by new outgrowths or by remodelling existing tissues, has been studied for centuries. However, in recent years important developments took place in this field too, owing to new soph isticated techniques and to novel theoretical concepts. Advances in Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry, Cell and Neurobiology, Immunology, to mention a few of them, are the main causes of this resurgence of interest in regeneration. As a consequence, more and more meetings and pUblications are devoted, either exclusively or for a large part, to basic and applied research of regenerative processes. "Regeneration ists" scattered in laboratories allover the world and accus tomed to know each other through exchange of reprints - occa sionally an encounter in a large conference - tend now to form small groups, even societies and to institutionalize their meetings. Although the critical mass of scientists involved in regeneration research does not seem yet to be reached, for an autonomous development of this sector, regular and frequent meetings of experts appear useful, even necessary. Such a meeting was convened in Saronis, near Athens, Greece, from 19 to 23 September 1988 and sponsored by the NATO Science Committee and the University of Athens. The present volume contains the contributions to this Advanced Research Workshop on "Recent Trends in Regeneration Research". About 50 biologists from different countries, either mem bers of the Alliance or outside it (U.R.S.S., India, Egypt, Switzerland, Sweden) took part, mostly as invited speakers.

The annual Congress of the Italian Biochemical and Molecular Biology Society (SIB) was held in September 1999 in Alghero, Sardegna, Italy. The programme envisaged a symposium on molecular adaptations of haemoglobin function in ver- tebrates. Haemoglobin specialists from several countries were invited to speak at the symposium and paved the way for wide-ranging and stimulating discussions. The symposium contributions have been collected together in this volume. The structure/function relationship in haemoglobins from vertebrates (fishes populat- ing temperate and polar environments, diving birds, marine and terrestrial mam- mals) has been tackled from many angles, focusing on the adaptation of the oxy- gen-transport system to the constraints dictated by the environment. Eleven arti- cles review some of the most recent developments of the studies on this ancient oxygen-transport protein, characterized by high conservation during evolution. The volume offers the reader an updated, state-of-the-art summary of a field that is enjoying a true renaissance. Covering the topic from several viewpoints, the volume includes protein chemistry (amino acid sequence, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures, thermodynamics of oxygen-binding features), molecular biology (globin gene structure, sequence, organization, expression and regulation) and evolution. In this representation of effective multidisciplinary and multina- tional collaborative efforts, reference is available to a wide range of disciplines and biological systems. The tools of the investigators comprise advanced and powerful methodologies developed in recent years, e. g.

This book is the compilation of papers presented at the International Symposium on In Vivo Body Composition Studies, held in Houston, Texas, November 10-12, 1992. The purpose of this conference was to report on the state-of-the-art techniques for in vivo body composition measurements and to present the most recent human data on normal body composition and changes during disease. This conference was the third in a series of meetings on body composition studies held in North America, and follows the successful meetings at Brookhaven National Laboratory in 1986, and the one in Toronto in 1989. A large number of excellent research papers were offered for consideration at this Conference which demonstrates the rapid growth of the field in the last three years. However, we had to limit the presentations to approximately 90 papers which provided a broad spectrum of the applications and recent interest in the subject. The proceedings of the Brookhaven meeting "In Vivo Body Composition Studies," is published by The Institute of Physical Sciences in Medicine, London. The proceedings of the Toronto meeting "In Vivo Body Composition Studies" was published by Plenum Press in its basic life science series. Both these meetings placed more emphasis on technical aspects while the current Houston meeting tried to emphasize more the emerging clinical applications of these techniques. The general sessions used at the Conference for presentations forms the basis of the order of appearance of the papers in this book.

Twenty five years ago, Bill Stebbins presented the principles of animal psychophysics in an edited volume (Stebbins, 1970) describing an array of modem, creative methodologies for investigating the range of sensory systems in a variety of vertebrate species. These principles included precise stimulus control, a well defined behavioral response, and a rigorous behavioral procedure appropriate to the organism under study. As a generation of comparative sensory scientists applied these principles, our knowledge of sensory and perceptual function in a wide range of animal species has grown dramatically, especially in the field of hearing. Comparative psychoacoustics, i. e. , the study of the hearing capabilities in animals using behavioral methods, is an area of animal psychophysics that has seen remarkable advances in methodology over the past 25 years. Acoustic stimuli are now routinely generated using digital methods providing the researcher with unprecedented possibilities for stimulus control and experimental design. The strategies and paradigms for data collection and analysis are becoming more refined as well, again due in large part to the widespread use of computers. In this volume, the reader will find a modem array of strategies designed to measure detection and discrimination of both simple and complex acoustic stimuli as well experimental designs to assess how organisms perceive, identify and classify acoustic stimuli. Refinements in modem methodologies now make it possible to compare diverse species tested under similar, if not identical, experimental conditions.

This book provides a comprehensive, up-to-date review of the distribution, pharmacology and physiology of central 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)4 receptors. The 5-HT receptor subtypes exhibit a unique pharmacology, distribution and function, of which the 5-HT4 receptor has been one of the most intensively studied in recent years, both from a basic research standpoint and as a target for novel therapeutics.

This book will give an overview of insect ovaries, showing the diversities and the common traits in egg growth processes. The idea to write this book developed while looking at the flood of information which appeared in the early 1980s on early pattern formation in Drosophila embryos. At this time a significant breakthrough was made in studies of this little fly, combining molecular biological methods with classical and molecular genetics. The answers to questions about early pattern formation raised new questions about the architecture of ovaries and the growth of eggs within these ovaries. However, by concentrating only on Drosophila it is not possible to form an adequate picture of what is going on in insect ovaries, since the enormous diversity found among insects is not considered sufficiently. Almost forgotten, but the first to study the architecture of ovaries, was Alexander Brandt writing in 1878 in aber das Ei und seine Bildungsstaette (On the egg and its organ of development). More than 100 years later, a series of ten books or more would be required to survey all the serious informa tion we have today on insect oogenesis. Thus, this book is a personal selection and personal view on the theme, and the authors must be excused by all those scientists whose papers could not be included. The book briefly describes the ectodemes, i. e."

`Are the Great Lakes getting better or worse?' This is the question that the public, scientists and managers are asking the International Joint Commission after a quarter-century of cooperative action by the United States and Canadian governments to clean up the Great Lakes. This volume contains papers from the workshop on Environmental Results, hosted in Windsor, Ontario, by the Great Lakes Science Advisory Board of the International Joint Commission, on September 12 and 13, 1996. The Great Lakes have been through almost a century of severe pollution from the manufacture, use and disposal of chemicals. In the 1960s wildlife biologists started to investigate the outbreaks of reproductive failure in fish-eating birds and ranch mink and to link these to exposure to organochlorine compounds. Human health researchers in the 1980s and 1990s linked growth retardation, behavioral anomalies and deficits in cognitive development with maternal consumption of Great Lakes fish prior to pregnancy. The Great Lakes became the laboratory where the theory of endocrine disruptors was first formulated. Now a group of Great Lakes scientists, hosted by the International Joint Commission, has compiled the story of the trends in the concentrations and effects of persistent toxic substances on wildlife and humans. The technical papers review the suitability of various organisms as indicators, and present the results of long-term monitoring of the concentrations and of the incidence of effects. The evidence shows that there was an enormous improvement in the late 1970s, but that in the late 1990s there are still concentrations of some persistent toxic substances that have stubbornly remained at levels that continue to cause toxicological effects.

Throughout history, hearing and sound perception have been typically framed in the context of how sound conveys information and how that information influences the listener. "Hear Where We Are" inverts this premise and examines how humans and other hearing animals use sound to establish acoustical relationships with their surroundings. This simple inversion reveals a panoply of possibilities by which we can re-evaluate how hearing animals use, produce, and perceive sound. Nuance in vocalizations become signals of enticement or boundary setting; silence becomes a field ripe in auditory possibilities; predator/prey relationships are infused with acoustic deception, and sounds that have been considered territorial cues become the fabric of cooperative acoustical communities. This inversion also expands the context of sound perception into a larger perspective that centers on biological adaptation within acoustic habitats. Here, the rapid synchronized flight patterns of flocking birds and the tight maneuvering of schooling fish becomes an acoustic engagement. Likewise, when stridulating crickets synchronize their summer evening chirrups, it has more to do with the 'cricket community' monitoring their collective boundaries rather than individual crickets establishing 'personal' territory or breeding fitness. In "Hear Where We Are" the author continuously challenges many of the bio-acoustic orthodoxies, reframing the entire inquiry into sound perception and communication. By moving beyond our common assumptions, many of the mysteries of acoustical behavior become revealed, exposing a fresh and fertile panorama of acoustical experience and adaptation.

Discovering the secrets of animal movement and what they can teach us Insects walk on water, snakes slither, and fish swim. Animals move with astounding grace, speed, and versatility: how do they do it, and what can we learn from them? How to Walk on Water and Climb up Walls takes readers on a wondrous journey into the world of animal motion. From basement labs at MIT to the rain forests of Panama, David Hu shows how animals have adapted and evolved to traverse their environments, taking advantage of physical laws with results that are startling and ingenious. In turn, the latest discoveries about animal mechanics are inspiring scientists to invent robots and devices that move with similar elegance and efficiency. Integrating biology, engineering, physics, and robotics, How to Walk on Water and Climb up Walls demystifies the remarkable secrets behind animal locomotion.

Current Ornithology publishes authoritative, up-to-date, scholarly reviews of topics selected from the full range of current research in avian biology. Topics cover the spectrum from the molecular level of organization to population biology and community ecology. The series seeks especially to review (1) fields in which an abundant recent literature will benefit from synthesis and organization, or (2) newly emerging fields that are gaining recognition as the result of recent discoveries or shifts in perspective, or (3) fields in which students of vertebrates may benefit from comparisons of birds with other classes. All chapters are invited, and authors are chosen for their leadership in the subjects under review.

Muscle contraction has been the focus of scientific investigation for more than two centuries, and major discoveries have changed the field over the years. Early in the twentieth century, Fenn (1924, 1923) showed that the total energy liberated during a contraction (heat + work) was increased when the muscle was allowed to shorten and perform work. The result implied that chemical reactions during contractions were load-dependent. The observation underlying the "Fenn effect" was taken to a greater extent when Hill (1938) published a pivotal study showing in details the relation between heat production and the amount of muscle shortening, providing investigators with the force-velocity relation for skeletal muscles. Subsequently, two papers paved the way for the current paradigm in the field of muscle contraction. Huxley and Niedergerke (1954), and Huxley and Hanson (1954) showed that the width of the A-bands did not change during muscle stretch or activation. Contraction, previously believed to be caused by shortening of muscle filaments, was associated with sliding of the thick and thin filaments. These studies were followed by the classic paper by Huxley (1957), in which he conceptualized for the first time the cross-bridge theory; filament sliding was driven by the cyclical interactions of myosin heads (cross-bridges) with actin. The original cross-bridge theory has been revised over the years but the basic features have remained mostly intact. It now influences studies performed with molecular motors responsible for tasks as diverse as muscle contraction, cell division and vesicle transport.

by G. MILAZZO and M. BLANK This book contains the lectures of the fourth advanced course Bioelectrochemislry W Neroe-Muscle Function: Bioelectrochemistry, Mechanisms, Energetics and Contro~ which took place at the Majorana Center in Erice, Italy, October 20th to November 1, 1991. The scope of the course was international in terms of both sponsorship and partici pation. Sponsors included the Bioelectrochemical Society, NATO, International Union of Pure and Applied Biophysics (lUPAB), the World Federation of Scientists and the Italian National Research Council. One-third of the sixty participants were from Italy, but the majority came from eighteen other nations. Since the course was part of the International School of Biophysics, the biophysi cal point of view was emphasized in integrating the biology with the electrochemistry. Lecturers were asked to use a quantitative approach with accepted standards and proper units, since this is absolutely essential for developing an effective common language for communication across disciplines. Participants were also urged not to forget that biological systems could also be considered as physical systems. Ion channels are proteins and their properties as polyelectrolytes contribute to the specific biological properties. The existence of families of channels, with very similar structures but different selectivities, suggests that the specificities arise from slight variations of a general basic design. These perspectives on nerve-muscle function helped to make the school course a unique treatment of the subject.

Volumes I and 2 of this Plant Biotechnology series reviewed fundamental aspects of plant molecular biology and discussed production and analysis of the first generation of transgenic plants of potential use in agriculture and horticulture. These included plants resistant to insects, viruses and herbicides, which were produced by adding genes from other organisms. Realisation of the potential of plant breeding has led to a resurgence of interest in methods of altering the structure, composition and function of plant constituents, which represents an even greater challenge and offers scope for improving the quality of a wide range of agricultural products. This, in tum, has resulted in a re-evaluation of priorities and targets by industry. Volume 3 of this series considers the biochemical and gentic basis of the biosynthesis of plant products such as starch, lipids, carotenoids and cell walls, and evaluates the ways in which biosynthesis of these products can be modified for use in the food industries. Authors also cover the biosynthesis of rare secondary products and the function and application of proteins for plant protection and therapeutic use. The emphasis throughout is on the relationship between fundamen tal aspects of biosynthesis and structure-function relationships, and application of this knowledge to the redesigning and altering of plant products by molecular genetics."