In an important new contribution to the literature of chaos, two distinguished researchers in the field of physiology probe central theoretical questions about physiological rhythms. Topics discussed include: How are rhythms generated? How do they start and stop? What are the effects of perturbation of the rhythms? How are oscillations organized in space? Leon Glass and Michael Mackey address an audience of biological scientists, physicians, physical scientists, and mathematicians, but the work assumes no knowledge of advanced mathematics.

Variation of rhythms outside normal limits, or appearance of new rhythms where none existed previously, are associated with disease. One of the most interesting features of the book is that it makes a start at explaining "dynamical diseases" that are not the result of infection by pathogens but that stem from abnormalities in the timing of essential functions. From Clocks to Chaos provides a firm foundation for understanding dynamic processes in physiology.

Coupled with biomechanical data, organic geochemistry and cladistic analyses utilizing abundant genetic data, scientific studies are revealing new facets of how plants have evolved over time. This collection of papers examines these early stages of plant physiology evolution by describing the initial physiological adaptations necessary for survival as upright structures in a dry, terrestrial environment. The Evolution of Plant Physiology also encompasses physiology in its broadest sense to include biochemistry, histology, mechanics, development, growth, reproduction and with an emphasis on the interplay between physiology, development and plant evolution.
* Contributions from leading neo- and palaeo-botanists from the Linnean Society
* Focus on how evolution shaped photosynthesis, respiration, reproduction and metabolism.
* Coverage of the effects of specific evolutionary forces -- variations in water and nutrient availability, grazing pressure, and other environmental variables

Edited by J.A. Callow and supported by an international Editorial Board, Advances in Botanical Research publishes in-depth and up-to-date reviews on a wide range of topics in plant sciences. Currently in its 40th volume, the series features a wide range of reviews by recognized experts on all aspects of plant genetics, biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, physiology and ecology. This eclectic volume features six reviews on cutting-edge topics of interest to post-graduates and researchers alike.
* Multidisciplinary reviews written from a broad range of scientific perspectives
* For over 30 years, series has enjoyed a reputation for excellent
* Contributors internationally recognized authorities in their respective fields

While information on the roles and regulation of transporters for all major nutrients and metabolites in plants has increased significantly, a synthesis of this research has been lacking. Based on current research in genomics and proteomics, this book clarifies the identification and characterization of plant membrane and vacuolar transporters. Transporter functions such as mineral nutrition, cell homeostasis, storage and stress responses are examined with a focus on enhancing nutrient use efficiency in crops, and increasing crops' ability to withstand nutrient stresses and improve nutrient storage.

Plant growth and development is controlled by environmental cues (e.g. light, salinity) that are sensed by the plant via a variety of signal transduction pathways. This book gives an up-to-date summary of the large amount of information that is now available on the processes involved in the communication of plants with their environment.

This is the third edition of an established and successful university textbook. The original structure and philosophy of the book continue in this new edition, providing a genuine synthesis of modern ecological and physiological thinking, while entirely updating the detailed content. New features include a fresh, unified treatment of toxicity, emphasizing common features of plant response to ionic, gaseous, and other toxins, explicit treatment of issues relating to global change, and a section on the role of fire in plant physiology and communities. The illustrations in the text are improved over previous editions, including color plates for the first time, and the authors' continuing commitment to providing wide citation of the relevant literature has further improved the reference list. This revision of Environmental Physiology of Plants will ensure the reputation of this title as a useful and relevant text well into the 21st century.
Key Features
* Includes enhanced illustrations, now with color plates
* Examines new molecular approaches which can be harnessed to solve problems in physiology
* Features new topics such as the unified treatment of toxicity, an explicit treatment of the issues relating to global change, and a section on the role of fire

Carbohydrate reserves constitute the major part of edible portion of the plants. Latest researches in major crops like wheat, rice, maize, barley, potato, sugarcane, sugarbeet, Jerusalem artichoke, chicory and carbohydrates in trees have been included in this book. The book will be of great value to the basic plant biochemists, molecular biologists, biotechnologists, and genetic crop engineers and to the agricultural scientists working in different disciplines related to crop productivity. This compilation may act as a medium to initiate discussions among these scientists leading to new researches in the area of crop productivity and reserve carbohydrate metabolism.

The past decade has seen major advances in the cloning of genes encoding enzymes of plant secondary metabolism. This has been further enhanced by the recent project on the sequencing of the "Arabidopsis" genome. These developments provide the molecular genetic basis to address the question of the "Evolution of Metabolic Pathways." This volume provides in-depth reviews of our current knowledge on the evolutionary origin of plant secondary metabolites and the enzymes involved in their biosynthesis. The chapters cover five major topics: 1. Role of secondary metabolites in evolution; 2. Evolutionary origins of polyketides and terpenes; 3. Roles of oxidative reactions in the evolution of secondary metabolism; 4. Evolutionary origin of substitution reactions: acylation, glycosylation and methylation; and 5. Biochemistry and molecular biology of brassinosteroids.

The 'post genomics' era has seen a surge in demand for the techniques of cell biology, to aid in interpreting the function and location of the cell's myriad proteins and macromolecules. This new edition of Plant Cell Biology provides a grounding in established procedures before guiding the reader through the field's most current techniques. It provides advanced undergraduates, postgraduates and research staff in the plant sciences with a uniquely comprehensive guide to this rapidly expanding discipline.

Introduction to Plant Physiology became the best-selling first edition plant physiology text of the 1990's! Now, we're building on the success of prior editions to provide an even more effective fourth edition. Plant Physiology has been praised for its excellent balance of traditional and modern topics, presented in a straightforward style, without overwhelming undergraduates with excessive detail. Its focus is on the ideas and experimental approaches in plant physiology. This is a one-semester course. It assumes that the student has had introductory biology or botany as a pre-requisite.

The aerial surfaces of many plant species are covered in hairs (trichomes). Their utility as model systems to understand cell-to-cell movement and cell differentiation, as well as their potential utility in biotechnology, has generated renewed interest in these structures. In this volume, plant scientists from diverse backgrounds present reviews which summarise current understanding of these structures. Their ultrastructure, biochemistry, differentiation and development, as well as their physiological and ecological roles, are discussed.

A fully revised review of the latest research in molecular basis of plant abiotic stress response and adaptation Abiotic stressors are non-living environmental stressors that can have a negative impact on a plants ability to grow and thrive in a given environment. Stressors can range from temperature stress (both extreme heat and extreme cold) water stress, aridity, salinity among others. This book explores the full gamut of plant abiotic stressors and plants molecular responses and adaptations to adverse environmental conditions. The new edition of Plant Abiotic Stress provides up-to-date coverage of the latest research advances in plant abiotic stress adaptation, with special emphasis on the associated and integrative aspects of physiology, signaling, and molecular-genetics. Since the last edition, major advances in whole genome analysis have revealed previously unknown linkages between genes, genomes, and phenotypes, and new biological and omics approaches have elucidated previously unknown cellular mechanisms underlying stress tolerance. Chapters are organized by topic, but highlight processes that are integrative among diverse stress responses. As with the first edition, Plant Abiotic Stress will have broad appeal to scientists in fields of applied agriculture, ecology, plant sciences, and biology.

This book provides students and researchers in plant sciences with a concise general account of plant biochemistry. The edited format allows recognized experts in plant biochemistry to contribute chapters on their special topics. Up-to-date surveys are divided into four sections: the cell, primary metabolism, special metabolism, and the plant and the environment. There is a strong emphasis on plant metabolism as well as enzymological, methodological, molecular, biological, functional, and regulatory aspects of plant biochemistry. Illustrations of metabolic pathways are used extensively, and further reading lists are also included.
Key Features
The coverage of the subject is divided into four sections:
* The plant cell-describing both molecular components and function
* Primary metabolism-including the pathways of carbohydrate, lipid, nitrogen, nucleic acid and protein metabolism as well as gene regulation
* Special metabolism-chapters on phenolics, isoprenoids and secondary nitrogen compounds
* The plant and the environment-discussions of pathology, ecology and biotechnology at the molecular level

This volume provides a comprehensive account of the systematic vegatative anatomy of the plant family Iridaceae. The iris family includes several horticulturally important genera, such as Iris Crocus, Gladiolus and Freesia, and many others of potential horticultural value. The book contains much original information, and places it in the context of the taxonomy and relationships of the plants concerned. It also summarizes the relevant literature. Like its predecessors in the Anatomy of the Monocotyledons series, Volume VIII: Iridaceae will be an essential reference work for students and professionals in botany and horticulture.

With the clear writing and accessible approach that have made it the authoritative introduction to the field of molecular photosynthesis, this fully revised and updated edition now offers students and researchers cutting-edge topical coverage of bioenergy applications and artificial photosynthesis; advances in biochemical and genetic methods; as well as new analytical techniques. Chapters cover the origins and evolution of photosynthesis; carbon metabolism; photosynthetic organisms and organelles; and the basic principles of photosynthetic energy storage. The book's website includes downloadable PowerPoint slides.

Wood is the most versatile raw material available to man. It is burned as fuel, shaped into utensils, used as a structural engineering material, converted into fibres for paper production, and put to newer uses as a source of industrial chemicals. Its quality results largely from the chemical and physical structure of the cell walls of its component fibres, which can be modified in nature as the tree responds to physical environmental stresses. Internal stresses can accumulate, which are released catastrophically when the tree is felled, often rendering the timber useless. The quality of timber as an engineering material also depends on the structure of the wood and the way in which it has developed in the living tree. Tree improvement for quality cannot be carried out without an understanding of the biological basis underlying wood formation and structure. This volume brings together the viewpoints of both biologists and physical scientists, covering the spectrum from the formation of wood to its structure and properties, and relating these properties to industrial use. This is a volume for researchers and professionals in plant physiology, molecular biology and biochemistry.

Although the term redox covers an important number of chemical reactions, biochemists are more familiar with reactions involving the reactions mediated by electron transfer chains associated with respiration, the thiol-disulfide exchanges and the reactions occurring in the presence of free radicals. More recently, the importance of these reactions in the living world and in medicine has been recognized by biochemists, biologists, physiologists, physicians, etc. The importance of the subject in both fundamental and is reflected by the abundance of interesting reviews applied science concerning the subject (Cadenas, 1989, Del Maestro, 1991) and books (Dreosti, 1991; Rice-Evans and Burdon, 1994; Armstrong, 1994) The aim of this chapter is to describe basic reactions known with references to reviews covering special subjects related to redox reactions. Transformation of energy in living organisms is mediated by complex biological systems such as electron transfer chains where the succession of redox reactions provides energy to the organisms. Molecular oxygen or dioxygen is an essential molecule and is the terminal acceptor of electrons during respiration in eukaryotes. In these organisms, the electron transfer chain is located in the mitochondrial membranes and produces adenosine triphosphate (ATP). In anaerobes, the electron acceptor is C0 , S, sulphate or nitrate ions 2 instead of 02.

Usually authors write introductions for their books, although they know that not many readers will read it. Despite this, authors insist on writing an introduction and no publisher will publish a book without one. I would like to inform my dear readers that I have spent almost all of the first quarter of my life in a village in the Nile Delta, 65 km north of Cairo. The everyday scenery there was the beautiful green landscape dissected with canals full of running water. All of these were bordered with the huge sycamore, mulberry and acacia trees. The desert was something unknown to me at that time, except for the very basic information given in geography books, which explained that the desert is a place without water or cultiva tion. Some of my ideas about the desert came to me from the stories in the history of Islam and the desert lands where Islam originated. My real attraction to the desert developed in the last year of my under graduate studies. This was during the field courses in Ecology (Prof. A.M."

Completely updated from the successful first edition, this book provides a timely update on the recent progress in our knowledge of all aspects of plant perception, signalling and adaptation to a variety of environmental stresses. It covers in detail areas such as drought, salinity, waterlogging, oxidative stress, pathogens, and extremes of temperature and pH. This second edition: Presents detailed and up-to-date research on plant responses to a wide range of stresses Includes new full-colour figures to help illustrate the principles outlined in the text Is written in a clear and accessible format, with descriptive abstracts for each chapter Written by an international team of experts, this book provides researchers with a better understanding of the major physiological and molecular mechanisms facilitating plant tolerance to adverse environmental factors. This new edition of Plant Stress Physiology is an essential resource for researchers and students of ecology, plant biology, agriculture, agronomy and plant breeding.

This Open Access volume highlights how tree ring stable isotopes have been used to address a range of environmental issues from paleoclimatology to forest management, and anthropogenic impacts on forest growth. It will further evaluate weaknesses and strengths of isotope applications in tree rings. In contrast to older tree ring studies, which predominantly applied a pure statistical approach this book will focus on physiological mechanisms that influence isotopic signals and reflect environmental impacts. Focusing on connections between physiological responses and drivers of isotope variation will also clarify why environmental impacts are not linearly reflected in isotope ratios and tree ring widths. This volume will be of interest to any researcher and educator who uses tree rings (and other organic matter proxies) to reconstruct paleoclimate as well as to understand contemporary functional processes and anthropogenic influences on native ecosystems. The use of stable isotopes in biogeochemical studies has expanded greatly in recent years, making this volume a valuable resource to a growing and vibrant community of researchers.

Most textbooks on measuring terrestrial vegetation have focused on the characteristics of biomass, cover, and the density or frequency of dominant life forms (trees, shrubs, grasses, and forbs), or on classifying, differentiating, or evaluating and monitoring dominant plant communities based on a few common species. Sampling designs for measuring species richness and diversity, patterns of plant diversity, species-environment relationships, and species distributions have received less attention. There are compelling, urgent reasons for plant ecologists to do a far better job measuring plant diversity in this new century. Rapidly invading plant species from other countries are affecting rangeland condition and wildlife habitat, placing more plant species on threatened and endangered species lists, and increasing wildfire fuel loads. Attention has shifted from the classification of plant communities to accurately mapping rare plant assemblages and species of management concern to afford them better protection. More ecologists, wildlife biologists, and local and regional planners recognize the value in understanding patterns, dynamics, and interactions of rare and common plant species and habitats to better manage grazing, fire, invasive plant species, forest practices, and restoration activities. Thus, revised and new sampling approaches, designs, and field techniques for measuring plant diversity are needed to assess critical emerging issues facing land managers. This book offers alternatives to the approaches, designs, and techniques of the past that were chiefly designed for dominant species and other purposes. The author focuses on field techniques that move beyond classifying, mapping, and measuring plant diversity for relatively homogeneous communities. This book complements methods for measuring the biomass and cover of dominant plant species. Most species are sparse, rare, and patchily distributed. It empowers the reader to take an experimental approach in the science of plant diversity to better understand the distributions of common and rare species, native and non-native species, and long-lived and short-lived species.

Contributors to this volume discuss advances in Arabidopsis research, including construction of the physical map, sequencing of the genome, and strategies for structure-function analysis. The power of mutagenesis as a tool to gain insights into plant developmental processes is illustrated in a range of stages in the life cycle of Arabidopsis, including embryogenesis, vegetative development, flowering, reproduction and cell death. In addition, the control of metabolism, secretion and biological rhythms is examined and the ways in which development is regulated by such stimuli as plant hormones and light are evaluated. The book should be useful to researchers and postgraduates in plant physiology, development, biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics and crop biotechnology.

Annual Plant Reviews, Volume 12
A fundamental feature of developmental biology is that of the establishment of polarity. It can be described at different levels - polarity of the organism, polarity in tissue patterning and organ development, and polarity of the cell.
This volume provides an account of current research into the mechanisms by which polarity is generated at the level of the cell, organ and organism in plants, drawing especially on recent work with model organisms.The emphasis is on the use of the techniques of molecular genetics to dissect molecular mechanisms.
This is the first volume to bring together the diverse aspects of polarity in plant development. It is directed at researchers and professionals in plant developmental biology, cell biology and molecular biology.
Visit www.blackwellplantsci.com the plant science site from Blackwell Publishing.

Why are leaves green and blood red? The answer lies with one family of pigments, the porphyrins and their relatives. These pigments are also responsible for the fundamental energetic processes that make life as we know it possible. The properties of these colourful molecules are now being investigated for use in a wide range of applications, from cancer therapy to microelectronics. The Colours of Life is intended to be an introduction to the porphyrins and their role in life.

This book provides a reference source for everyone working in the plant sciences, especially in plant physiology. The chapters give a thorough discussion of the International System of Unit, plant names, statistics, plant biophysics, plant biochemistry and molecular biology, and plant growth and development. Numerous terms are defined, and three appendices recommend techniques of presentation.