Nature Vol. 278 1 March 1979 Student books supplement 101 polarity, pattern formation and reading and, where appropr.iate, li6ts some of the figures concerning the nudear-cytoplasmic interactions are .ind·icating where to look to find partic resolution of microscopes seem to have briefly reviewed and also at appropriate ular anatomical aharacters. This is a been muddled: both TEM and SEM times in the other chapters. This most valuable addition and covers resolution are out by a factor of 100! style leads to a book that is very read plants worldwide. The further reading The index is concise and helpful and, able and well suited to elementary lists are rather too short and often indeed, reflects the whole tone of the stud·ents as well as to the more experi quite dated. Having commented on the book, which is to conv.ey a very con enced botanists who will undoubtedly usefulness of electron microscopy to siderable amount of information in a benefit from it. the study of plant anatomy, the author palatable and easily understandable Cell contJe.nts and cell walls are des then fails to cite a s.ingle further refer style. patched briefly but efficiently in con ence in this area. Indeed, the four A. W. Robards secu.tive chapters. A!.! the major books suggested at the end of chapter organelles are reviewed in up-to-date one serve as a rather limited coverage fashion. It is good to see the most re of the subject area. A. W. Robards is Senior Lecturer and Head of the Electron Microscope Labora cent v.iews on, for example, c, chloro The introductory chapter on tech tory in the Department of Biology at the pla~ts and plasmodesmata, although niques is useful but it is a pity that University of York, UK. we might have hoped for a more com prehensive assessment of the structure and rok of microtubules than the dozen lines allowed for them. Indeed, the numerous specific citations in the the whole area of membrane structure Principles of text. and techniques such as freeze-etching plant nutrition Chapter 19 concludes the treatise with is ignored, as is the work on cell wall examples of several toxic or less familiar formation by, for example, Willison Principles of Plant Nutrition. By K. elements which are discussed in more and Brown. This is surprising and dis Mengel and E. A. Kirkby. Pp. 593. general terms and it includes several appointing in a book that tries to re·late (International Potash Institute: PO Box interesting miscellaneous reports. There structure to function as membranes are 41, CH-3048 Worblaufen-Bern, Switzer are a few minor omissions-for example, of such paramount importance. land, 1978.) regarding the production by certain It would have been much more use plants of apparently specific citrate and ful if the subject coverage in this book oxalate metal complexes especially with THIS book is broadly based in accordance had been more evenly distributed. nickel and chromium; the quite exten with the implications of its title and sive work on tu:tgsten relegated here However, taken as a whole, this is an achieves a commendable integration of attractive volume that should encour to a few words on page 149 on tung soil and plant aspects of nutrition. The sten inactivation of nitrate reductase age botanists to think more about partnership of geographically separated trow the structure and function of by unspecified means; the original, authors, who are both practically orien rigorous and model investigations of plants are intimately inter-rela.ted. tated university teachers, provides a back Anything that does this is to be wel Brownell on the absolute need for ground of wide experience and as shown sodium by A triplex vesicaria (though comed and Dr Cutter has made a by the principal bibliography (about notable step in the right direction. his later discovery of its possibly I ,400 references) an extensive familiarity general importance in C4-type photo Applied Plant Anatomy (Longman: with the subject. synthesis plants is nevertheless noted); London and New York, £4.95), by D. Chapters I to 6 (totalling 290 pages) the differentiation of apparently two F. Cutler, seeks to illustrate the way describe some general principles. Con types of malate enzyme; the exciting that a sound knowledge of plant ana siderable attention is given to plant-soil conclusions of Meish et al. regarding tomy can be applied to the solution of relationships; nutrient uptake, trans the essential role of vanadium in green many important every day problems. location and storage; nutrient avail algae, thought to involve the formation It i·s good, in a textbook of plant ana ability in relation to crop needs; general of delta aminolaevulinic acid (though tomy, to .see pictures such as that of a effects of nutrient deficiencies; and this news may have 'broken' as the papyrus sandal and to read about methods of nutrient application and book went to press); and finally (though "wood in archaeology .. : this does help correction. A number of major physio possibly again just too late), the further the .subject to come alive. This novel logical activities-photosynthesis, nitro work of Polacca on the need for nickel approach leads to a book that is dif gen fixation, nitrogen assimilation, water in urea metabolism since the first ferent from most others on elementary relations, active transport, nutrient ab report on urease by Dixon et a/. briefly pla·nt anatomy and one that is both sorption-are described in sufficient cited on page 514. readable and enjoyable for even the depth to provide the necessary back This quite comprehensive and well newest student of .botany. ground for understanding the role of documented book will be of value to The introductory chapter contains various elements, although respiration students and lecturers alike in faculties brief notes on techniques for both light seems less adequately considered. of agricultural science, botany and bio and electron microscopy. This is fol Chapters II to 18 deal separately with logical sciences and should also be lowed by chapters on the basic mor each of the familiar essential elements welcome in the libraries of agricultural phology of plants; a good, simple, except chlorine, which is reviewed in institutes, advisory workers and con illustra.t·ed glossary; the histology of three pages in a chapter confined to some sultants. It is especially commended for plant organs; meristems; vascular tis possibly beneficial or indirectly essential its relevance to practical aspects of crop sues; adaptive features; flower and elements: cobalt, silicon and vanadium. nutrition and for proper appreciation of fruit; and economic aspects of applied Reviews on separate elements cover soil the general principles on which practice plant anatomy. Each cha.pter is well aspects of their availability, their meta should be based. illustrated by clear line diagrams and bolic roles and deficiency and some E. J. Hewitt micrographs. The distribution of micro toxicity effects on growth. These chapters provide a good general idea of the graphs is a little uneven ·and, ind-eed, E. J. Hewitt is Head ol the Plant Physiology there might have been more of them importance of the elements. These and and Biochemistry Section at Long Ashton altogether. At the end of each chapter the other chapters are each concluded Research Station, and Reader in Plant there is a small list of suggesved further with a general reading list to supplement Physiology or the University of Bristol, UK. © Macmillan Journals Ltd 1979