Nature Vol. 278 1 March 1979 Student books supplement 93 Microbiological in the dictionary which was not makes no mention of red tides. Simi­ covered at least as well by their text­ larly, although the Helmstetter-Cooper dictionary books, even if they 'have only a very model of the bacterial chromosome small collection. The complete absence Dictionary of Microbiology. By P. replication cycle is described at some of any references to source of informa­ Singleton and D. Sainsbury. Pp. 481. length under "growth (bacterial)", the tion or to more detailed literature entry "Cell cycle" does not refer to it. (Wiley: Chichester, UK, and New would also reduce the use which could York, 1978.) £17.50. Indeed, the entry for "Cell cycle" gave be made of the contents. me the clear impression that this term The authors have set out to cover is only used with reference to eukaryo­ IT seems to me t•hat two sorts of useful "pure and applied microbiology, bio­ tic (usually mammalian) cells, which is dictionary could be compiled for micro­ chemistry, immunology, genetics and misleading. biology. The truly comprehensive dic­ . microbiological aspects of allied Coverage of growth physiology and tionary would be a large scholarly subjects such as medicine, veterinary fermentation is poor, with a wide work and probably could only be writ­ science and plant pathology". This is variety of omissions. There is no men­ ten by five or six people. But to have probably too wide a range of material tion of substrate-accelerated death, a single .reference work for the whole to encompass in less than 500 pages maintenance energy or fed-batch cul­ terminology of this subject (stretching and has led to omissions. Although I ture, which are the kind of terms from phytoplankton ecology to the was not surprised that there is no entry which non-microbiologists are most molecular biology of animal viruses) for Sterigmatomyces, it is unfortunate likely to seek for definition in a subject would be of enormous value. The that for instance Trichoderma and dictionary of this sort. The description second sort of dictionary is not com­ Dunaliella are not included; that is, of continuous culture is very sketchy. prehensive and is of little use to the the choice of organisms has been rather An appendix of metabolic pathway professional microbiologist but can be arbitrary, with some very obscure schemes is induded, which is a lauda­ of great value to those who lack a genera included and some important ble idea, but again the selection is not microbiological background yet who or commonly used ones left out. Com­ beyond criticism. Why the tricarboxylic need to know about some aspects of parable examples are the absence of acid cycle is in this appendix whereas microbiology in association with an­ bacteriophages mu and Pl, which have the reductive pentose phosphate cycle other main interest. an important place .in microbial gene­ is in the main body of the text (under The authors' preface indicates that tics. "Photosynthesis") is not obvious. this dictionary is intended for under­ The coverage of biochemical terms Recognising the limitations of space graduates and postgraduates in micro­ may equally be criticised for the lack I feel that many will share the view biology but I think it is only likely to of entries concerning microbial pro­ that too much space has been devoted find a place in my second category. ducts that are of interest in a wider to material which can easily be found Microbiology students would find little context, such as pronase, subtilisin and in the literature of biochemistry, gene­ taka diastase. A much fuller account tics and general biology at the expense of restriction endonucleases would also of many microbiological terms and have been a timely improvement. ideas which could so usefully have been The cross reference of one entry to included. Olristopher F. Thurston Steady-State another is not thorough. For instance, although the entry "red tides" Enzyme Christopher F. Thurston is Lecturer in attributes this phenomenon to the alga Microbiology at Queen Elizabeth College, Kinetics Gonyaulax, the entry "Gonyaulax" University of London, UK. Stanley Ainsworth given a good deal of consideration. Basic phycology Following two introductory sections Identifies the basic ideas of the subject each of the algal groups ~s considered for the graduate and advanced IN the introduction to Introductory separ:ately in twelve chapters, which undergraduate student, and Phycology (Wiley: Chichester, UK; should give the student a fairly com­ familiarises the reader with them so £12.25), F. R. Trainor stresses the prehensive account of algal forms. In that they may then be applied to any ·importance of consulting more specific each of these Trainor deals with the problem likely to be encountered. works in order to learn how new in­ morphological organisation, the charac­ Although it cannot altogether avoid formation is added (to the sci'ence) and terisation and the reproduction of the mathematical presentation, almost all the equations used require only an older facts and interpretations are class before considering representative elementary acquaintance with modified or discarded. Such an outlook genera and other features of special algebraic manipulation. Moreover the was clearly foremost in the author's interest. The dassification of each arguments themselves are presented mind when writing this book for group has been deliberately kept to a as fully as possible to enable the reader throughout ·the book the different sub­ minimum. Although this is laudable in to progress easily fron· each stage to jects are suitably placed .in their histori­ many respects it might serve to confuse the next. cal perspectiv-e and questions are a student particularly in a group like £10.00 0 333 15008 2 raised in areas deserving of attention the Chlorophyceae. To obtain a copy of this book, please in a way that a student might identify The succeeding chapters deal with order through your normal. supplier or with the specialist researcher. The algal habitats and distribution, classi­ send £11.00, including carriage to book is perhaps suitable not so much fication and morphological variability Technical Books, Services, P.O. Box as a reference text but to be read of benthic organisms, the plankton and 79, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 2EG. straight through as an ·introduction to their environment, algal control, their ·the subject. As such it is well con­ usefulness and harmful effects, and ceived. The author succeeds in convey­ finally their culture. In the course of ing his interest and enthusiasm with these a good deal of interest is gener­ style and the layout has obviously been ated and many aspects are treated in © Macmillan Journals Ltd 1979.