Comparative Vertebrate Endocrinology

433 received and there is no reason to expect different of the second edition, especially since it has been extensively revised to incorporate advances in fields that change extremely rapidly, particularly in evaluation of the effects of hormones and vitamins on calcium homeostasis. The material is presented in a very logical way, beginning with the presentation of bone as a functioning tissue and the cellular elements of bone and cartilage. She discusses the concept of a precursor stem cell but relates it primarily to bone forming cells and does not broach the subject of modulation between fibrous, cartilaginous and osseous cells as manifestations of a common stem cell. The chapters on calcifica-tion and mineralization as well as the sections on ion flux are very well presented and incorporate reasonably recent material. The sections on hormones tend to emphasize calcium and phosphorus metabolism and do not emphasize the effects on growth cartilage as much as could be undertaken. The section on enzymes is brief and basically introduces new concepts and discoveries which are in a rapid state of evolution at present. In summary, this book deals with its subject in a style that is pleasant and easy to read. The subject matter is dealt with at a very practical level and this book will be profitable to students and researchers interested in a basic yet comprehensive summary of the current state of the art in bone biology. The bibliography is comprehensive and is one of the strong points of the volume. This book presents an overview of the comparative endocrinology of some of the vertebrate species. Beginning with a section on developmental endocrine morphology various topics, such as the evolution of hormones, their chemical structure and polymorphism, regulatory roles in calcium balance, skin coloration, reproduction and osmoregulation are covered. In the section of comparative morphology the author presents a well illustrated and concisely written account of the evolution of the various established and putative endocrine glands. Mention is made of unique and interesting endocrine tissue found in certain species such as the corpuscles of Stannius in Holostei fish. These substances decrease blood calcium and act as osmoregulators. The section on chemical structure and polymorphism contains useful comparative biochemical information. In addition several interesting and important points concerning hormone action in lower species in comparison to man are made. For example, prolactin which is a lactogenic hormone in man apparently has important …