Vitamin C: Its Molecular Biology and Medical Potential

coverage of the photochemistry of nucleic acids is quite complete, and from this point of view the volumes are a success. In some ofthe chapters, the authors have succeeded in laying out clearly the principal elements of the topic, with judicious evaluation of the sometimes conflicting reports and claims in the literature. Such chapters include two on the photochemistry of DNA (by R.O. Rahn and M.H. Patrick) and a chapter on photoreactivation (by H. Harm). The coverage of the more biological aspects of the subject is very much less complete, as indicated by the limited space allocated to the coverage ofphotobiology. The omission of a systematic treatment ofDNA repair processes (except for photoreactivation) is the most serious weakness of these volumes from the standpoint of photobiologists. FRANKLIN HUTCHINSON Department ofMolecular Biophysics and Biochemistry Yale University School ofMedicine