The Hypophyseal Growth Hormone, Nature and Actions

many formulae and figures. Its many chapter subheadings give the book its rather terse, outline form. A discussion of methods of isolation, characterization, and determination of purity is followed by successive chapters dealing with reaction rates as a function of substrate concentration, inhibitor action, temperature, and pH. Thermodynamic concepts are well developed in chapters on energetics and oxidation reduction. The problem of the mechanism of enzyme action is presented in chapters on enzyme-substrate compounds and enzyme specificity. Following these sections on the basic principles of enzyme chemistry, which take up half the book, the authors treat the chemistry of coenzymes and the classification of enzymes. An especially good treatment of respiratory enzymes is given. The remainder of the book deals with metabolic pathways. Insofar as the book is intended for students thoroughly grounded in biochemistry, it is likely that this section will come as unnecessary repetition either as reading or in a course dealing with enzyme chemistry. However, an added chapter contributed by Roger Stainier on the problem of enzyme synthesis as interpreted from induction experiments is a welcome addition to textbook literature in biochemistry. If nothing else, the more than 650 references to important articles and reviews make this book an excellent up-to-date survey of the literature as well as a good introduction to the numerous polygraphs now available in enzymology. IRWIN A. ROSE