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Books in Agricultural and biological sciences

The Agricultural and Biological Sciences collection advances science-based knowledge for the improvement of animal and plant life and for secure food systems that produce nutritious, novel, sustainable foods with minimal environmental impact. Food Science titles include not only those products from agriculture but all other aspects from food production to nutrition, health and safety, chemistry to security, policy, law and regulation. Biological Sciences address animal behaviour and biodiversity, organismal and evolutionary biology, entomology, marine biology and aquaculture, plant science and forestry.

  • Concepts in Radiation Cell Biology

    • 1st Edition
    • Gary Whitson
    • English
    Concepts in Radiation Cell Biology summarizes current concepts related to the effects of radiation on cell biology, with emphasis on the underlying macromolecular basis for cellular changes in irradiated cells. It explores the effects of non-ionizing radiation, such as ultraviolet and visible light; the use of laser light in cellular studies; and the biological effects of ionizing radiation on cells. Results of ultraviolet studies implicating DNA as the main target macromolecule responsible for radiation injury, such as division delays, lethality, and delayed DNA replication, are presented. Divided into eight chapters, this volume begins with an overview of ultraviolet irradiation of DNA as well as the physical and biological properties of irradiated DNA. It then discusses methods used in the photoinactivation of viruses; the effects of ultraviolet radiation on bacteria; radiation-induced biochemical changes in protozoa; and techniques for the analysis of radiation-induced mitotic delay in synchronously dividing sea urchin eggs. The book also covers the effects of radiation on mammalian cells; the effects of ionizing radiation on higher plants; and the photodynamic effects of laser light on cells. This book is a valuable resource for cell biologists, as well as students and investigators who are seeking the necessary information for further experimentation in radiation cell biology.

  • Genetics and Biotechnology of Bacilli

    • 1st Edition
    • Mark M. Zukowski
    • English
    Genetics and Biotechnology of Bacilli, Volume 3 covers the proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Genetics and Biotechnology of Bacilli, held on July 9-12, 1989 at the Asilomar Conference Center, Pacific Grove, California. It summarizes the remarkable progress made in the genetics and biotechnology fields of Bacilli. It is organized into four parts, encompassing 43 chapters, which focus on gene regulation and structure, enzyme structure, Bacillus thuringiensis toxins, and stationary phase gene regulation. Part I covers topics related to gene regulation and structure of Bacilli, such as control of gene expression, mutation, genetic organization, DNA sequence analysis, and identification of transcript units. It also discusses gene replication in Bacillus subtilis plasmids, levanase operon of B. subtilis, and characterization of global regulon in B. subtilis. The next part of this book focuses on the structure of various enzymes found in B. subtilis, including alpha amylases, subtilisin, alkaline phosphatase, and levansucrase. Part III discusses the generation of functional B. thuringiensis toxin hybrid genes, regulation of crystal protein gene promoters, toxicity of B. thuringiensis delta-endotoxin, and insecticidal activity of chimeric protoxins. The concluding part covers the aspects of signal transduction, regulation of differential gene expression during B. subtilis sporulation, and gene cloning and deletion for extracellular proteases of B. subtilis. It also discusses genetic and biochemical aspects of protein phosphorylation; properties of B. subtilis spores; control of stationary phase gene expression; and the novel regulatory gene, senS, of B. subtilis. This book is a valuable source of information for microbiologists, research biologists, and Bacilli enthusiasts.

  • Microbial Ecology of Foods V1

    Factors Affecting Life and Death of Microorganisms
    • 1st Edition
    • English
    Microbial Ecology of Foods, Volume I: Factors Affecting Life and Death of Microorganisms presents valuable background information on the theoretical aspects of food microbiology. It is divided into 14 chapters that focus on the environmental factors affecting food microorganisms. These factors are temperature, irradiation, water activity, pH, acidity, organic acids, curing salts, antibiotics, gases, packaging, and cleaning systems. Each chapter explores the scientific principles of the specific environmental factor; methods of measurement; and effects on growth and viability of spoilage organisms and pathogens. The chapters also look into the control measures and interrelationships with the other factors. Some of the chapters deal with the effects of cell injury on survival and recovery of microorganisms in food and the metabolic aspects of mixed microbial populations. In each chapter, the reader has been directed to appropriate key publications for further study. This volume is particularly suitable as an undergraduate or postgraduate textbook for students who have had at least one course in general microbiology.

  • Fundamentals of Bacterial Plant Pathology

    • 1st Edition
    • Masao Goto
    • English
    Intended as a text for plant bacteriology courses and as a reference for plant pathologists in agricultural extension services and experimental stations, Fundamentals of Bacterial Plant Pathology presents current information on bacterial morphology, taxonomy, genetics, and ecology. Diagnosis, disease management, and the molecular basis of host-pathogen interactions are examined. The book is well illustrated, includes both subject and taxonomic indexes, and provides suggestions for the further reading.

  • Toxic Constituents of Plant Foodstuffs

    • 1st Edition
    • Irvin Liener
    • English
    Toxic Constituents of Plant Foodstuffs focuses on toxic substances in foods of plant origin, including protease inhibitors, hemagglutinins, goitrogens, cyanogens, saponins, gossypol, lathyrogens, and allergens. The book also considers adventitious toxic factors in processed foods and miscellaneous toxic factors such as stimulants and depressants, hypoglycemic agents, toxic amino acids, metal-binding constituents, and hepatotoxins. This volume is organized into 13 chapters and begins with an overview of protease inhibitors, including their distribution in the plant kingdom, physical and chemical properties, and mechanism of interaction with proteases. The next chapters focus on the adventitious introduction of toxic factors into processed plant foods; the inactivation of the trypsin inhibitor and hemagglutinin found in legumes by cooking; and the extraction of a nontoxic, edible starch from cycads. The reader is also introduced to lathyrism, the toxicity of agglutinins, occurrence of goitrogens in thioglucoside-contai... plants, and dietary sources of cyanogen. This book will be of interest and value to food scientists who are concerned with the safety of food supply and public health officials tasked with enforcing regulations necessary to ensure the safety of a particular food.

  • Biology of Halophytes

    • 1st Edition
    • Yoav Waisel
    • English
    Biology of Halophytes is a monograph on the biological aspects of halophytes and their behavior under saline conditions. It explores the physioecological characteristics of halophytes, such as reproduction, growth, metabolism, water relations, mineral nutrition, salt transport, salt secretion, and salt resistance. It also provides ecological information on higher marine plants, particularly submerged angiosperms, mangroves, and high coast plants. Organized into 16 chapters, this volume begins with an overview of sources of salinity and the development and nature of salines and salt-affected soils. It proceeds with a discussion of the classification of halophytes, their mutual relationships, distribution, and sociology. It also summarizes autecological information on some terrestrial halophytes and introduces the reader to the formative effects of salinity, interrelationships between plants and spatial distribution within the community, ion transport and mineral nutrition, and regulation of salt content of shoots, before concluding with a short review on ecotypic differentiation in halophytes. This book will be a valuable resource for advanced students, as well as teachers of plant and environmental sciences.

  • Cell Shape

    Determinants, Regulation, And Regulatory Role
    • 1st Edition
    • Felix Bronner
    • English
    Cell Shape: Determinants, Regulation, and Regulatory Role is written to help readers understand cell shape and its regulation. It provides insight into how the shape of a cell is determined at a molecular level. It also discusses how the shape of the cell, as a signal, controls gene expression and modulates intercellular interaction. Divided into four parts encompassing 13 chapters, this volume begins with an overview of the mechanism of shape determination. It then explores how the cytoskeleton, the extracellular matrix, and biochemical force transduction may affect or respond to cell shape control. Other chapters focus on the mechanical modeling of cell shape and the biochemical reactions underlying cell motility. The text also describes the results of the molecular studies that have provided important information on the composition of the cytoskeleton. The final chapter reviews the shape changes that happen during embryogenesis. It also considers how the polarity of the embryo is determined. This book is a valuable resource for biologists, embryologists, and cell biologists.

  • Molecular Biophysics

    • 1st Edition
    • M Volkenstein
    • English
    Molecular Biophysics presents the fundamental principles of biophysics and their application to the study of the physical properties of biological macromolecules. The merger of biology and physics involves the development of sophisticated instrumentation and the molecular approach to the study of life phenomena. This book is composed of nine chapters and begins with an overview of the thermodynamical aspects and chemical foundations of biophysics. These topics are followed by the physical aspects of macromolecules, with a particular emphasis on the biological functions, conformation, and hydrophobic interactions of proteins. The subsequent chapter describes the structural and electro-optical properties of biopolymers based on X-ray, optical, and spectroscopic analysis. The discussion then shifts to enzymes, their chemical kinetics, catalytic potential, and conformational and cooperative properties. The remaining chapters explore the physical aspects of nucleic acids and the biosynthesis of proteins. This book will prove useful to molecular biophysicists, biologists, physicists, and researchers in the fields of life sciences.

  • Pollution Ecology of Estuarine Invertebrates

    • 1st Edition
    • C.W. Jr. Hart
    • English
    Pollution Ecology of Estuarine Invertebrates, as its companion volume ""Pollution Ecology of Freshwater Invertebrates"", aims to present the ecology of estuarine invertebrates and highlight some systematic interpretations. This book also discusses the knowledge about these invertebrates. It is a compilation of existing data at the time of writing, an attempt to introduce ideas and information, and a result of synthesis of systematic interpretations. This book consists of 12 chapters, each with a specific invertebrate as subject area. The invertebrates encompassed in this book are thread and bristle worms, Bryozoa, ostracods, copepods, crabs, shrimps, larval decapods, Cyathura, isopods (other than Cyathura), amphipods, clams, and snails. Each chapter gives a thorough discussion of the featured invertebrate according to some of the organism’s aspects, such as habitat, systematic, zoogeography, pollution ecology, life cycle, physiology, population, taxonomy, and distribution. This book is a valuable source for students, teachers, scientists, or researchers interested in estuarine invertebrates and pollution and study biology, environmental science, zoology, or even marine science.

  • Trace Elements in Plants

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 6
    • M.Ya. Shkolnik
    • English
    Trace element science has undergone some dramatic changes in recent years and considerable discoveries have been made in the wide field of botany. This monograph reviews and summarizes the advances made in trace element research in botanical geography, taxonomy, phytocenology, geochemical ecology, morphology, anatomy, embryology and genetics.After a discussion of some general aspects of trace elements, the author makes a detailed critical analysis of their physiological role - a role that is not only of theoretical importance but one that can also provide a basis for the development of a rational system of plant nutrition. Various aspects of the problems dealt with, therefore, bear on practical issues in agriculture.

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