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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.

  • Acidic Proteins of the Nucleus

    • 1st Edition
    • Ivan Cameron
    • English
    Acidic Proteins of the Nucleus focuses on the functional role of acidic nuclear proteins in differential gene expression. Historically, these proteins are referred to as acidic in nature because they are insoluble in dilute mineral acids and their amino acid composition shows a preponderance of acidic over basic amino acid residues. After an introduction to DNA-binding proteins and transcriptional control in prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems, the subsequent chapters describe various approaches for isolating, separating, and characterizing acidic nuclear proteins. The core chapters specifically cover the isolation, fractionation, and characterization of acidic nuclear phosphoproteins, and the role of these proteins in cell proliferation, cell differentiation, and cell cycle. The last two chapters address the role of acidic nuclear protein in binding steroid hormones and in gene regulation. Each chapter contains some previously unpublished work and provides recommendations for future research. This book will be a good reference background for researchers of acidic nuclear proteins.
  • Growth, Nutrition, and Metabolism of Cells In Culture V2

    • 1st Edition
    • George Rothblat
    • English
    Growth, Nutrition, and Metabolism of Cells in Culture, Volume 2, summarizes the state of knowledge of the growth, nutrition, and metabolism of various types of cell cultures. The chapters are both detailed and comprehensive enough for the specialist and broad enough to provide a general background for the nonspecialist. The present volume deals with specialized mammalian, plant, and invertebrate cell systems and techniques. The book begins by tracing the history of the development of tissue culture. This is followed by separate chapters on the use of perfusion systems in cell and tissue culture; and the cultivation of muscle tissue, nerve tissue, and hematopoietic cells. Subsequent chapters discuss the use of cell culture to study mechanisms of hormone action; the cultivation of mammalian embryos; cultivation of cells from poikilothermie vertebrates; and the cultivation of arthropod cells and plant cells. This book will be valuable resource for investigators who routinely use cell culture techniques, as well as students and individuals in associated areas of cell and molecular biology.
  • Chemistry of the Cell Interface Part A

    • 1st Edition
    • Harry Brown
    • English
    Chemistry of the Cell Interface discusses reactions involving the cells structured elements and interfacial reaction systems, which are extrapolations from the conventional methodology of solution biochemistry. The contributions to this two-volume book deal with the relationship of structure to biochemical reactions. Part A (Chapters I-V) deals with the components of complex subcellular systems, in vitro interface relationships model for lipid-lipid and lipid-protein interactions, and reaction model for chemical phenomena in systems having restricted degrees of freedom. Part B (Chapters VI-VIII) covers waters contributions to the reaction systems, the consideration of modified proteins as model reactants, and the aspects of protein chemistry pertinent to the design of interface experimental systems. The book is suited for readers who wish to broaden their understanding in interface chemistry within the biological cell.
  • Invertebrate Immunity

    • 1st Edition
    • Karl Maramorosch
    • English
    Invertebrate Immunity: Mechanisms of Invertebrate Vector-Parasite Relations consists of chapters presented at a workshop on invertebrate defense mechanisms, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and held in Bethesda, Maryland, on April 17 and 18, 1974. Organized into four parts, having a total of 24 chapters, this book first discusses the barrier imposed by the gut of invertebrates to invading parasites. It then centers on the role of invertebrate hemocytes and other phagocytic cells in immunity, as well as the humoral defense mechanisms of these organisms. Other topics discussed include parasite encapsulation in insects, role of melanin in host-parasite interaction, and use of host hormones by insect parasites to make the host environment favorable for their growth and development. This book will be essential for those interested in comparative immunology and in invertebrate immune responses. It will be of special interest to entomologists, protozoologists, physicians, veterinarians, ecologists, pathologists, research workers, science teachers, and graduate students.
  • Cell of Immunoglobulin Synthesis

    • 1st Edition
    • Benvenuto Pernis
    • English
    Cells of Immunoglobulin Synthesis documents the proceedings of a symposium on ""Cells of Immunoglobulin Synthesis"" held at Arden House, on the Harriman Campus of Columbia University from June 9-11, 1978. The meeting was the third of the P & S Biomedical Sciences Symposia. Starting with the opening address on B lymphocyte differentiation and the tolerance problem, the remainder of the book presents the contributions made by researchers at the symposium. These contributions are organized into seven parts. Part I contains studies on immunoglobulin genes, messages, and molecules. Part II presents studies on cellular immunoglobulin production. Part III examines membrane immunoglobulins while Part IV focuses on immunoglobulins as regulatory molecules. Part V deals with lymphocyte hybrids. Part VI examines immunoglobulin idiotypes while Part VII contains papers on the ontogeny of immunoglobulin-synth... cells.
  • Regulatory T Lymphocytes

    • 1st Edition
    • Benvenuto Pernis
    • English
    Regulatory T Lymphocytes documents the proceedings of a symposium on ""Regulatory T Lymphocytes"" held at Arden House on the Harriman Campus of Columbia University from June 8-10, 1979. The meeting was the fourth of the P&S Biomedical Sciences Symposia. Starting with the opening address on regulatory T lymphocytes and their antigen receptors, the remainder of the book presents the contributions made by researchers at the symposium. These contributions are organized into seven parts. Part I contains studies T cell receptors. Part II presents studies on T cell subpopulations. Parts III and IV examine helper T cells. Parts V and VI deal with suppressor T cells. Part VII contains papers on regulatory T cell circuits.
  • 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.
  • Light Transducing Membranes

    Structure, Function, and Evolution
    • 1st Edition
    • David Deamer
    • English
    Light Transducing Membranes: Structure, Function, and Evolution covers the proceedings of a joint United States-Australia conference held in Honolulu, Hawaii on December 1977. Organized into four parts encompassing 19 chapters, the book focuses on structural, functional, and evolutionary aspects of light energy transduction by membranes. The first part of the book explores the problems of how membrane-related biomolecules could have evolved prior to the origin of life, how amphiphiles might have become organized in lipid bilayer structures, and what mechanisms may have been available for light energy transduction. The mechanisms by which ions, lipids, and proteins interact in membrane systems are described in the next part of the book. Some chapters in the third part of the book cover the analysis of several bacterial membranes as reconstituted, light transducing systems, providing a new tool for investigating basic mechanisms. Relevant aspects of mitochondrial energy transduction are also covered. Finally, the last part presents mechanism analysis by which intact bacteria and chloroplasts interact with light energy, which represent the end product of several billion of years of evolution. Biological evolutionists, biologists, researchers, teachers, and students who are interested in various aspects of light transducing membranes will greatly benefit from this book.
  • Humoral Factors in Host Defense

    • 1st Edition
    • Yuichi Yamamura
    • English
    Humoral Factors in Host Defense contains the proceedings of the First Takeda Science Foundation Symposium on Bioscience, held on October 28-30, 1982, in Kyoto, Japan. The symposium focused on the humoral factors regulating immune responses, with emphasis on T cell-derived immunoregulatory molecules; molecular mechanisms of interferons; factors involved in differentiation and activation of immunocytes; and the use of the molecular genetics approach to host defense factors. Organized into four parts encompassing 22 chapters, this volume begins with an overview of interleukin-2 and T cell-replacing factors, along with their immunological functions and biochemical features. It then discusses antigen-specific T cell factors; immunoregulatory molecules from human monoclonal T cells; physiological and pathological roles of lymphokines; regulation of the immune system by monoclonal T cell peptides; production of a glycosylated human protein by recombinant DNA technology; and molecular genetics of immunoglobulin genes and the major histocompatibility antigen. Geneticists and biologists will find this book extremely useful.
  • Interactions Between Non-Pathogenic Soil Microorganisms And Plants

    • 1st Edition
    • Y.R. Dommergues
    • English
    Interactions between Non-Pathogenic Soil Microorganisms and Plants provides a comprehensive discussion of the non-pathogenic microorganisms associated with roots. It describes how a myriad of soil microorganisms affect plant growth, and how climatic and edaphic conditions contribute to the magnitude of microbial activity. The book is divided into 11 chapters that cover the plant-microorganism system; growth, structure, and physiology of roots; and nutrient uptake. It also explains the root exudates and exudation; energy flow in the plant; and rhizosphere. Legume symbiosis and root nodule symbioses in non-leguminous nitrogen fixing plants are also discussed. Moreover, the book explains the mycorrhizae and the impact of climatic and edaphic conditions on soil management and plant growth. The information that the book presents serves as a useful focal point for further studies on the interactions between plants and soil microorganisms. Thus, it provides an impetus for the development of agricultural practices that could improve food production, while mitigating anthropogenic pollution of agrosytems and waste of energy resources. Students, lecturers, and research workers in plant physiology and anatomy, microbiology, soil science, general ecology, and agronomy will find this book an invaluable reference for their learning and practice.