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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.

  • Meiosis

    • 1st Edition
    • Peter Moens
    • English
    Meiosis is a monograph focused on meiosis-specific functions. It presents a discussion on the genetic regulations of meiosis and aims to direct readers on future research by reporting a number of studies on progress. The text is divided into four parts and consists of 12 chapters. After an introduction to the meiotic process, the first part of the book narrates the genetic transmission and the evolution of reproduction and parthenogenesis. The second part presents the concepts of recombination, the heteroduplex model, and the genetic control of biochemical events in meiotic recombination. The third part covers the information about the chiasmata and synaptonemal complex, including the Rabl orientation. The text is then concluded by the fourth part that covers the biochemical basis of meiosis. The book is an excellent reference for undergraduate and graduate students in biological courses, specifically in genetics, biochemistry, and cell, developmental, and molecular biology. Lecturers, researchers, and other professionals in the same field will also find this book useful.
  • Cell Biology A Comprehensive Treatise V4

    Gene Expression: Translation and the Behavior of Proteins
    • 1st Edition
    • David M. Prescott
    • English
    Cell Biology, A Comprehensive Treatise, Volume 4: Gene Expression: Translation and the Behavior of Proteins discusses the translation of genetic information into proteins. It also explains the activities and behaviors of proteins, which is the final stage of gene expression. This book opens with a discussion of the components and mechanism of the translational machinery – their structures, biogenesis, and cellular levels. It then explains the protein synthesis, wherein each chapter focuses on one aspect of the detailed process. Other topics covered in this book are the structure and function of cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein complexes and the proteolytic cleavage in the posttranslational processing of proteins. This text also covers the regulation of enzyme activity and the movement of material between nucleus and cytoplasm. The last three chapters are more in-depth discussions on protein synthesis, intracellular transport, regulation, and secretion. As with the other volumes of this book series, readers will definitely benefit from the vast information provided in this book regarding protein, its activities, behaviors, and synthesis.
  • Drugs and the Cell Cycle

    • 1st Edition
    • A Zimmerman
    • English
    Drugs and the Cell Cycle provides an introduction to fundamental principles and studies on the mechanisms of drug action on proliferating cells. The book is intended to reduce the time lag between observation and practical application. Comprised of 10 chapters, the book describes the plant alkaloids, alkylating agents, mercurials, adrenergic agents, radiomimetics, narcotics, hallucinogens, mitogens, hepatotoxins, antiobiotics, and antimetabolites of various types. The text also emphasizes the drugs used in cancer chemotherapy, and the in vitro and in vivo cell systems of bacteria, protozoa, sea urchins, and mammals. The concepts are presented with comprehensive illustrations and tables to help readers obtain more efficient understanding and learning. The information and concepts presented in this volume will be of great interest to scientists and students in many disciplines, including physiology, pharmacology, and oncology, as well as cellular, molecular, and developmental biology. The book will also fill the gap between drug experimental observations and their potential relevance to man.
  • Heredity and Society

    • 1st Edition
    • Ian Porter
    • English
    Heredity and Society documents the proceedings of a symposium on heredity and society sponsored by the Birth Defects Institute of the New York State Department of Health held in Albany, New York, October 26-27, 1971. The central theme, ""Heredity and Society"" means taking part in the exploration of the science of genetics as it affects and is affected by modern life. The contributions made by researchers at the symposium are organized into five sections. The two papers in Section 1 review the history of genetics and discuss ongoing human evolution. Section II presents two studies on changes in the frequency of genes in the population and the evolution of human behavior. Section III contains studies on the effects of genetic counseling and couples who get genetic counseling. Section IV presents some reflections about the consequences of past, present, and future life styles in reproduction of citizens living in Western democracies. It also includes studies on the genetic implications of abortion and the impact of congenital malformations on society. Section V deals with sex chromosome abnormalities; mass screening programs for inborn errors of metabolism; and ethical issues raised by advances in genetics.
  • Recombinant DNA And Cell Proliferation

    • 1st Edition
    • Gary Stein
    • English
    Recombinant DNA and Cell Proliferation focuses on the use of recombinant DNA technology in investigating the regulation of cell proliferation. Topics include gene transfer for assessing the role of defined DNA sequences in triggering DNA replication, nucleic acid hybridization probes for analyzing the regulation of specific genes during the cell cycle, and cloned DNAs for studying genes expressed with proliferation and differentiation. This book is organized into three sections encompassing 13 chapters and begins with a discussion on the expression of specific genes during the cell cycle. This text also deals with topics such as the use of cloned SV40 DNA fragments to examine signals for cell proliferation, expression of dihydrofolate reductase and thymidylate synthase genes in mammalian cells, and gene expression during the cell cycle of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The following chapters explore the expression of histone genes during the cell cycle in human cells; organization and expression of eukaryotic ribosomal protein genes; and expression of the alpha-fetoprotein gene during development, regeneration, and carcinogenesis. This book also introduces the reader to the role of the cell division cycle in induced differentiation, gene regulation in muscle cells, regulation of nonmuscle actin gene expression during early development, and sequences at ends of cellular DNA molecules in relation to telomere replication and function. An overview of the biochemical aspects of cell proliferation and the genes and gene products that are necessary and specific for cell proliferation concludes the book. This book will be of value both to advanced students and to research scientists.
  • Microbial Ecology of Foods V2

    Food Commodities
    • 1st Edition
    • English
    Microbial Ecology of Foods, Volume II: Food Commodities is a comprehensive treatise on the microbiology of specific commodity groups. The commodity groups discussed include meat, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, and their products. Other groups included are feeds of animal origin and pet foods; agricultural crops and their products; fats and oils; beverages; confectioneries; miscellaneous foods; and natural mineral waters. Composed of 15 chapters, this book has chapters that cover the important properties of the food commodity that affects the microbial content. The initial microbial flora on flesh foods at slaughter or on vegetable foods at harvest and the effects of harvest, transport, processing, and storage on the microbial content are discussed as well. Furthermore, this text explains the means of controlling the process and the microbial content. Each chapter is a review of applied microbiology, compiled by leading authorities selected solely for their expert knowledge. The final chapter emphasizes factors that contribute to outbreaks of foodborne disease. This volume will greatly appeal to those interested primarily in applied aspects of food microbiology, such as food processors, microbiologists, and technologists; veterinarians; public health workers; and regulatory officials.
  • Plant Parasitic Nematodes

    • 1st Edition
    • Bert Zuckerman
    • English
    Plant Parasitic Nematodes, Volume III provides a comprehensive discussion of the different advances in plant nematology. This includes biochemical techniques to taxonomy and innovation in transmission and scanning electron microscopy technology. It explains a broadened basis for understanding nematode physiology and behavior and the sensory mechanisms that govern nematode actions and plant host-nematode interactions. The book discusses the development of modern approaches to the evaluation and reduction of crop losses. The emphasis of this volume is on plant parasites and insights gained through research on other nematodes. In particular, the book explains the anatomical, developmental, behavioral, and genetic studies on the free-living nematode Cenorhabditis elegans, which is a widely used laboratory model for examining various biological problems. The information provided by various researches on C. elegans increases our understanding about the relevance of nematodes to general biological processes in higher organisms, including man. The book is divided into 19 chapters which cover the following concepts of plant nematology: biochemistry, cytochemistry, and genetics; morphology and function; host-parasite relations; and evaluation and control of crop losses. The present volume is an excellent reference for students, lecturers, and research professionals in plant parasitology and related fields.
  • Gene Probes for Bacteria

    • 1st Edition
    • Alberto Macario
    • English
    Gene Probes for Bacteria focuses on the preparation and use of nucleic acid probes for identifying bacteria in clinical specimens and in other samples of practical or scientific interest. Organized into 17 chapters, this book addresses which nucleic acid probes are available; how and when to utilize them; what to expect in terms of results obtained with their use; and how to prepare probes. Each chapter is composed of comprehensive manuscript covering different microorganisms. A few bacterial species are treated in more than one chapter to provide a multidimensional picture of important microbes, and to compile the knowledge gained from different laboratories using the same or different probes or methods. This reference material will be of great use to professionals, technicians, and R&D directors in universities, federal and state-dependent service and research institutes, and private and industrial laboratories.
  • The Direct Detection of Microorganisms in Clinical Samples

    • 1st Edition
    • J. Donald Coonrod
    • English
    The Direct Detection of Microorganisms in Clinical Samples focuses on the most practical and widely used procedures for direct detection of microorganism in clinical specimens. It considers application to virology, mycology, and bacteriology. Organized into three parts, the book begins with established techniques for visualization of intact organism in clinical samples. The book then deals with immunologic techniques for detecting soluble microbial antigens. The last part considers diverse non-immunologic methods for detecting soluble constituents of organisms and their metabolites. Clinical microbiologists, infectious disease clinicians and researchers, and individuals working in analogous areas will find this book invaluable.
  • The Study of Prosimian Behavior

    • 1st Edition
    • G.A. Doyle
    • English
    The Study of Prosimian Behavior aims to provide as complete coverage as possible to the field of prosimian behavior. Organized into 14 chapters, the book begins with the classification of the prosimians, followed by the phylogenetic aspects of prosimian behavior. It also explains the development of behavior, learning, intelligence, and vocal and olfactory communications in prosimians. Furthermore, the book looks into the prosimian reproduction; how the various prosimian species handle the production and rearing of the young; diet and ecology of prosimians; role of vision in prosimian behavior; and prosimian locomotor behavior.