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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.

  • The Structure and Function of Nervous Tissue V5

    Structure III and Physiology III
    • 1st Edition
    • Geoffrey Bourne
    • English
    The Structure and Function of Nervous Tissue, Volume V: Structure III and Physiology III covers topics relating to nerve growth factor (NGF), neuroglia, central myelinated axon, adrenal medulla, and saccus vasculosus of the nervous system. The book begins with the physicochemical properties of the NGF molecule, followed by the neuroglial participation in the removal of debris from damaged central nervous system (CNS). It discusses the regional distribution and biochemical characteristics of two steroid-binding systems, one for estradiol and the other for corticosterone. It also presents studies on “split-brain”, an expression coined by Sperry (1961) to characterize an organism whose brain has been partially divided into two by surgical transection of the commissural fibers crossing the midline, in lower vertebrates, mammals, and primates. The book ends with electrophysiological studies of learning in simplified nervous system preparations. This book serves as a reference work for graduate students in a variety of disciplines and for those specializing in particular aspects of nervous tissue study.
  • Plant Responses and Control of Water Balance

    • 1st Edition
    • T.T. Kozlowski
    • English
    Water Deficits and Plant Growth, Volume III: Plant Responses and Control of Water Balance focuses on the influence of water deficits on shrinkage of plant tissues, seed germination, reproductive growth, and internal plant responses such as protoplasmic resistance to desiccation, enzymatic activity, nitrogen metabolism, hormonal relations, and mineral nutrition. This book also considers alleviation and control of water deficits in plants. This volume is organized into 10 chapters and begins with an overview of shrinkage and swelling in plant tissues and their biological implications, along with some basic aspects of seed germination and environmental factors affecting germination as well as its relation to soil moisture. The discussion then shifts to the impact of water deficits on growth of fruits at different stages of development, from flowering to fruit ripening, and the ability of the protoplasm to survive a serious reduction in water content (known as protoplasmic resistance). The following chapters explore the effects of water deficits on enzyme activity, nutrient availability, nitrogen metabolism, and hormonal distribution in plants. This book also looks at transpiration in plants and how to reduce it, and then concludes with a chapter on soil water conservation as a problem of management of available water resources in the context of agriculture. This book is a valuable resource for scientists and investigators in fields such as botany, plant pathology, forestry, and agriculture.
  • Physiological Aspects of Digestion and Metabolism in Ruminants

    Proceedings of the Seventh International Symposium on Ruminant Physiology
    • 1st Edition
    • T. Tsuda + 2 more
    • English
    This volume is comprised of invited papers presented at the Seventh International Symposium on Ruminant Physiology, held in Sendai, Japan, in September 1989. Papers are invited on the recommendations of 300 international experts. The proceedings of this symposia provides the most comprehensive coverage available of current research in ruminant physiology.
  • The Biology And Control of Weeds in Sugarcane

    • 1st Edition
    • S Peng
    • English
    The Biology and Control of Weeds in Sugarcane provides a comprehensive discussion of the problems of weed control in sugarcane against the background of world-wide cultivation, with emphasis on Taiwan's intensive pattern of crop farming. The book is divided into 12 chapters which present the following concepts of weed control in sugarcane: botanical description of sugarcane; the cultivation of sugarcane in relation to weed control; weeds associated with sugarcane and their biological characteristics; losses in crop production caused by weeds; chemical control of weeds; crop tolerance and weed responses to chemicals; evaluation of new herbicides; research and practices of chemical weed control; and application techniques and equipment utilized in weed control. The book is an authoritative reference for agriculture students, lecturers, and scientists. The advances presented in the book are also an invaluable contribution to the expanding ""Weed Science"" and will serve as an excellent background and perspective for further weed studies.
  • Marine Phytoplankton

    A Guide to Naked Flagellates and Coccolithophorids
    • 1st Edition
    • Carmelo R Tomas
    • English
    Marine Phytoplankton: A Guide to Naked Flagellates and Coccolithophorids provides an introduction to marine planktonic flagellates. It emphasizes the biological and physical features that are needed to identify these species, and presents only those methods that are critical for this task while relying on other publications that have extensively covered general phytoplankton research methods. The book begins with an overview of marine planktonic organisms, describing their evolution and classification as well as the difficulties in identifying planktonic marine flagellates. The discussion then turns to marine planktonic flagellates, including Chromophyta, Chlorophyta, and zooflagellates (Phylum Zoomastigophora). It presents techniques used in flagellate studies, common flagellate synonyms, and an index of flagellate taxa. The chapter on modern coccolithophorids includes generic and species descriptions, a list of common coccolithophorid synonyms, and an index of coccolithophorid taxa. This text was written for serious plankton workers who seek to hone their skills in identifying marine flagellated species.
  • Biological Horizons in Surface Science

    • 1st Edition
    • L Prince
    • English
    Biological Horizons in Surface Science presents techniques used in surface science research as well as experimental data. It is organized in such a way that there is a transition from the more theoretical or molecular to the more biological. Emphasis is placed on the importance of water in determining molecular architecture and interactions. Methods of examining molecular associations and complex formation of molecules are discussed, and the results from such studies are reviewed. Permeability is examined from the point of view of the energies required to penetrate between two different phases, and from the role that multicellular membranes may play in directing the diffusion of ions or solutes in general. Current concepts of membrane structure based on membrane models are discussed and some new models are suggested. Application of surface science techniques and the unique energies present at interphases are considered with regard to drug interaction with biological tissue and immunological phenomena. The importance of surfactant protein-lipid association is also discussed in regard to alveolar mechanics. This book is directed particularly to biologists who will find many of the techniques used of significance in their own research. It also aims to interest graduate students in this area of investigation.
  • Viruses and Environment

    • 1st Edition
    • Edouard Kurstak
    • English
    Viruses and Environment contains the proceedings of the Third International Conference on Comparative Virology, held at Mont Gabriel, Quebec, Canada on May 1977. The primary focus of the conference is the ecology of viruses, that is, the interrelationships between organisms and their environment. Organized into seven parts with a total of 33 chapters, this book centers on the impact of viruses on the environment; the persistent virus infections of man, vertebrate and invertebrate animals, and plants; and the smallest disease agents, the viroids. In particular, this book describes the reservoirs of viruses, such as arthropod vectors, water, cultivated plants, and wild animals; safety considerations concerning the use of live virus vaccines; and the viral insecticides. The use of bacterial viruses in genetic engineering is also addressed. This treatise will be valuable to research workers in medical and biomedical fields; biological control; and animal and plant quarantine. It will also benefit the university teachers and graduate students.
  • Biology And Radiobiology Of Anucleate Systems

    Plant Cells
    • 1st Edition
    • Silvano Bonotto
    • English
    Biology and Radiobiology of Anucleate Systems: II. Plant Cells encompasses the proceedings of International Symposium held in Mol, June 21-23, 1971. The symposium is organized by the Department of Radiobiology, Centre d'Etude de I'Energie Nucleaire (C.E.N./S.C.K.), Mol (Belgium) under the auspices of the Commission of the European Communities (EURATOM) and of the ""Relations Culturelles Internationales"" (Brussels). The aim of the three-day symposium is to bring together, for the first time, scientists working on anucleate systems obtained from bacteria and animal or plant cells. This volume is composed of 16 papers relating specifically to plant cells. Each paper is organized according to the date and session when they have been presented. This book will provide invaluable data for comparing the properties of anucleate Acetabularia with those of other anucleate cells, which would be very useful for better understanding of many problems concerning the nucleocytoplasmic relationships and cellular differentiation in normal and irradiated cells.
  • Evapotranspiration from Plant Communities

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 13
    • M.L. Sharma
    • English
    A change in land use has been found to alter the components of the hydrological cycle through its effects on evapotranspiration. This influences planning and management of water resources. The Workshop, from which this volume was derived, was organized in this context to discuss processes and techniques relevant to estimating evapotranspiration of communities ranging from agricultural to forested lands. Its objectives were to provide a forum for exchange of ideas, to gather up-to-date information on the state of the art, and to identify priority areas for future research.The eighteen papers in this volume have been selected from those presented at the Workshop on the basis of technical quality and subject matter coverage and result in a valuable contribution to our current understanding of evapotranspiration.
  • Light Emission By Plants and Bacteria

    • 1st Edition
    • Jan Amesz
    • English
    Light Emission by Plants and Bacteria deals mainly with light coming from plants and bacteria as a result of various different reactions. This book emphasizes the light emission from photosynthetic organisms. The major aim of this book is to give insight on light emission studies in plant and bacteria in terms of its physiological, biophysical, and biochemical relevance. The book is divided into six parts. Part I serves as an introduction and at the same time a historical review and development of different concepts of the emission phenomena. Part II tackles the relationship of light emission to the various photosynthetic reactions. Part III discusses the concept of bioluminescence, with a focus on bacteria and dinoflagellates. Part IV is a description of the light emission from bacteriorhodopsin and rhodopsin. Part V discusses the special light emission characteristics and their relationship to specialized pigment systems found in different bacteria and plant groups. It also reviews the fluorescence properties of photosynthetic bacteria. Lastly, Part VI basically shows the practical applications of light emission from algae as well as higher plants. This book contains not only relevant information about theories and concepts, but also experiments. Thus, it is a recommended reference to researchers and students alike in the field of cell biology, microbiology, plant physiology, biochemistry, biophysics, and agriculture.