Organic Molecules In Action Murray Goodman, University of California a t San Diego, and Frank Morehouse. Gordon and Breach Science Publishers, New York, 1974. vi 351 pp. Figs. and tables. 23.5 X 16 em. $9.95.
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For the student taking or just finishing a level. Chapter 28 covers ir, uv, and mass standard organic chemistry course and spectrometry. The last chapter discusses wondering what i t is good for; for the ornmr more extensively than any of the other ganic instructor who wants to enliven his beginning teats on my shelf. These two lectures with nuggets of interesting applichapters are meant to be "free-floating" cations of his field, this is an excellent and need to be studied, a t least in part, bebook. fore sections on spectral properties which In the preface the authors state their heein in chaoter 6 can be understood and conviction that ''all educated oeoole should certain problems, so designated, can be have an understanding of science." As a veworked. The book ends with a good biblioghicle to accomplish this purpose they use raphy for each chapter, answers to selected intriguing applications of organic chemisproblems, and a thirty-five page index. try. With the exception of a chapter on Each of the chapters has a useful glossasynthetic polymers, the applications are ry of important terms and an extensive set confined to those of biological impact. The of problems of both the drill and thoughtbook is very well-written and the role of provoking type. The almost error-free tyserendipity and accidental observation in pography is legibly done in black on white scientific discovery are illustrated with exwith tables and intrachapter problems set off by light-gray backgrounds. amples. The text begins with a chapter (Prebiotic The errors I detected were rather minor Synthesis) which discusses, with equations, and often peripheral to the chemistry. For the formation of amino acids, pyrimidines, example, the definition of pheromone (pp. ,purines, and simple sugars from methane, 364,362) is wrong; pheromones act within a water, and ammonia in the primitive atmospecies. Trees exude terpenes from their sphere of the earth. Plausible mechanisms leaves and not isoprene (p. 360). The flash are included. The second chapter (Origin of points of benzene and ethanol are given as the Cell) opens with a timetable for the for+12" and +55', respectively, without menmation of life. Beginning with the observation that these are "F, not "C (p. 326). The tion that proteins and nueleie acids spontastructure of ll-cis-retinal is incorrect on p. neously form tiny droplets on reaching crit362 but correct on p. 932. Professor Ternay ical concentrations, the authors proceed to is in good company when he commits textdescribe, with chemical equations, anaerobook error number 123 (J. CHEM. EDUC., bic and aerobic metabolism, the photosyn52,729 (1975)) concerning the solubility of thetic cycle, the citric acid cycle, and the amylase and amylopeetin in water (p. 835). respiratory chain. Chapter I11 (Nucleic The discussion of d-orbital stabilization in Acids and Protein Synthesis) describes prichapter 23 is not adhered to by all ( J . mary and secondary structures of DNA and Arner. Chem. Soe., 97, 190, 2209 (1975)). The most unfortunate and rather surprisRNA and briefly outlines the biosynthesis of proteins including the role of codons and ing error was an incorrect definition of a anticodons. Chapter IV (Giant Molecules) "lane of svmmetrv, lo. .. 86) as bisectine an is the only significant departure fram biaulqccl intt, e n a n r i ~ m w pirccs, ,~ [he) rnnght logically important compounds. A descripitwt~sdI w ~ d ~ ,I/ w rOnect~riu
