Abstract
IN the preface of this latest ‘Annual Review' it is explained that a canvass of representative micro -biologists indicated that their interests were not sufficiently covered by an already large number of periodical reviews covering at least many parts of the same subject. Time alone will show whether this opinion is justified,. The term ‘Microbiology' may be taken to cover the whole physiology of organisms too small to observe without a microscope. It includes, therefore, morphology, biochemistry, genetics and all interactions with external environments of Protozoa, Bacteria, Fungi and, so forth. Until recently, these subjects have been the concern of different groups determined by differences in technique, and undoubtedly this has led to a poor diffusion of knowledge of matters which are applicable to all groups. In some sections, however, this deplorable situation has been relieved by the publication of reviews in existing periodicals. Particularly this has been so in the chemical field, and it may now be doubted whether there is much ignorance of the biochemistry of one form of life among the students of another; at least in the particular field of biochemistry the student is interested in. It can scarcely become practicable for anyone to develop an abiding interest in many branches of a subject which has no biological limits. The present volume presents articles of widely diverse interest. The fractions of each subject covered are necessarily so small that the reader must still rely on the many reviews appearing elsewhere on practically the same field. Any of the articles could properly have appeared in existing reviews and, curiously enough, one of them has already done so. The articles which the reviewer is capable of judging are of a high order and presented with a personal touch which is valuable. Certainly an active worker must run his eye through this further addition to his survey of information, but he must not expect that this annual review alone is going to keep him abreast of developments.
Annual Review of Microbiology
Charles E. Clifton Sidney Raffel H. Albert Baker (Associate Editor). Vol. 1. Pp. vii + 404. (Stanford, Calif.: Annual Reviews, Inc., 1947.) n.p.
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FILDES, P. Annual Review of Microbiology. Nature 161, 995 (1948). https://doi.org/10.1038/161995b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/161995b0