Clinics in Developmental Medicine, No. 37. The Biochemistry of Development.

Abstract

In the ten chapters selected topics of developmental biochemistry are presented by 14 well chosen authors. Sereni and Principi tackled the complicated question of how perinatal liver function is regulated; the authors collected valuable information on this relatively new and little explored topic. A very impressive achievement in intrauterine diagnosis and antenatal detection of inherited diseases is presented by Nyhan who excellently surveys the great number of biochemical disorders with didactic skill. The complicated and complex regulation of genetic expression is described by Benson. This author who also edited the book discusses the ten principal factors involved in protein synthesis, the programmed differential expression of the genome, and the biosynthesis and control of RNA and protein. Walker surveys the development of enzymes for carbohydrate metabolism; he stresses the importance of control mechanisms and rate-controlling enzymes in the perinatal period. The developmental aspects of lipid metabolism are described by Myatt; the