Synopsis
The study of solute transport in plants dates back to the beginnings of experimental plant physiology, but has its origins in the much earlier interests of humankind in agriculture. Given this lineage, it is not surprising that there have been many books on the transport of solutes in plants; texts on the closely related subject of mineral nutrition also commonly address the topic of ion transport. Why another book? Well, physiologists continue to make new discoveries. Particularly pertinent is the characterisation of enzymes that are able to transport protons across membranes during the hydrolysis of energy-rich bonds. These enzymes, which include the H + -A TPases, are now known to be crucial for solute transport in plants and we have given them due emphasis. From an academic point of view, the transport systems in plants are now appreciated as worthy of study in their own right-not just as an extension of those systems already much more widely investigated in animals. From a wider perspective, understanding solute transport in plants is fundamental to understanding plants and the extent to which they can be manipulated for agricultural purposes. As physiologists interested in the mechanisms of transport, we first set out in this book to examine the solutes in plants and where are they located. Our next consideration was to provide the tools by which solute movement can be understood: a vital part of this was to describe membranes and those enzymes catalysing transport.
Review
`Plant physiologists, biochemists, plant biologists and advanced undergraduates and immediate postgraduates studying plant breeding and agriculture, will find this text to be a valuable source of information.'
Biological Abstracts
`This is a well-written and nicely produced book... University students will find the book provides good and readable accounts of the topics. It will be useful also to more experienced readers who want to learn about the modern techniques used to study transport systems and the findings obtained.'
Annals of Botany Company
`This is a really comprehensive book and I was surprised that so much information could be presented in such a slim volume. The text is up to date, easily readable, and generously supplemented with diagrams, graphs and tables. Congratulations to the authors for their comparisons with animal systems and use of analogies... I have no hesitation in recommending this book for undergraduates and immediate postgraduates.'
Journal of Biological Education
`This is a most welcome and useful book. It condenses an enormous amount of information into a handy space. It is easy to read as a continuous argument, and easy to use as a source of references on particular topics... It will guide the beginning graduate student into the literatures of unfamiliar fields, and there will be few professional transport physiologists who can read it without gaining new insights... The book is sensibly constructed... The illustrations are good, especially some of the original drawings, which would make useful slides for teaching. Overall, this is a book that deserves a place in the library of any professional botanist, or of any student who seriously aspires to become one...'
The Quarterly Review of Biology
`...a clear introduction to solute transport processes in plants... well-illustrated and written for advanced undergraduates and immediate postgraduates in the fields of plant physiology, plant breeding and agriculture and for those starting their work at this research field.`
Journal of Plant Physiology
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