Recent Progress in Photobiology contains the proceedings of the Fourth International Photobiology Congress, held in Oxford on July 26-30, 1964 and organized by a committee set up by the British Photobiology Group. Contributors explore the developments in photobiology, particularly with respect to biological structures, chemical changes, and molecular energy. This volume is organized into 10 sections encompassing 33 chapters and begins with an overview of basic photochemical processes that have direct implications on photobiology. The next chapters discuss the photochemistry of nucleic acids and their derivatives, with some reference to their biological significance. The book also studies the visual processes in humans and animals; the structure, pigment chemistry, and function of photoreceptor systems of plant and animal cells; and receptor mechanisms in human vision. The natural photoenvironment and its influence on life and development is also explained, emphasizing how light shapes the ultimate fate of an organism in its habitat. The remaining chapters focus on energy conversion and photosynthesis; micro-irradiation of cells; photochemistry and photobiology of space research; light and melanin pigmentation of the skin; and the effect of light on plant and animal cells. This book will be of interest to biologists and physiologists, as well as to anyone engaged in photobiological research.

Photobiology - the science of light and life - begins with basic principles and the physics of light and continues with general photobiological research methods, such as generation of light, measurement of light, and action spectroscopy. In an interdisciplinary way, it then treats how organisms tune their pigments and structures to the wavelength components of light, and how light is registered by organisms. Then follow various examples of photobiological phenomena: the design of the compound eye in relation to the properties of light, phototoxicity, photobiology of the human skin and of vitamin D, photomorphogenesis, photoperiodism, the setting of the biological clock by light, and bioluminescence. A final chapter is devoted to teaching experiments and demonstrations in photobiology. This book encompasses topics from a diverse array of traditional disciplines: physics, biochemistry, medicine, zoology, botany, microbiology, etc., and makes different aspects of photobiology accessible to experts in all these areas as well as to the novice.

This title includes research from experts in organic chemistry & many other disciplines. There are sections on new terminology, the usefulness of particular reactions & experimental details.

Photobiology is an important area of biological research since a very large number of living processes are either dependent on or governed by light that we receive from the Sun. Among various subjects, photosynthesis is one of the most important, and thus a popular topic in both molecular and organismic biology, and one which has made a considerable impact throughout the world since almost all life on Earth depends upon it as a source of food, fuel and oxygen. However, for growth of plants, light is equally essential, and research on photomorphogenesis has revealed exciting new developments with the application of newer molecular biological approaches. The present book brings together and integrates various aspects of photosynthesis, biology of pigments, light regulation of chloroplast development, nuclear and chloroplast gene expression, light signal transduction, other photomorphogenetic processes and some photoecological aspects under one cover. The chapters cover biochemical and molecular discussions of most of the above topics in a comprehensive manner and include a wide range of `hot topics' that are currently under investigation in the field of photobiology of cyanobacteria, algae and plants. The authors of this book are selected international authorities in their fields from USA, Europe, Australia and Asia. The book is designed primarily to be used as a text book by graduates and post-graduates. It is, however, also intended to be a resource book for new researchers in plant photobiology. Several introductory chapters are designed as suitable reading for undergraduate courses in integrative and molecular biology, biochemistry and biophysics.

Photochemistry is an important facet in the study of the origin of life and prebiotic chemistry. Solar photons are the unique source of the large amounts of energy likely required to initiate the organisation of matter to produce biological life. The Miller–Urey experiment simulated the conditions thought to be present on the early earth and supported the hypothesis that under such conditions complex organic compounds could be synthesised from simpler inorganic precursors. The experiment inspired many others, including the production of various alcohols, aldehydes and organic acids through UV-photolysis of water vapour with carbon monoxide. This book covers the photochemical aspects of the study of prebiotic and origin of life chemistry an ideal companion for postgraduates and researchers in prebiotic chemistry, photochemistry, photobiology, chemical biology and astrochemistry.

The Photobiology of Higher Plants offers a comprehensive, balanced coverage of both photosynthesis (including physiology and global aspects) and photomorphogenesis in plants. An accessible, student-friendly approach to the subject is taken, providing the reader with a useful historical perspective and showing how this fascinating subject has evolved. All aspects of plant biochemistry and plant physiology are included with the fundamentals of the subject rigorously covered. Each chapter includes numerous references to provide a useful starting point for those wishing to learn more about the subject. * Provides combined coverage of both photosynthesis and photomorphogenesis in plants. * Includes an extensice glossary designed to provide easy access to key * Aimed at students in Botany, Plant Science, Agriculture and Forestry * A useful reference for postgraduates and researchers working in the field