Medical Science Books Medical Book Review: 

STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATION:

    The text is divided into 59 chapters over 2 volumes covering a hierarchical organization of topics in reproductive physiology from molecular interactions during gamete development to the behavioral analysis of organisms representing the common animal models used for research.

STRENGTH:

     The editor did an excellent job in coalescing the chapters written by a number of chapter authors into a very scientifically logical order of presentation.  Particularly useful, in addition to discussions of relevant endocrine processes in chapters on specific developmental milestones (ex. ovulation) there is also an entire section dedicated to neuroendocrine control.  This section includes current "hot topics" in the field like the effects of stress and metabolism on reproductive cycles.

     Each chapter will serve as an excellent introduction with up-to-date references for investigators whose primary area of expertise is in a parallel area of reproductive science.  It is also important to note that the editor had the foresight of including extensive information on the reproductive processes (including behavioral analysis) of all major animal models in addition to human physiology.  New investigators will greatly benefit from this comprehensive collection of physiological knowledge.

WEAKNESS/ AREA OF IMPROVEMENT:

     Now, more than ever, we are reminded of the awesome power and responsibility that comes with the study of reproduction.  News stories about the ever increasing control over procreation, the international debate on human cloning, and the possibilities of stem cell research continually surface in the popular media. Clearly, it is beyond the scope of this text to delve too far into the ethical questions that arise from the application of the basic science of  reproduction.   However, an opportunity was missed to include at least one chapter that broadly addressed such issues.  Inclusion of such a chapter would have enhanced the information in the book by underscoring the importance of this scientific endeavor and the impact felt across society with even modest elucidation of reproductive mechanisms. 

OVERALL ASSESSMENT:

     Necessity and utility are the principal criteria by which all subsequent editions of an important work in medical science should be judged. The third edition of Physiology of Reproduction, which now not only bears the last name of the late renowned Ernst Knobil but also another distinguished physiologist Jimmy Neill, admirably meets both criteria while continuing to set a high benchmark of excellence.  Few publications, other than the Handbook of Physiology have attempted to be as comprehensive and authoritative in dealing with reproductive science.  This long overdue new edition, encompassing advancements made over a decade, is the definitive resource in the field. 

Ratings (1-4 , 4 being the highest):

Organization of information:    4

Usefulness of book:     4

Suitable for intended audience:    4

Editor’s objectives met:      4

Significant number of illustrations:     3.5

Quality of illustrations:    3.5

From the Publisher:  

     The 3rd edition, the first new one in ten years, includes coverage of molecular levels of detail arising from the last decade's explosion of information at this level of organismic organization. There are 5 new Associate Editors and about 2/3 of the chapters have new authors. Chapters prepared by return authors are extensively revised. Several new chapters have been added on the topic of pregnancy, reflecting the vigorous investigation of this topic during the last decade.

The information covered includes both human and experimental animals; basic principals are sought, and information at the organismic and molecular levels are presented.

FEATURES AND BENEFITS: 

• The leading comprehensive work on the physiology of reproduction
   

• Edited and authored by the world's leading scientists in the field
   
• Is a synthesis of the molecular, cellular, and organismic levels of organization
   
• Bibliographies of chapters are extensive and cover all the relevant literature

Table of Contents:

VOLUME 1

Gametes, Fertilization, and Embryogenesis

Chapter 1.     The Spermatozoon

Chapter 2.     Fertilization in Mammals

Chapter 3.     Gamete and Zygote Transport

Chapter 4.     Implantation

Chapter 5.     Anatomy and Genesis of the Placenta

Chapter 6.     Sex Determination and Differentiation

Chapter 7.     Preimplantation Embryogenesis

Female Reproductive System

Chapter 8.     Embryology and Genetics of the Mammalian Gonads and Ducts

Chapter 9.     Oviduct and Endometrium:  Cyclic Changes in the Primate Oviduct and Endometrium

Chapter 10.   Follicular Development:  Mouse, Sheep, and Human Models

Chapter 11.   Ovulation

Chapter 12.   Structure, Function, and Regulation of the Corpus Luteum

Chapter 13.   Growth Hormone, Insulin-Like Growth Factors, and the Ovary

Chapter 14.   Gonadotropin Signaling in the Ovary

Chapter 15.   Steroid Receptors in the Ovary and Uterus

Chapter 16.   Physiology and Molecular Biology of the Relaxin Peptide Family

Male Reproductive System

Chapter 17.   Anatomy, Vasculature, and Innervation of the Male Reproductive Tract

Chapter 18.   Cytology of the Testis and Intrinsic Control Mechanisms

Chapter 19.   The Sertoli Cell

Chapter 20.   Physiology of Testicular Steroidogenesis

Chapter 21.   Endocrine Regulation of Spermatogenesis

Chapter 22.   The Epididymis

Chapter 23.   Physiology of the Male Accessory Sex Structures:  The Prostate Gland, Seminal Vesicles, and Bulbourethral Glands

Chapter 24.   Male Sexual Function

Chapter 25.   Immunophysiology of the Male Reproductive Tract

Pituitary and Hypothalamus

Chapter 26.   Pituitary and Hypothalamus:  Perspectives and Overview

Chapter 27.   Anatomy of the Hypothalamo-Hypophysial Complex

Chapter 28.   Physiology of the Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Neuronal Network

Chapter 29.   Gonadotropes and Lactotropes

Chapter 30.   Gonadotropins:  Chemistry and Biosynthesis

Chapter 31.   Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Regulation of Gonadotropin Biosynthesis and Secretion

Chapter 32.   Prolactin:  Structure, Function, and Regulation of Secretion

VOLUME 2

Reproductive Behavior and Its Control

Chapter 33.   Neurobiology of Male Sexual Behavior

Chapter 34.   Hormonal, Neural, and Genomic Mechanisms for Female Reproductive Behaviors, Motivation, and Arousal

Chapter 35.   Maternal Behavior

Chapter 36.   Communicative Behaviors, Hormone-Behavior Interactions, and Reproduction in Vertebrates

Chapter 37.   Pheromones and Mammalian Reproduction

Reproductive Processes and Their Control

Chapter 38.   Puberty in the Rat

Chapter 39.   Puberty in the Sheep

Chapter 40.   Puberty in Nonhuman Primates and Humans

Chapter 41.   Seasonal Regulation of Reproduction in Mammals

Chapter 42.   Neuroendocrine Control of Mating-Induced Ovulation

Chapter 43.   Neuroendocrine Control of the Ovarian Cycle of the Rat

Chapter 44.   Neuroendocrine Control of the Ovarian Cycle of the Sheep

Chapter 45.   Control of Follicular Development, Corpus Luteum Function, the Maternal Recognition of Pregnancy, and the Neuroendocrine Regulation of the Menstrual Cycle in Higher Primates

Chapter 46.   Suckling and the Control of Gonadotropin Secretion

Chapter 47.   Physiological Mechanisms Integrating Metabolism and Reproduction

Chapter 48.   Stress and the Reproductive System

Chapter 49.   Aging in the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Testicular Axis

Chapter 50.   Aging in the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Ovarian Axis

Pregnancy

Chapter 51.   Immunobiology of Human Pregnancy

Chapter 52.   Placental Transfer

Chapter 53.   Placental Endocrine Function

Chapter 54.   Maternal Adaptation to Pregnancy

Chapter 55.   Parturition

Chapter 56.   Developmental Origins of Health and Disease:  Theoretical Considerations, Mechanisms, and Implications

Lactation

Chapter 57.   Lactation and Its Hormonal Control

Chapter 58.   Oxytocin:  Synthesis, Secretion, and Reproductive Functions

Chapter 59.   Milk Ejection and Its Control

INDEX