Customer Reviews

Introduction to Plant Physiology

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I cannot recommend this textbook. Its basic premise is misguided. It seems to be aiming squarely between the level of presentation in a basic botany course and a true plant physiology course. This is not an advisable half-step -- it winds up being nothing more than a protracted review of basic botany, not the opening up of a new field of study.

Its flawed premise aside, the usefulness of this book on any level is compromised by its errors. Factual errors abound -- these aren't just matters of scientific dispute, they're flat-out errors in fact. For example, the overview of the C4 syndrome consistently shows that they phosphorylation of pyruvate to PEP produces ATP, when in fact it consumes ATP. (Furthermore, it insists that 2 ATP are involved, which is supported neither by the stoichiometry nor other sources I consulted.) The stromal hexose-P pool in the diagram for the PCR (Calvin) cycle is misplaced. The table showing the stoichiometry for the same cycle is an unhelpful oversimplification -- showing only the Rubisco and carbon dioxide and ignoring the inputs and outputs of water, phosphates, electron acceptors, and hydronium ion. The diagram for the citric acid cycle does not reflect the inputs of water, which is not only confusing, it is also misleading about the basic requirements for the physiological process of respiration. The diagram for a stoma and guard cells is inadequately labeled when viewed alongside the text, and detailed examples of the less well-known graminoid stomata are absent.

The function of enzymes is all-important in this subject, and this book only mentions them in the text proper, never including them in the diagrams and tables. For example, if took a dedicated search to find the fleeting mention in the text of the important role of malic enzyme in C4 and CAM photosynthesis. In order to get through this book, I had to cross-reference continuously with Taiz and Zeiger's better book on Plant Physiology, and the book on basic botany by Raven, Evert, and Eichhorn.

Taiz and Zeiger do a far better job all around. Enzymes are consistently presented -- right alongside the reactions -- in tables summarizing physiological processes. For most processes, the Lewis diagrams of the chemicals involved are usually presented -- this is a form of illustration that can help in understanding the processes, serve as a gentle prod in recalling one's organic chemistry. So even if the level of instruction doesn't require memorizing formulas or structures, these diagrams help in learning the material. If you are even a mildly inquisitive reader you're going to be continuously puzzled by the Hopkins book, unless you have other sources to consult.

The book is 100 pages shorter and 10 bucks more expensive than Taiz and Zeiger. T&Z are now in its third edition and using full-color, whereas Hopkins is only 2-color. Furthermore, T&Z have a nice web site, and this book has no ancillary material available. I read that their editor for the ancillar materials bagged out at the last minute, so the publishers were obviously cheapskates and didn't see to it that the job got done.

Taiz and Zeiger, however, are between editions -- the 4th edition is due out in June 2006. So you may want to hold off and get that. The 3rd edition of T&Z can be had for about $50, and the 2nd edition of 1998 (2 color) for $25. The 2nd edition is great, but the many advances made since 1998 are obviously not reflected.

This is an introductory book, so I do not expect it to go in-depth in each area. There are many typos in this book though, like a lot of page numbers in the index are not correct. Also, the book goes in an odd order, and a lot of things explained later in the book wouldv'e made it easier to understand some of the earlier things easier. a lot of newer concepts are left out too, or vaguely mentioned, like electric currents in plants. My professor often has to use graphs and charts from other books because the ones from the book are too complicated or hard to understand, such as the Z-scheme, the Q cycle, and the PCR cycle to name a few. I would not recommend this book as an introductory textbook.

For a simple explanation of some very complex topics, I have found William Hopkins' text much more useful than the Taiz. Taiz was assigned for my class, but I have turned to the Hopkins, which was in the university library. With Hopkins, each sentence flows into the next and it is much easier to follow. Also, Hopkins is more up to date when mentioning current research. I wish I had bought the Hopkins...

I haven't come across so many typos to be disturbed by them. It is strange that the Hopkins' text was not edited for the typos, while Taiz's was not edited for readability...

This book has a lot of really great information. I am keeping it even though the class is over. The only thing that I would improve would be the figures. The sketches (not the photos) are done in kind of bland colors (faded out blues, greens, and grays). There is not very much contrast between the colors, which can make it difficult to distinguish between different portions of the figures when trying to mentally visualize them. (Probably only important if you are a visual person that really likes charts, graphs, and schematics.)

You can understand the basic principles of this book, but that's about it. The in-depth explanation makes you want to learn about something else.

I thought that this book contained a lot of information on this subject, however this information is useless in the way it is presented. Hopkins, must have been the type of person to sit in a dark room by himself with no one around, reading botany books, because he certainly doesn't know how to relate to other people in presenting this subject.

1.Why IBA biosynthetic doesn't appear inside this book?
2.Does IBA biosynthetic discovered yet?
I think it would be better if IBA biosinthetic can be described in this book.
I'm waiting your answer
thank you very much

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