The book is based on a series of lectures held at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md during September 1971. The purpose of the seminars was to give up-to-date information about basic scientific research to young physicians who came to NIH for advanced training in biomedical research.
The book consists of seven chapters, each written by an authority in the field. Titles and authors are: "Genetics of Abnormal Lipid Metabolism" by R. O. Brady; "RNA-Dependent NAD Polymerases of RNA-Containing Viruses" by E. M. Scolnick; "Current Directions in Research on Cyclic AMP" by I. H. Pastan; "The Chemistry and Biology of Collagen" by K. A. Piez; "Muscle Proteins and Muscle Contraction" by W. F. Harrington; "Cell Surface Receptor Sites" by M. Rodbell; and "Membrane Structure and Function" by S. Roseman.
The book uses photographs, figures, and tables abundantly that are very helpful in reading. However, due to the highly specialized