The Science of Life: Contributions of Biology to Human Welfare

377 Pages·1972·12.44 MB·English

by  Ph.D., Edwin H. Lennette M.D., J. F. A. McManus M.D. (auth.), K. D. Fisher, A. U. Nixon (eds.)

THE SCIENCE OF LIFE
Contributions ifB iology to Human Welfare
THE SCIENCE
OF LIFE
Contributions ifB iology
to Human vvelfare
Edited by
K.D. FISHER
and A. U. NIXON
Federation of American Societies
for Experimental Biology
Bethesda, Maryland
A PLENUM/ROSETTA EDITION
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Main entry under title:
The Science of life.
"A Plenum/Rosetta edition."
The material in this book originally appeared in the Federation of Ameri-
can Societies for Experimental Biology's Federation proceedings, v. 31, no.
6, pt. II, Nov.-Dec. 1972.
Includes bibliographies and index.
1. Life sciences. 2. Biology.!. Fisher, Kenneth D. II. Nixon, A. U. III.
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, Federation
proceedings. [DNLM: 1. Biology. QH313 S416 1972a]
QH313.S45 1977 301.24'3 77-957
ISBN-13: 978-1-4684--1712-8 e-ISBN-13: 978-1-4684-1710-4
DOl: 10.1007/ 978-1-4684-1710-4
A Plenum/Rosetta Edition
Published by Plenum Publishing Corporation
227 West 17th Street, New York, N.Y. 10011
First paperback printing 1977. The Science of Life was first published
as volume 1 in F ASEB Monographs. The material in this book originally
appeared in Federation Proceedings Volume 31, No.6, Part II,
November-December 1972.
© 1972 Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, microfilming, recording, or otherwise, without written
permission from the Publisher
Preface
The Science of Life: Contributions of Biology to Human
Welfare is the first of what we anticipate will be a series of
monographs resulting from activities of the Federation of
American Societies for Experimental Biology. From time
to time material drawn from symposia presented at the an-
nual meetings of the Societies, when considered suitable,
will be published as separate FASEB Monographs.
Usually, the material will have appeared in Federation
Proceedings. Occasionally, other papers resulting from
symposia, conferences, or special meetings sponsored by the
Federation or one of its constituent societies will appear as
a F ASEB monograph. In some instances, special articles
on the same topic will be drawn together under one cover.
Why should information which has already been printed
and distributed as a part of the editorial content of a
journal be republished as a monograph? Most of the ma-
terial to be included in this effort, particularly the
symposia presented at the annual meetings of the six
Federated Societies, will summarize the state of the art ex-
cellently. Such information will be of considerable value to
students and teachers, especially for undergraduate honors
courses or in graduate studies.
In an effort to make this didactic resource readily
available to students and teachers in educational institu-
tions of an types, F ASEB has arranged with Plenum Pub-
lishing Corporation to publish this new series of
monographs. The marketing capability of Plenum Pub-
lishing Corporation combined with the editorial
competence of the F ASEB Office of Publications will
make these monographs available in book shops around
the world. Biologists, physicians, students, and teachers
will find in these monographs an easily accessible fund
v
VI of current information hitherto limited to the pages of an
esoteric journal.
PREFACE The first volume in the FASEB Monographs series tells
how the results of research in the biological sciences have a
bearing on our daily lives, on our health, food, environ-
ment, and the utilization of our natural resources. The
text is timely because it shows, by example, how some of
the problems that face us in the 1970's might be overcome
through continued research on man and his environment.
The volume is a smoothly written summary of the
thoughts of over a hundred scientists on this subject. From
this text the reader can gain a picture of the practical ac-
complishments of research in biology and the need for
more work.
Former Senator Lister Hill, who has had a major role
in the sponsorship of medical research in the United
States, provides an inspiring Foreword to this story of ac-
complishment.
EUGENE L. HESS
Executive Director
Contents
FOREWORD. The Honorable Lister Hill. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Xlll
PANEL MEMBERS ............................. " X Vll
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION.
E. H. Lennette and
J. F. A. McManus . .......... .
CHAPTER II. BASIC BIOMEDICINE.
J. W. Colbert, Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 15
Speed of application ........... " 16
Reproductive physiology ....... " 17
Regulatory mechanisms. . . . . . . . . . 17
The lungs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
The hormones, insulin and
diabetes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Hormones and ulcers. . . . . . . . . . 24
Neurophysiology and mental
diseases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Cardiovascular diseases. . . . . . . . . . . 29
Compara tive physiology. . . . . . . . . . 32
Macromolecules and DNA. . . . . . . . 33
The proteins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Enzymes... ................. ... 38
Biosynthesis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Metabolic events ............. '" 43
Energy..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 44
The molecular basis of disease ... " 45
Rational design of drugs. . . . . . . . .. 47
Application of basic knowledge. 49
Poliomyelitis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Measles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Rubella. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Tuberculosis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Selected additional reading. . . 54
Vll
Vlll CHAPTER III. CLINICAL MEDICINE.
G. E. Burch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 55
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 55
CONTENTS
Infectious diseases. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 56
Parasitic diseases ............... ' 61
Community health and
epidemiology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 62
Military research contributions. . .. 65
Drugs........ .... ........ ... ... 67
Immunology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 69
Transplantation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 71
Anesthesiology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 74
Surgery ....................... , 77
Cardiovascular surgery. . . . . . . . . .. 78
Cardiovascular disease . . . . . . . . . .. 85
Renal disease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 92
Pulmonary disease. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 96
Hematology .................. " 100
Endocrinology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 106
Medical genetics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 117
Pediatrics ...................... 121
Obstetrics and gynecology ........ 127
Geriatrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 131
Nutrition ....................... 133
Neurology ...................... 138
Psychiatry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 141
Ophthalmology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Otorhinolaryngology. . . . . . . . . . . .. 144
Radiology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Nuclear medicine ................ 149
Bioengineering. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Automation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Rehabilitation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Selected additional reading. . . . 157
CHAPTER IV. DENTAL SCIENCE.
J. F. Volker ............. ........ 161
Introduction .................... 161
Dental decay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 162
Periodontal disease. . . . . . . . . . . . .. 169
Other clinical considerations. . . . .. 172
Delivery of dental services. . . . . . . . 173
Dental materials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 177
Orthodontics ................... 180
Surgical orthodontics ........... , 181 IX
Maxillofacial prosthesis . . . . . . . . .. 182
Selected additional reading ....... 184
CONTENTS
CHAPTER V. FOOD.
E. M. Mrak . .................... 187
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Food from plants ................ 189
Harvest to table ................. 198
Food from animals. . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Animal disease control ........... 209
Preserving and distributing
food from animals. . . . . . . . . . . .. 210
Processing and preserving foods. ... 210
Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 212
Selected additional reading. . . . . .. 213
CHAPTER VI. POPULATION BIOLOGY.
F. B. Bang . ..................... 215
Introduction .................... 215
Population potential and
carrying capacity ............. , 216
Populations in ecosystems .. , . . . . .. 223
Controlling pest populations ...... 224
Selected additional reading ..... " 240
CHAPTER VII. ENVIRONMENT AL HAZARDS
J. J. Hanlon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 243
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 243
Biological hazards to man . . . . . . .. 251
Chemical hazards to man. . . . . . .. 254
Naturally occurring
chemicals. . . . . . . . .. .. .. 256
Toxic chemicals in fungi
and plants. . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. 260
Industrial wastes. . . . . . . . . . .. 261
Water pollution ....... ' ..... 266
Synthetic chemicals. . . . . . . . .. 269
Summary and
conclusions-chemical
hazards. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. 275
x Physical hazards to man. . . . . . 278
Radiation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Noise. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
CONTENTS
Injury. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Summary and
concl usions-physical
hazards. . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Selected additional reading. . 294
CHAPTER VIII. MARINE SCIENCES.
C. P. Idyll. . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Feeding man. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Resource assessment. . . . . . . . . . 302
Behavior studies. . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Value of prediction of
fishing success. . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Preservation of fishery products 309
Fish protein concentrate. . . . . . . .. 311
Management of renewable
resources.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 313
Diseases and parasites. . . . . . . . . .. 315
Man and his environment. . . . ... 317
Heal th and medical research. . . .. 319
Selected additional reading. . . . .. 324
CHAPTER IX. NATURAL RESOURCES.
F. Sargent II. . . . . . . . . . . 325
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 325
Man and his resources. . . . . . . . 325
Land: the greatest resource. . . 326
Agricultural lands. . . . . . . . . 327
Rangelands. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Rangeland flora. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Rangeland fauna. . . . . . . . . . . .. 329
Forest and timber resources. . . . .. 331
Forest pests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 332
Game management. . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Technology in resource
management. . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 335
Microbes-the unseen resource . . 336
Microorganisms in nature. . .. 337
Micro bes in the service of man . . . 337
Protein from microorganisms:
a new vista. . . . . . . . . . . .. ... 340
Conversion of waste to resource. .. 343 Xl
Preserving for the future. . . . . . 344
Conservation of man's
CONTENTS
abundance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
The science of ecology. . . . . 345
Selected additional reading. . . 348
GLOSSARy ................... . 349
INDEX ......................... . 355