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Titles in this Series

This fascinating collection places biomedical science inside a greater historical framework by describing the development of a field of study and highlighting the contributions of prominent investigators in that field.  



pioneers

Pioneers in Cell Physiology
The Story of Warren and Margaret Lewis

Author: David H. Evans
2022, XI, 195 p; 49 illus., 25 in color
ISBN 978-3-031-11894-4
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    ABOUT THIS BOOK

    • This monograph is dedicated to the lives and scientific achievements of the physiology pioneers Warren and Margaret Lewis. Their story spans the first half of the 20th century, from their respective educations through early, independent research to joint research from 1910 to 1955. Among the numerous developments they initiated, were the discovery of pinocytosis, the beginnings of video microscopy and the development of the first mammalian tissue cultures. Their research expanded the theoretical knowledge of cell structure and function. On a more practical level, they advanced many laboratory methods, like the first recipes for culture media. The text is beautifully enriched with personal anecdotes about their lives. ​
    • This is the story of two scientific pioneers in the context of early 20th century biology and physiology. It is an inspiration for senior and aspiring researchers.

    A Worldwide History

    Thermal Physiology
    A Worldwide History

    Editors: Clark M. Blatteis, Nigel Taylor, Duncan Mitchell
    2022, X, 597 p; 156 illus., 61 in color
    ISBN 978-1-0716-2362-6
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      ABOUT THIS BOOK

      • This edited volume records the critical historical developments in thermal physiology, and makes them accessible to thermal biologists and to scientists in related fields. Readers will discover how the discipline developed in 14 different countries. The authors describe many prominent discoveries, starting in the 18th century. Like other volumes of the Perspectives in Physiology series, this book reveals the people behind those discoveries. The authors also set the scenes in which the research was conducted in their countries. From geopolitical frameworks to new technologies and extraordinary personalities - this volume shows that scientific progress is influenced by many, often unforeseeable, factors. The history of thermal physiology not only is a story about outstanding scientists, but also is a testament to open collaboration and international camaraderie.

      ABOUT THE EDITORS

      • Clark M. Blatteis, Ph.D. was a distinguished University Professor Emeritus. Clark Martin Blatteis dedicated his scholarly life of 67 years to thermal physiology research, from the very beginning of his graduate education at the University of Iowa in 1954 until his untimely death in 2021, while editing this book, the most comprehensive account of the history of thermal physiology research. Born in Berlin, he and his family were among the passengers of the infamous “Voyage of the Damned” in which the ocean liner St. Louis tried to rescue German Jews from Nazi persecution, just to end up back in Hamburg, Germany, after the ship was not allowed to dock in many ports in the Americas. Through an adventurous journey to Morocco, the family survived WWII, and in 1948 finally arrived and settled in the USA. A pre-eminent student throughout his studies, his interest in thermal regulation took him to conduct his research studies literally around the world. With a fresh PhD, commissioned as 1st Lieutenant, he served at the US Army Medical Research Laboratory, where he conducted studies, from arctic to hot desert temperatures, that lead to seminal discoveries that helped to protect soldiers from environmental extremes. After serving as a civilian researcher at US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, in 1966 he accepted a faculty position at the University of Tennessee, the institution from which he retired in 2008, after publishing over 200 research papers, book chapters, and several books. Elected to Chair of the Thermal Physiology Commission of the International Union of Physiological Sciences and to membership of its International Physiology Committee, he has been a global ambassador of thermal physiology research. He was recognized by countless honours and awards, from Peru to Japan, from the United Kingdom to Mexico, including the Max Planck Foundation in his birth country Germany. In recognition of his distinguished research and service contributions, the American Physiological Society inducted Dr. Blatteis among the first class of scholars in its “Living History of Physiology” project. This book is a testimonial to his motto of a researcher’s fundamental qualities: curiosity and perseverance. Future generations will continue to recognise Dr. Blatteis as a giant in field of integrative physiology of thermoregulation.
      • Nigel A.S. Taylor, Ph.D., has over thirty years of research experience in human stress physiology, with emphases on environmental physiology, and in particular, human temperature regulation. He is a graduate of the following institutions: University of Queensland (Australia), University of London (U.K.) and Simon Fraser University (Canada). He completed post-doctoral studies at the Naval Medical Research Institute (U.S.A.), and held an academic position at the University of Otago (New Zealand) before returning to Australia in 1991 (University of Wollongong). He served as a member of the Thermal Section of the International Commission on Comparative Physiology from 2002-2014, and was the Co-Chair from 2006 and Chair from 2012. Nigel retired from administration, but not from life or science, in 2018.
      • Duncan Mitchell, Ph.D. is an Emeritus Professor with a 55-year research career in thermal physiology, which began by helping to ensure the welfare of miners, in the South African gold mines. In 1975, after three years at the National Institute for Medical Research in London, UK, working on somatosensory physiology and on fever, he joined the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. He was Director of its Brain Function Research Group, with research programmes in thermal physiology, pain and sleep. In his most-recent research, he and his colleagues have employed biologgers implanted in mammals living free in their natural habitats, to investigate latent physiological talents that may help combat climate change. He was awarded the 2010 Harry Oppenheimer Fellowship, Africa’s most-prestigious award for an individual researcher.

      The Rise of Fetal and Neonatal Physiology
      Basic Science to Clinic Care

      Lawrence D. Longo
      2018, XXXI + 860 pp.; 27 illus., 13 in color
      2008, 272 p
      ISBN 978-1-4939-7483-2 (ebook); 978-1-4939-7482-5 (hardcover)

       

      First Edition

      Second Edition

       

      ABOUT THIS BOOK

      • This second edition offers an expanded and updated history of the field of fetal and neonatal development, allowing readers to gain a comprehensive understanding of the biological aspects that contribute to the wellbeing or pathophysiology of newborns.
      • In this concluding opus of a long and prominent career as a clinical scientist, Dr. Longo has invited new contributions from noted colleagues with expertise in various fields to provide a historical perspective on the impact of how modern concepts emerged in the field of fetal physiology and contributed to the current attention paid to the fetal origins of diseases in adults. In addition to new chapters on maternal physiology and complications during pregnancy, others trace the history of the Society for Reproductive Investigation, governmental funding of perinatal research, and major initiatives to support training in the new discipline of maternal fetal medicine, including the Reproductive Scientist Development program.
      • The extensive survey provided by the author, who personally knew most of the pioneers in the field, offers a unique guide for all clinical and basic scientists interested in the history of – and future approaches to diagnosing and treating – pathologies that represent the leading causes of neonatal mortality and, far too often, life-long morbidity.

      Mechanism of Muscular Contraction

      Rall, Jack A.
      2014, XIII, 471 p. 179 illus., 34 illus. in color.
      ISBN 978-1-4939-2007-5
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      ABOUT THIS BOOK

      • Describes the evolution of muscular contraction concepts since the discovery of sliding filaments
      • Includes detailed scientific histories of principal investigators in the field
      • Features information on contraction coupling and the role of calcium in contraction and relaxation

      Fundamental discoveries in the 1950s relating to the mechanism of muscle contraction fueled an explosion of knowledge in the latter half of the 20th century. This book traces in depth the evolution of ideas from the 1950s into the 21st century. In a scholarly yet highly readable monograph, the book describes the history on which our current understanding of muscle function is based. This is the most comprehensive study and first book-length treatment of the muscle field in over forty years.

      In order to provide perspective into the thinking about an issue at the time of its discovery, often the investigators describe in their own words an important result or conclusion as it appeared in an original paper. Numerous figures from the original papers are included in order to allow the reader to see the data that led to important conclusions. More than a history of experimental facts, the book describes backgrounds of many of the key investigators to allow a deeper insight into their motivations and approach to science. Controversies in the muscle field are discussed along with some missed opportunities and false trails. An amazing variety of experimental techniques have been brought to bear on the investigation of the mechanism of muscular contraction. Background of these various techniques is presented in order to gain a fuller appreciation of their strengths and weaknesses. The book is organized into nine chapters with over 170 illustrations and 1,200 references. The book provides insight into scientific thought and forms a framework for future enquiry into muscle function.

      The author, an emeritus professor in the department of physiology and cell biology at Ohio State University, has been a contributor to research in the muscle field for over forty years.


      Essays on the History of Respiratory Physiology

      West, John B.
      2015, XIV, 342 p. 129 illus., 14 illus. in color.
      ISBN 978-1-4939-2362-5
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      ABOUT THIS BOOK

      • The book is written for scientists but is accessible to interested non-scientists
      • Covers the history of significant people and events over the whole course of respiratory physiology
      • Discusses how historical events such as the Renaissance and Enlightenment shaped respiratory physiology

      This book consists of 23 essays about prominent people and events in the history of respiratory physiology. It provides a first-hand chronicle of the advancements made in respiratory physiology starting with Galen and the beginnings of Western physiology. The volume covers many aspects of the evolution of this important area of knowledge: pulmonary circulation, Boyle’s Law, pulmonary capillaries and alveoli, morphology, gas exchange and blood flow, mechanics, control of ventilation, and comparative physiology. The book emphasizes societal and philosophical aspects of the history of science. Although it concentrates on physiology, it also describes how cultural movements, such as The Enlightenment, shaped the researchers discussed.


      Marine Physiology Down East:
      The Story of the Mt. Desert Island Biological Laboratory

      Evans, David H.
      2015, XIX + 1094 pp.; 118 illus., 117 in color.
      ISBN 978-1-4939-2959-7
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      ABOUT THIS BOOK

      • An exciting document for former, current and future scientists and friends of the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory (MDIBL)
      • Provides a scientific genealogy of the MDIBL
      • Combines research, administrative and social histories of the MDIBL

      This volume offers a comprehensive history of the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory (MDIBL), one of the major marine laboratories in the United States and a leader in using marine organisms to study fundamental physiological concepts. Beginning with its founding as the Harpswell Laboratory of Tufts University in 1898, David H. Evans follows its evolution from a teaching facility to a research center for distinguished renal and epithelial physiologists. He also describes how it became the site of major advances in cytokinesis, regeneration, cardiac and vascular physiology, hepatic physiology, endocrinology and toxicology, as well as studies of the comparative physiology of marine organisms. Fundamental physiological concepts in the context of the discoveries made at the MDIBL are explained and the social and administrative history of this renowned facility is described.


      High Life: A History of High-Altitude Physiology and Medicine

      West, John B
      Originally Published by Oxford University Press 1988
      1998, 493 p.
      ISBN 978-1-4614-7573-6
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      ABOUT THIS BOOK

      • Features a complete history of high-altitude physiology and medicine
      • Comprehensive reference text which should be of value to anyone interested in high altitude and hypoxia
      • Including 185 illustrations

      The history of high-altitude physiology and medicine is such a rich and colorful topic that it is surprising no one has undertaken a comprehensive account before. From the early balloonists to various high-altitude expeditions, culminating in the great feat of climbing Mount Everest without supplementary oxygen, the basic biological challenge of hypoxia has underpinned the human experience at high altitude. Of key importance in several areas of medicine including pulmonology, critical care, anesthesiology and cardiology, this topic is also of general interest to other life sciences such as biology and ecology, because hypoxia is encountered by many organisms throughout the animal kingdom.

      High Life covers the topic from its earliest beginnings with the Greeks to the last two or three years, and highlights many geographical locations, such as China, Japan, India and Russia. Including 185 illustrations, over 800 references, and three appendixes detailing the chronology of main events, databases of high-altitude publications, tables of high-altitude locations, a list of classical books on the topic and narratives of classical and modern high-altitude expeditions, this book is a comprehensive reference text which should be of value to anyone interested in high altitude and hypoxia.


      A History of Gastric Secretion and Digestion:
      Experimental Studies to 1975

      Davenport, Horace W
      Originally Published by Oxford University Press 1992
      1992, 432 p.
      ISBN 978-1-4614-7602-3
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      ABOUT THIS BOOK

      • A comprehensive review of the early history of gastric physiology
      • Examines the history of experimental study in gastric secretion and digestion
      • Provides gastric physiologists and gastroenterologist with a solid understanding of the intellectual history of their field

      This book examines the history of experimental study in gastric secretion and digestion. The author identifies the scientific questions that have occupied researchers and discusses the experiments that have led to their solutions. By isolating aspects of experimental study and tracing their evolution over the years, the book provides gastric physiologists and gastroenterologists with a solid understanding of the intellectual history of their field.


      Physiology in the American Context, 1850-1940

      Geisson, Gerald L. (Ed.)
      Originally Published by Lippincott William and Wilkins 1987
      1987, 406 p.
      ISBN 978-1-4614-7528-6
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      ABOUT THIS BOOK

      • A study of physiology in America
      • Discusses the development of American physiology in the cultural context of the period
      • Covers social and institutional history

      A study of physiology in America, this places the development of American physiology in the cultural context of the period. Divided into three parts, the book covers social and institutional history; physiology in relation to other fields; and instruments, materials and techniques.


      History of the American Physiological Society:
      The First Century, 1887-1987

      Brobeck, John R., Reynolds, Orr E., Appel, Toby A. (Eds.)
      Originally Published by Oxford University Press 1987
      1987, 542 p.
      ISBN 978-1-4614-7576-7
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      ABOUT THIS BOOK

      • Reviews actives of the APS during the first 100 years
      • Celebrating the centennial of the APS
      • Chapters include membership, publications, organization, and awards

      Celebrating the centennial of the American Physiological Society, this new book reviews the activities during the Society's first hundred years. The first section covers materials from the Society's founding in 1887 and a review of each of the first 25 year periods of the Society's existence. The second section includes a chronological account of the Presidents and the Executive Secretary-Treasurers. Also included are chapters on membership, publications, meetings, financial affairs, educational activities, organization of the Society, neurophysiology, relations with IUPS, women in physiology, use and care of laboratory animals, awards and honors, and the centennial celebration.


      History of the American Physiological Society:
      The Third Quarter Century, 1937-1962

      Fenn, Wallace O.
      Originally Published by American Physiological Society 1963
      1962, 182 p.
      ISBN 978-1-4614-7603-0
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      ABOUT THIS BOOK

      • History of the APS
      • Focuses on the third quarter century 1037-1962
      • Written by prominent researcher Dr. Wallace O. Fenn

      This book focuses on the History of the American Physiological Society. Specifically it focuses on the third quarter century period of it's history: 1937-1962. Authored by prominent researcher Dr. Wallace O. Fenn of University of Rochester, NY, USA.


      Mirror to Physiology:
      A self-survey of physiological science

      Gerard, Ralph W
      Originally Published by American Physiological Society 1958
      1958, 372 p.
      ISBN 978-1-4614-7538-5
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      ABOUT THIS BOOK

      • Survey report of mirror to Physiology
      • Published by the APS
      • Written by Dr. Ralph W. Gerard

      This book examines the history of experimental study in gastric secretion and digestion. The author identifies the scientific questions that have occupied researchers and discusses the experiments that have led to their solutions. By isolating aspects of experimental study and tracing their evolution over the years, the book provides gastric physiologists and gastroenterologists with a solid understanding of the intellectual history of their field.


      People and Ideas Series


      Moving Questions:
      A History of Membrane Transport and Bioenergetics

      Robinson, Joseph D
      Originally Published by Oxford University Press 1997
      1997, 373 p.
      ISBN 978-1-4614-7600-9
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      ABOUT THIS BOOK

      • Describes half a century of progress in two mainstream areas of biological research: membrane transport and oxidative phosphorylation
      • Written by leading researcher in the field
      • Provides a comprehensive history of membrane transport and bioenergetics

      This book describes half a century of progress in two mainstream areas of biological research: membrane transport, initially a focus of physiologists, and oxidative phosphorylation, initially a focus of biochemists. Robinson shows how the development of new explanatory models had unexpectedly merged these inquiries into a new field, bioenergetics. In the late 1930s, explanations for the asymmetric distribution of ions between cells and their environments invoked absolute impermeabilities of the cell's surrounding membranes. But new experiments contradicted that idea and demonstrated that forming the transmembrane distributions required metabolic energy, implying the participation of active transport "pumps." Subsequent studies identified, isolated, and characterized these pumps as enzymes coupling ionic transport to the consumption of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), an "energy-rich" molecule serving as a cellular energy store. In the late 1930s oxidative phosphylation, the process of coupling ATP synthesis to oxidative metabolism, was identified. The explanatory model emerging in the next decades, however, did not follow the enzymatic precedents of known metabolic phosphorylations but rather embodied the principle that metabolic oxidations drive active transport pumps to create transmembrane distribution of ions, with these ionic asymmetries then driving ATP synthesis. It was discovered that ATP consumption can form ionic asymmetries; ionic asymmetries can drive ATP formation; and ionic asymmetries-like ATP-can also power other cellular functions.


      Exercise Physiology: People and Ideas

      Tipton, Charles M (Ed.)
      Originally Published by Elsevier 2001
      2003, 528 p.
      ISBN 978-1-4614-7543-9
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      ABOUT THIS BOOK

      • This is the first history of exercise physiology written from a systems perspective
      • Significance of human exercise experiments is emphasized
      • Chapter authors are leaders in the field who have received many honors, including the Olympic prize in the sport sciences
      • The work will be of interest to physiologists, cellular and molecular biologists, biophysicists, and biochemists

      This is the first history of exercise physiology written from a systems perspective. The significance of human exercise experiments is emphasized, and the range of coverage is very wide. Among the figures whose thinking or work are discussed are Galen, Avicenna, Descartes, Edward Smith, Seguin, Krogh, A.V. Hill, Henry Taylor, Zuntz, Ingle, Palladin, Galbo, and Bloor. Throughout the book controversies are acknowledged and differences of viewpoint presented. After an introductory chapter on early ideas about the physiology of exercise and the training of athletes, there are eleven in-depth accounts of the development of scientific thinking about the responses of key physiological systems to the conditions of acute and chronic exercise, as well as their coupling with integrative responses. They cover the neuromuscular, cardiovascular, respiratory, autonomic, oxygen transport, metabolic, renal, endocrine and temperature regulation systems, among others. The authors of these chapters are very well-qualified. Two have received the Olympic Prize in the sport sciences, seven the Honor Award for Research in sports medicine and exercise science, and five have given the Adolph Lecture in environmental and exercise physiology for the American Physiological Society. No other volume offers such a broad and authoritative set of historical perspectives on exercise physiology.


      Respiratory Physiology: People and Ideas

      West, John B (Ed.)
      Originally Published by Oxford University Press 1996
      1996, 448 p.
      ISBN 978-1-4614-7520-0
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      ABOUT THIS BOOK

      • Some of the chapters are personal accounts of the development of respiratory physiology as observed by the author
      • Covers aspects such as morphology, gas exchange and blood flow, mechanics, control of ventilation, and comparative physiology

      Present-day respiratory physiology stems largely from the explosion of ideas which took place during and after World War II. A number of the major players are still active, but the opportunity to prepare a personal history of this branch of medicine will soon be lost. In a sense then, this book offers an exceptional, even unique, opportunity. We are offered a first-hand chronicle of the advancements made in respiratory physiology in the course of this century by one of the principal figures in the field. The volume covers every aspect of the evolution of this important area of knowledge: morphology, gas exchange and blood flow, mechanics, control of ventillation, and comparative physiology. Some of the chapters are personal accounts of the development of respiratory physiology as observed by the author. It is hoped that what is lost in objectivity by this approach is more than made up by the captivating insights provided by the author into the process of scientific research and discovery.


      Membrane Transport

      Tosteson, Daniel C. (Ed.)
      Originally Published by Oxford University Press 1989
      1989, 420 p.
      ISBN 978-1-4614-7516-3
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      ABOUT THIS BOOK

      • Focuses on collection of research in membrane transport
      • Includes the history of the development of the current picture of membrane transport physiology
      • Written by leaders in the field

      This is a fascinating collection of personal accounts which is a "must read" for anyone interested in membrane transport or the history of the development of the current picture of membrane transport physiology. This delightful book could serve variously as a history for investigators and historians or as a textbook for advanced students. No biology or medical library should be without it.


      Endocrinology

      McCann, S.M. (Ed.)
      Originally Published by Oxford University Press 1988
      1988, 484 p.
      ISBN 978-1-4614-7436-4
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      ABOUT THIS BOOK

      • Describes the principal ideas and developments in endocrinology from the time of Aristotle through the most recent discoveries
      • Gives an excellent overview of the evolution of this exciting area in physiology and the people involved in its growth
      • Includes chapters on vasopressin, pituitary target glands, peripheral hormones, and pancreative hormones

      This volume describes the principal ideas and developments in endocrinology from the time of Aristotle through the most recent discoveries. Over the years, the field has involved an intertwining of information gained though clinical medicine with physiology, biochemistry, and genetics to discover a host of hormones, unravel their structure, and determine their function and mechanism of action. The books begins with a discussion of vasopressin, then examines the development of concepts in the control of pituitary hormones and their target glands. Other topics include the various pituitary hormones under neuronal control, pituitary target glands, peripheral hormones, the pancreatic hormones, hormone receptors, and comparative endocrinology. The book gives an excellent picture of the evolution of this exciting area of physiology and the people involved in its growth.


      Renal Physiology

      Gottschalk, Carl W; Berliner, Robert W; Giebisch, Gerhard H (Eds.)
      Originally Published by Oxford University Press 1987
      1988, 520 p.
      ISBN 978-1-4614-7545-3
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      ABOUT THIS BOOK

      • Each chapter written by a well-known physiologist
      • Offered a unique inside perspective on the historical record of the discipline
      • Focuses on all aspects of renal physiology

      Each chapter in this authoritative volume is written by a well-known physiologist who has contributed to our current understanding of renal function. Together the authors offer a unique, inside perspective on the historical record of the discipline, from its roots in the ancient world to the most recent findings of modern times. Among the many topics discussed are renal blood flow and the dynamics of glomerular filtration; the clearance concept in renal physiology; micropuncture and microperfusion; transport of electrolytes across renal tubules; and diuretics and renal drug development.


      Circulation of the Blood: Men and Ideas

      Fishman, Alfred P.; Richards, Dickinson W. (Eds.)
      Originally Published by Lippincott William and Wilkins 1982
      1983, 879 p.
      ISBN 978-1-4614-7546-0
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      ABOUT THIS BOOK

      • Comprehensive coverage of circulation of blood
      • Explores personal elements involved in scientific discovery
      • Renowned authors write chapters on their extensive experience in the field of blood circulation

      Capturing the real spirit of creativity in physiology, this book explores the personal elements involved in scientific discovery. Circulation of the Blood is the story of the people and achievements that have changed the way we've come to view the human body. The authors, renowned for their extensive experience in the field, examine the heritage of creative genius involved in physiology and trace the historical development of ideas relating to various aspects of circulation of the blood. Their comprehensive coverage goes from the early discoveries of the Greeks and Romans up to modern times.


      Biographies

       

      Breathing on the Roof of the World:
      Memoir of a Respiratory Physiologist

      John B West
      2017, VIII + 156 pp.; 67 illus., 37 in color
      ISBN 978-1-4939-7122-0 (ebook); 978-1-4939-7121-3 (hardcover)
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      ABOUT THIS BOOK

      • This book is an informal autobiography by John West MD PhD. He obtained his medical degree in Adelaide, Australia and then spent 15 years mainly at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital in London where he, with others, used radioactive oxygen-15 to make the first description of the uneven regional distribution of blood flow in the lung.

      • In 1960-1961, he was a member of the Himalayan Scientific and Mountaineering Expedition led by Sir Edmund Hillary who had made the first ascent of Mt Everest 7 years before. During the expedition about 6 scientists spent up to three months at an altitude of 5800 m studying the effects of this very high altitude on human physiology.

      • Because of his interests in the effects of gravity on the lung, Dr. West spent a year at the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California in 1967-1968. While there he submitted a proposal to NASA to measure pulmonary function of astronauts in space, and this was funded. Later, in 1981 he organized the American Medical Research Expedition to Everest during which the first measurements of human physiology on the summit, altitude 8848 m, were obtained. In the 1990’s, Dr. West’s team made the first comprehensive measurements of pulmonary function of astronauts in space using SpaceLab which was taken up in the Shuttle.

      • Table of Contents (PDF)

      Nathan Zuntz:
      His Life and Work in the Fields of High Altitude Physiology and Aviation Medicine

      Gunga, Hans Christian
      Originally Published by Academic Press 2009
      2008, 272 p
      ISBN 978-1-4614-7575-0
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      ABOUT THIS BOOK

      • Focuses on Zuntz's contribution to high altitude physiology and aviation medicine
      • Discusses high altitude physiology and aviation
      • Biography of German physiologist 1847-1920

      This book focuses on the life and work of Nathan Zuntz (1847-1920), a German physiologist, who made significant contributions to high altitude physiology and aviation medicine.


      August and Marie Krogh: Lives in Science

      Schmidt-Nielsen, Bodil
      Originally Published by Oxford University Press 1995
      1995, 336 p.
      ISBN 978-1-4614-7530-9
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      ABOUT THIS BOOK

      • Biography of August and Marie Krogh
      • Focuses on their contributions to the physiology community
      • Written by the proud daughter of August and Marie Krogh

      August Krogh, the son of a brewer, studied zoology in Copenhagen and earned his doctoral degree under the physiologist Christian Bohr, the father of the world-renowned nuclear physicist Niels Bohr. Krogh's unusual ability to construct instruments and complex apparatuses and his intuitive understanding of physical principles made it possible for him to improve on Bohr's methods. His findings led him to challenge Christian Bohr's ideas about oxygen secretion, and when Bohr refused to accept his findings, Krogh unwillingly came into a painful conflict with his own mentor. Krogh's continued studies of how oxygen is supplied to the tissues led to his realization that the blood flow in the finest blood vessels, the capillaries, has to be regulated through a mechanism that opens and closes the capillaries according to the tissue's need for oxygen. This idea and his scientific proof were at the time so new and revolutionary that he was promptly (in 1920) awarded the Nobel Prize. His fame in Denmark and all over the world continued to grow until his death in 1949. His scientific discoveries extended from respiration, exercise physiology and capillary physiology into comparative osmoregulation, isotope studies, active transport of ions in plants and animals, and finally insect flight.

      Another dramatic story of Krogh's life began when he introduced insulin production in Denmark in 1922. This move saved his own wife's life as well as numerous other lives and helped make Denmark's Novo-Nordisk the largest producer of insulin in the world today. Krogh's wife, Marie, became a physician and a renowned scientist in her own right. Throughout their harmonious marriage and partnership, Marie played an important role in her husband's life both scientifically and personally.

      Written by the proud daughter of August and Marie Krogh, this biography is based on numerous letters, scientific papers, interviews, symposia, and other sources as well as the author's own knowledge of her parents. The intertwining of the scientific work and personal lives of these two remarkable people is beautifully illustrated in a well-rounded picture of their struggles and triumphs. It is a unique book, full of human warmth and scientific understanding.


      A Life of Ernest Starling

      Henderson, John
      Originally Published by Academic Press 2005
      2005, 256 p
      ISBN 978-1-4614-7526-2
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      ABOUT THIS BOOK

      Ernest Starling (1866-1927) was pre-eminent in the golden age of British Physiology. His name is usually associated with his "Law of the Heart,” but his discovery of secretin (the first hormone whose mode of action was explained) and his work on capillaries were more important contributions. He coined the word 'hormone' one hundred years ago. His analysis of capillary function demonstrated that equal and opposite forces move across the capillary wall--an outward (hydrostatic) force and an inward (osmotic) force derived from plasma proteins.

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