Skeletal muscle : form and function /

McComas intends his book for those interested in the physiology of skeletal muscle. The text is divided into three major sections; the first discusses the anatomy and structural characteristics of muscle from a physiological point of view encompassing the formation of fibers and motoneurons, and the neuromuscular junction and its innervation. The second section details how muscles function during work, motor control, and metabolic aspects of the muscle during exercise. The final section treats adaptations of muscle to fatigue, disuse, training, and aging. The large number of references include classical studies and recent findings. McComas makes heavy use of figures and illustrations, with one on nearly every page, to explain and reinforce his points. In addition, the use of declarative subheadings that summarize areas assist the reader in locating a topic of interest. The applied physiology section at the end of each chapter provides further clinical insight into use of the information just presented. The book's weak point (if there is one) is that the applications sections deal almost exclusively with disease states, a minor distraction in an otherwise well-written work. Undergraduates; graduates. R. L. Jensen Northern Michigan University