Review by Choice Review
Bechtel (Univ. of California, San Diego) traces the differentiation of the modern discipline of cell biology as it developed from biochemistry and cytology. Bechtel is not only concerned with the series of discoveries that led to a fuller understanding of intracellular structure and mechanisms, but also careful to trace the technical breakthroughs that made these understandings possible. In fact, he initially defines cell biology as a field that is based on the techniques of cell fractionation and electron microscopy. The majority of the volume is devoted to a fine summary of the processes of discovery within the cell, and to discussion of cell biology practitioners' gradual understanding that they required a new and different institutional and professional identity. However, Bechtel is primarily concerned with defining cell biology as a discipline based on the description and analysis of mechanisms, rather than on the crafting and testing of theories. This volume therefore will be useful not only to cell biologists interested in the embryology of their field, but also to theorists and historians of science concerned with the boundaries of fields of intellectual inquiry. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. Graduate students and above. S. K. Sommers Smith Boston University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
