Brief Description
Provides advanced students with a basic knowledge of plastid biology and recent developments in the field.
Learn More about the Book
Plastids reside in all plant cells, and take on different forms in relation to their cellular function, biochemistry and storage capacity. The modern era of molecular biology and molecular genetics has enabled much to be learnt about how plastids function, and how they relate to their evolutionary past. In this accessible text, Kevin Pyke expertly describes how the plastids are highly complex organelles at the very core of plant cellular function, providing final year undergraduate and graduate students with an overview of plastid biology and recent developments in the field. Topics covered include: a consideration of different plastid types and how they relate to cell function; plastid genomes and how proteins are imported into plastids; photosynthesis and core aspects of plastid biochemistry; plastid signalling and functionality within a cellular context; and plastid genetic manipulation. Supplementary colour images are available online at www.cambridge.org/9780521885010.
About the Author
Kevin Pyke has carried out research into various aspects of plastid biology over the past 25 years. He is Associate Professor in Plant Cell Biology in the Plant and Crop Sciences Division of the School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham. He has also worked at the John Innes Institute, Norwich, the University of York, and Royal Holloway, University of London. He identified an important collection of mutants in Arabidopsis in which chloroplast division was perturbed, which led to the identification of several novel genes functional in this process. More recently, he has worked on stromules and how they might enhance plastid function within the cell.
Review Quotes
1. .".. the book covers a useful range of plastid-related topics." Carolyn Wetzel, Plant Science Bulletin
2. ..". the book covers a useful range of plastid-related topics."
Carolyn Wetzel, Plant Science Bulletin
3. "Pyke provides clear, up-to-date descriptions of plastid growth, division, development, and movement, and how plastids vary in structure and cellular function."
W. Loescher, Choice Magazine
