Photophysiology: Current Topics, Volume IV focuses on various topics in photophysiology, including photochemistry, pyridine nucleotide-linked systems, and bioluminescence. The selection first elaborates on photochemistry and vision, photoperiodism in insects, and response of human skin to ultraviolet light. Discussions focus on clinical photopathology, chronic effects of ultraviolet radiation on human skin, optics of the skin, spectral sensitivity, interaction of photoperiod with other environmental variables, effects of high-intensity radiation, human cone pigments, and effect of light. The text then ponders on cellular recovery from photochemical damage and a physical approach to bioluminescence. Concerns cover theoretical background for excited states, results and interpretation of mechanism, biological consequences of photochemical events, reconstruction of damaged DNA, and physiological and environmental effects on repair and recovery. The book takes a look at the enzymic aspects of bioluminescence, including pyridine nucleotide-linked systems, peroxidation systems, and simple enzyme-substrate systems. The selection is a dependable reference for researchers wanting to study photophysiology.

Photophysiology: Current Topics, Volume III presents the fundamental action of radiations on various biological systems. This book provides information pertinent to plant photophysiology. Organized into eight chapters, this volume begins with an overview of the kinetics of a photochemical reaction. This text then explores the wide variety of photochemical processes essential for normal activity and survival, which occur in living organisms. Other chapters consider the distribution of phototropic responses in fungi and describe some of the physiological and morphological features of a few selected responses. This book discusses as well the general orientation and distribution of the photosynthetic membranes within chloroplasts and within prokaryotic cells. The final chapter deals with the results of the investigation, which show that under simulated primitive earth conditions, molecules of biological importance can be synthesized by the action of ultraviolet radiation. This book is a valuable resource for researchers and students interested in photophysiology.