The need for effective interdisciplinary communication is particularly urgent when rapid progress involves specialized methodology inaccessible to most workers in other fields. This symposium attempts to bridge the gap between radiobiology, concerned with diagnostic, therapeutic, and experimental utilization of ionizing radiation, and the morphologic and biochemical exploration of structural and ultrastructural changes attributable to these procedures. True to the title, the 16 authors have not presented comprehensive and definitive expositions but rather have made "contributions" which broadly survey their respective topics. Adequate bibliographies appended to each chapter and illustrations consisting of diagrams and well-reproduced photomicrographs help to accomplish this purpose. As is to be expected there is a good deal of emphasis on electron microscopy, autoradiography, and biochemical analysis.
Contrary to the impression gained from the title, "Radiation Pathology of the Cell," only one third of the text is devoted to cellular and subcellular structures (nucleus, nucleolus, mitochondria, membranes). The