Plant Nutrients and Abiotic Stress Tolerance

Download Plant Nutrients and Abiotic Stress Tolerance PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 9811090440
Total Pages : 602 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (11 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Plant Nutrients and Abiotic Stress Tolerance by : Mirza Hasanuzzaman

Download or read book Plant Nutrients and Abiotic Stress Tolerance written by Mirza Hasanuzzaman and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-06-01 with total page 602 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book discusses many aspects of plant-nutrient-induced abiotic stress tolerance. It consists of 22 informative chapters on the basic role of plant nutrients and the latest research advances in the field of plant nutrients in abiotic stress tolerance as well as their practical applications. Today, plant nutrients are not only considered as food for plants, but also as regulators of numerous physiological processes including stress tolerance. They also interact with a number of biological molecules and signaling cascades. Although research work and review articles on the role of plant nutrients in abiotic stress tolerance have been published in a range of journals, annual reviews and book chapters, to date there has been no comprehensive book on this topic. As such, this timely book is a valuable resource for a wide audience, including plant scientists, agronomists, soil scientists, botanists, molecular biologists and environmental scientists.

Plant Responses to Phosphorus-deficiency Stress

Download Plant Responses to Phosphorus-deficiency Stress PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 270 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (449 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Plant Responses to Phosphorus-deficiency Stress by : Sarah Elizabeth Johnson

Download or read book Plant Responses to Phosphorus-deficiency Stress written by Sarah Elizabeth Johnson and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Phosphate deficiency is fiequently a limiting factor in crop production on acid soils due to the tendency of iron oxides to strongly bind phosphate through inner-sphere ligand adsorption. Two of the reported responses of some plants to P-deficiency stress are organic-acid exudation from the roots and increased phosphatase activity. Organic-acid-induced P release from iron-oxide surfaces was studied using synthetic iron oxides. The amounts of P released and Fe dissolved fiom ferrihydrite and goethite at pH 4.0, 5.5, and 7.0 by citric, malic, malonic, oxalic, succinic, and tartaric acids were measured. At low initial P-adsorption levels, ligand-induced dissolution of the oxide surface as the primary mechanism of P release from oxides was supported by the strong positive relationship between Fe dissolved and P released. At higher initial P-adsorption levels, ligand exchange played a greater role in P release. Ten cultivars of sorghum exhibiting a range of P efficiencies were obtained from EMBRAPA in Brazil and tested for organic-acid exudation and phosphatase activity under P-deficiency stress in hydroponic culture. HPLC analysis of root exudates revealed increases in oxalate and succinate under P-deficient conditions, with significant differences between cultivars. There was no evidence of citrate in the root exudates at either P leveI. Western blots using arabidopsis purple acid-phosphatase antibodies revealed varying increases in phosphatase activity under P deficiency among the different cultivars. It was concluded that organic-acid exudation might not be expected to significantly improve P uptake by plants grown on weathered soils dominated by well crystalline iron oxide under low P-fertility conditions. Under higher initial P-fertility conditions, organic-acid exudation might play a greater role in plant P acquisition.

Molecular Analysis of Plant Adaptation to the Environment

Download Molecular Analysis of Plant Adaptation to the Environment PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 9401597839
Total Pages : 281 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (15 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Molecular Analysis of Plant Adaptation to the Environment by : M.J. Hawkesford

Download or read book Molecular Analysis of Plant Adaptation to the Environment written by M.J. Hawkesford and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-11-11 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Adverse environmental factors can impose stress on plants and influence the expression of the full genetic potential for growth and reproduction. The capability of plants to develop plastic response reactions, to adapt to environmental stress situations, is unique in the biological world. A goal of the research described in this volume is to increase crop productivity, particular in regions where the environment imposes stress. An understanding of the principles involved in plant adaptation to environmental stress will enable optimisation of practices to improve agronomic production and minimise damaging environmental impact. The aim of this volume is to link the rapidly advancing and increasingly specialist field of molecular biology with plant physiology at the ecosystem level. The book includes chapters focused on some principle methods and a series of up-to-date review chapters on plant adaptation to a variety of specific stresses. The utilisation of newly available genome information is emphasised. Of particular importance is the desire to highlight the current potential of such approaches, and how diverse disciplines can interact and complement one another. The book is aimed at both the specialist and the advanced student.

Inorganic Plant Nutrition

Download Inorganic Plant Nutrition PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 3642688853
Total Pages : 467 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (426 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Inorganic Plant Nutrition by : A. Läuchli

Download or read book Inorganic Plant Nutrition written by A. Läuchli and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 467 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first book bearing the title of this volume, Inorganic Plant Nutrition, was written by D. R. HOAGLAND of the University of California at Berkeley. As indicated by its extended title, Lectures on the Inorganic Nutrition of Plants, it is a collection of lectures - the JOHN M. PRATHER lectures, which he was invited in 1942 to give. at Harvard University and presented there between April 10 and 23 of that year - 41 years before the publication of the present volume. They were not "originally intended for publication" but fortunately HOAGLAND was persuaded to publish them; the book appeared in 1944. It might at first blush seem inappropriate to draw comparisons between a book embodying a set of lectures by a single author and an encyclopedic volume with no less than 37 contributors. But HOAGLAND'S book was a compre hensive account of the state of this science in his time, as the present volume is for ours. It was then still possible for one person, at least for a person of HOAGLAND'S intellectual breadth and catholicity of interests, to encompass many major areas of the entire field, from the soil substrate to the metabolic roles of nitrogen, potassium, and other nutrients, and from basic scientific topics to the application of plant nutritional research in solving problems encountered in the field.

Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation

Download Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 9401110883
Total Pages : 206 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (11 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation by : P. Graham

Download or read book Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation written by P. Graham and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the past three decades there has been a large amount of research on biological nitrogen fixation, in part stimulated by increasing world prices of nitrogen-containing fertilizers and environmental concerns. In the last several years, research on plant--microbe interactions, and symbiotic and asymbiotic nitrogen fixation has become truly interdisciplinary in nature, stimulated to some degree by the use of modern genetic techniques. These methodologies have allowed us to make detailed analyses of plant and bacterial genes involved in symbiotic processes and to follow the growth and persistence of the root-nodule bacteria and free-living nitrogen-fixing bacteria in soils. Through the efforts of a large number of researchers we now have a better understanding of the ecology of rhizobia, environmental parameters affecting the infection and nodulation process, the nature of specificity, the biochemistry of host plants and microsymbionts, and chemical signalling between symbiotic partners. This volume gives a summary of current research efforts and knowledge in the field of biological nitrogen fixation. Since the research field is diverse in nature, this book presents a collection of papers in the major research area of physiology and metabolism, genetics, evolution, taxonomy, ecology, and international programs.

Plant Responses to Drought Stress

Download Plant Responses to Drought Stress PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 3642326536
Total Pages : 460 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (423 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Plant Responses to Drought Stress by : Ricardo Aroca

Download or read book Plant Responses to Drought Stress written by Ricardo Aroca and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-10-12 with total page 460 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a comprehensive overview of the multiple strategies that plants have developed to cope with drought, one of the most severe environmental stresses. Experts in the field present 17 chapters, each of which focuses on a basic concept as well as the latest findings. The following major aspects are covered in the book: · Morphological and anatomical adaptations · Physiological responses · Biochemical and molecular responses · Ecophysiological responses · Responses to drought under field conditions The contributions will serve as an invaluable source of information for researchers and advanced students in the fields of plant sciences, agriculture, ecophysiology, biochemistry and molecular biology.

Root Adaptations to Multiple Stress Factors

Download Root Adaptations to Multiple Stress Factors PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Frontiers Media SA
ISBN 13 : 2889665143
Total Pages : 197 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (896 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Root Adaptations to Multiple Stress Factors by : Idupulapati Madhusudana Rao

Download or read book Root Adaptations to Multiple Stress Factors written by Idupulapati Madhusudana Rao and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2021-02-25 with total page 197 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Plant Phosphorus Nutrition

Download Plant Phosphorus Nutrition PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : CRC Press
ISBN 13 : 1000963128
Total Pages : 194 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (9 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Plant Phosphorus Nutrition by : Hatem Rouached

Download or read book Plant Phosphorus Nutrition written by Hatem Rouached and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2023-10-19 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is an up-to-date reference on phosphorus nutrition in plants. Phosphorus has no substitute in food production, and the use of phosphate (Pi) fertilisers has increased crop yields to feed billions of people. This book covers phosphorus metabolism and phosphorus sensing molecular mechanisms and signalling in plants. It covers functions of phosphorus and crosstalk with other nutrients. It discusses how plants sense Pi deficiency and coordinate the responses via signalling pathways and networks for the regulation of Pi-deficiency responses. FEATURES Discusses the latest developments in phosphate management in plants Provides insights on emerging topics for sustainable approaches to managing phosphate shortage Throws light on the resilience of plants to phosphate deficiency Provides extensive updates that serve as primary points for further research Explains molecular and physiological mechanisms of phosphate transport This book compiles the latest research from experts in the field. It is useful for advanced graduates and researchers in plant sciences and agriculture.

Rhizosphere Functioning and Structural Development as Complex Interplay between Plants, Microorganisms and Soil Minerals

Download Rhizosphere Functioning and Structural Development as Complex Interplay between Plants, Microorganisms and Soil Minerals PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Frontiers Media SA
ISBN 13 : 2889632075
Total Pages : 220 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (896 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Rhizosphere Functioning and Structural Development as Complex Interplay between Plants, Microorganisms and Soil Minerals by : Carsten W. Mueller

Download or read book Rhizosphere Functioning and Structural Development as Complex Interplay between Plants, Microorganisms and Soil Minerals written by Carsten W. Mueller and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2019-12-19 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The rhizosphere, the soil volume, which is directly affected by root activity, is an important hot spot for a multitude of biotic and abiotic processes. Carbon transfer from plants to microorganisms and to soil takes place in these small volumes around living roots, creating chemical gradients and zones of microbial activity over distinct temporal and spatial scales. Hydraulic and biogeochemical properties of the rhizosphere and the formation of complex three-dimensional structures such as micro- and macroaggreates in turn, result from complex feedbacks between physical, chemical and biological processes. The aim of this Research Topic is to advance our understanding of rhizosphere interactions by collating 16 original contributions across disciplines, including original research, reviews and specific methods on the processes taking place in the rhizosphere, to shed new light on one of the most important interfaces for the diversity of life on earth.

Water Stress and Crop Plants

Download Water Stress and Crop Plants PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 1119054478
Total Pages : 784 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (19 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Water Stress and Crop Plants by : Parvaiz Ahmad

Download or read book Water Stress and Crop Plants written by Parvaiz Ahmad and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2016-06-08 with total page 784 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Plants are subjected to a variety of abiotic stresses such as drought, temperature, salinity, air pollution, heavy metals, UV radiations, etc. To survive under these harsh conditions plants are equipped with different resistance mechanisms which vary from species to species. Due to the environmental fluctuations agricultural and horticultural crops are often exposed to different environmental stresses leading to decreased yield and problems in the growth and development of the crops. Drought stress has been found to decrease the yield to an alarming rate of some important crops throughout the globe. During last few decades, lots of physiological and molecular works have been conducted under water stress in crop plants. Water Stress and Crop Plants: A Sustainable Approach presents an up-to-date in-depth coverage of drought and flooding stress in plants, including the types, causes and consequences on plant growth and development. It discusses the physiobiochemical, molecular and omic approaches, and responses of crop plants towards water stress. Topics include nutritional stress, oxidative stress, hormonal regulation, transgenic approaches, mitigation of water stress, approaches to sustainability, and modern tools and techniques to alleviate the water stress on crop yields. This practical book offers pragmatic guidance for scientists and researchers in plant biology, and agribusinesses and biotechnology companies dealing with agronomy and environment, to mitigate the negative effects of stress and improve yield under stress. The broad coverage also makes this a valuable guide enabling students to understand the physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms of environmental stress in plants.

Plant Adaptations to Phosphate Deficiency

Download Plant Adaptations to Phosphate Deficiency PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Frontiers Media SA
ISBN 13 : 2889667790
Total Pages : 190 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (896 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Plant Adaptations to Phosphate Deficiency by : Alex Joseph Valentine

Download or read book Plant Adaptations to Phosphate Deficiency written by Alex Joseph Valentine and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2021-05-18 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Phosphate is an essential mineral to all plants, and its availability in soils is an increasing challenge for agriculture. Phosphate is abundant in soils but its biological availability is often low due to the complexes that it forms with soil minerals and compounds. The biological availability of Phosphate is further reduced in acidic soils, which represent approximately 40% of earth’s arable agricultural lands. Agricultural systems compensate Phosphate deficiency with fertilizers coming from the mining of rock phosphate, which is estimated to exhaust within the next 50 years. For these reasons, Phosphate limitations in natural and agricultural ecosystems is going to become a global problem, and we urgently need to better understand how plants respond to Phosphate deficiency.

Metabolome Analyses:

Download Metabolome Analyses: PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 0387252401
Total Pages : 396 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (872 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Metabolome Analyses: by : Seetharaman Vaidyanathan

Download or read book Metabolome Analyses: written by Seetharaman Vaidyanathan and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2006-03-20 with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Metabolome analysis is now recognized as a crucial component of functional genomic and systems biology investigations. Innovative approaches to the study of metabolic regulation in microbial, plant and animal systems are increasingly facilitating the emergence of systems approaches in biology. This book highlights analytical and bioinformatics strategies now available for investigating metabolic networks in microbial, plant and animal systems. The contributing authors are world leaders in this field and they present an unambiguous case for pursuing metabolome analysis as a means to attain a systems level understanding of complex biological systems.

Ecophysiology and Responses of Plants under Salt Stress

Download Ecophysiology and Responses of Plants under Salt Stress PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 146144747X
Total Pages : 520 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (614 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Ecophysiology and Responses of Plants under Salt Stress by : Parvaiz Ahmad

Download or read book Ecophysiology and Responses of Plants under Salt Stress written by Parvaiz Ahmad and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-11-09 with total page 520 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book will shed light on the effect of salt stress on plants development, proteomics, genomics, genetic engineering, and plant adaptations, among other topics. Understanding the molecular basis will be helpful in developing selection strategies for improving salinity tolerance. The book will cover around 25 chapters with contributors from all over the world.

Multiple Stress in Plants

Download Multiple Stress in Plants PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 464 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (429 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Multiple Stress in Plants by : Flavio H. Gutierrez-Boem

Download or read book Multiple Stress in Plants written by Flavio H. Gutierrez-Boem and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 464 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Plant signaling: Understanding the molecular crosstalk

Download Plant signaling: Understanding the molecular crosstalk PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 9788132234791
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (347 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Plant signaling: Understanding the molecular crosstalk by : Khalid Rehman Hakeem

Download or read book Plant signaling: Understanding the molecular crosstalk written by Khalid Rehman Hakeem and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-08-23 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ​Plant signalling has emerged as an integrated field which has become indispensable in recent times to study any biological process. Over the last decade, an enormous amount of information has been generated in this field and the advances in information technology gave birth to bioinformatics which has helped greatly in managing the galaxy of information. It is now possible to view the different information’s in a systems biology approach which has unravelled the association/ new processes and thus helped us enormously in understanding of the biological processes. The present book is an attempt at understanding the plant signalling processes with different perspectives. Even though the plants are sessile but there exists a tremendous interconnected network of perception at morphological, physiological and molecular levels. The impact of the surrounding environment in terms of abiotic and biotic stresses is significant in terms of its survival, adaptation and productivity for the human welfare. The plants possess a wide array of processes at the organ, tissue and cellular levels which are governed by a plethora of molecules. The molecules govern individual processes and these exists a cross talk between them to form a complex network of processes. The book tries to envision how different processes are operating at different points in the life cycle of the plant.

Plant Microbiomes for Sustainable Agriculture

Download Plant Microbiomes for Sustainable Agriculture PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Springer Nature
ISBN 13 : 3030384535
Total Pages : 496 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (33 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Plant Microbiomes for Sustainable Agriculture by : Ajar Nath Yadav

Download or read book Plant Microbiomes for Sustainable Agriculture written by Ajar Nath Yadav and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-03-06 with total page 496 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book encompasses the current knowledge of plant microbiomes and their potential biotechnological application for plant growth, crop yield and soil health for sustainable agriculture. The plant microbiomes (rhizospheric, endophytic and epiphytic) play an important role in plant growth, development, and soil health. Plant and rhizospheric soil are a valuable natural resource harbouring hotspots of microbes, and it plays critical roles in the maintenance of global nutrient balance and ecosystem function. The diverse group of microbes is key components of soil–plant systems, where they are engaged in an intense network of interactions in the rhizosphere/endophytic/phyllospheric. The rhizospheric microbial diversity present in rhizospheric zones has a sufficient amount of nutrients release by plant root systems in form of root exudates for growth, development and activities of microbes. The endophytic microbes are referred to those microorganisms, which colonize in the interior of the plant parts, viz root, stem or seeds without causing any harmful effect on host plant. Endophytic microbes enter in host plants mainly through wounds, naturally occurring as a result of plant growth, or through root hairs and at epidermal conjunctions. Endophytes may be transmitted either vertically (directly from parent to offspring) or horizontally (among individuals). The phyllosphere is a common niche for synergism between microbes and plant. The leaf surface has been termed as phyllosphere and zone of leaves inhabited by microorganisms as phyllosphere. The plant part, especially leaves, is exposed to dust and air currents resulting in the establishments of typical flora on their surface aided by the cuticles, waxes and appendages, which help in the anchorage of microorganisms. The phyllospheric microbes may survive or proliferate on leaves depending on extent of influences of material in leaf diffuseness or exudates. The leaf diffuseness contains the principal nutrients factors (amino acids, glucose, fructose and sucrose), and such specialized habitats may provide niche for nitrogen fixation and secretions of substances capable of promoting the growth of plants. The microbes associated with plant as rhizospheric, endophytic and epiphytic with plant growth promoting (PGP) attributes have emerged as an important and promising tool for sustainable agriculture. PGP microbes promote plant growth directly or indirectly, either by releasing plant growth regulators; solubilization of phosphorus, potassium and zinc; biological nitrogen fixation or by producing siderophore, ammonia, HCN and other secondary metabolites which are antagonistic against pathogenic microbes. The PGP microbes belong to different phylum of archaea (Euryarchaeota); bacteria (Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Deinococcus-Thermus, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria) and fungi (Ascomycota and Basidiomycota), which include different genera namely Achromobacter, Arthrobacter, Aspergillus, Azospirillum, Azotobacter, Bacillus, Beijerinckia, Burkholderia, Enterobacter, Erwinia, Flavobacterium, Gluconoacetobacter, Haloarcula, Herbaspirillum, Methylobacterium, Paenibacillus, Pantoea, Penicillium, Piriformospora, Planomonospora, Pseudomonas, Rhizobium, Serratia and Streptomyces. These PGP microbes could be used as biofertilizers/bioinoculants at place of chemical fertilizers for sustainable agriculture. The aim of “Plant Microbiomes for Sustainable Agriculture” is to provide the current developments in the understanding of microbial diversity associated with plant systems in the form of rhizospheric, endophytic and epiphytic. The book is useful to scientist, research and students related to microbiology, biotechnology, agriculture, molecular biology, environmental biology and related subjects.

Multi-copper Oxidases

Download Multi-copper Oxidases PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : World Scientific
ISBN 13 : 9810227116
Total Pages : 477 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (12 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Multi-copper Oxidases by : Albrecht Messerschmidt

Download or read book Multi-copper Oxidases written by Albrecht Messerschmidt and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 1997 with total page 477 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The biological activation of dioxygen is a key reaction in biological systems. Enzymes involved in direct oxygen activation are oxidases and oxygenases. Multi-copper oxidases are an important class of oxidases reducing dioxygen in a four-electron reduction to water with concomitant one-electron oxidation of the reducing substrate. The progress in the characterization and understanding of the structure and function of these enzymes has advanced so tremendously over the last ten years that the publication of a book documenting these achievements has been overdue.Especially the recent discovery of a key role of the FET3 protein of Saccharomyces cerevisae, a multi-copper oxidase, in iron metabolism of this eukaryote has underpinned the function of the plasma multi-copper oxidase ceruloplasmin in vetebrate iron transport. The lately determined x-ray structure of human ceruloplasmin confirms its close structural relatedness to the plant multi-copper oxidases ascorbate oxidase and laccase and due to strong amino-acid sequence similarities has allowed to construct a useful model of the more distantly related blood-clotting factor VIII.This book contains review articles from experts in the field, dealing with modern spectroscopy, enzyme kinetics, bioinorganic chemistry, x-ray crystallography, electron transfer reactions, molecular biology, medical aspects and potential industrial applications of the three main members of multi-copper oxidases, i.e., laccase, ascorbate oxidase and ceruloplasmin.