Book excerpt: The Plasma Proteins, Volume II: Biosynthesis, Metabolism, Alternations in Disease is a 10-chapter text that explores the physiological role and metabolic interrelationships of the human plasma proteins in the normal state and in disease. The first two chapters cover the physical properties, chemical composition, function, methods of analysis of human serum lipoproteins and plasma enzymes. The subsequent chapter considers the normal levels of hormones in plasma or serum and their distribution in the plasma protein fractions. These topics are followed by discussions on the blood coagulation system, the serum proteins in the animal kingdom at maturity and during embryonic development, and the biosynthesis of plasma proteins. The remaining chapters examine the qualitative abnormalities in various plasma proteins. These chapters also discuss the modification in plasma protein synthesis induced by genetic variation. Such alterations are described for albumin, ceruloplasmin, haptoglobin, iron-binding globulin, fibrinogen, antihemophilic globulin, and other blood clotting factors, as well as ?-globulin. Biochemists, physiologists, and medical researchers will find this book invaluable.