It is proposed to describe briefly the rise in popularity of the tomato during the 20th century to become the world's fourth most significant fruit, making an important contribution to human nutrition. The grading standards for fruit used in various major tomato-producing countries will be outlined. A major part of the review will be devoted to describing changes in composition during the maturation, ripening, preservation, and storage of good quality tomatoes especially as regards carbohydrates, organic and amino acids, proteins, steroids, pigments, minerals, and the lipids, volatiles, and other minor constituents. A range within which composition should normally fall will be given. Additionally, the effects on composition of environment, cultivar, nutrition, and physiological disorders inter alia will be described. How new growing methods and genetic manipulation could influence the tomato of the future will also be considered.

Major congenital synechiae of the oral cavity constitute a clinically confusing spectrum of abnormalities. On the basis of clinical data, we propose two categories: 1) abnormalities secondary to persistence of the buccopharyngeal membrane and 2) abnormalities secondary to formation of ectopic membranes. An ectopic membrane results from abnormal fusion and can be subclassified as a subglossopalatal membrane, glossopalatal ankylosis, or syngnathia. This classification is supported by embryologic studies and is used to reclassify all cases reported since 1900. Distinct differences, such as the presence of associated limb anomalies, emerge; these are reviewed and add support to the proposed classification.

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Changes in the concentrations of the individual sugars of the walls and locular contents of tomato fruit during ripening have been studied. The major sugars were glucose and fructose together with much smaller amounts of sucrose and myoinositol. During the initial stages of development the fruit contained approximately twice as much glucose as fructose, but with approaching maturity and the onset of ripening the glucose/fructose ratio declined to less thaii unity. On a per fruit basis the distribution of the major sugars between the walls and locular contents was about 3 : 1 at the green stage, falling to 2 : 1 as the fruit ripened.Total reducing sugars (% fresh weight or per fruit) increased markedly between the mature green and green-yellow stages with a tendency to decrease with subsequent ripening. These changes were predominantly influenced by changes in fructose content, with glucose changing little. The concentrations of sucrose and myoinositol, both less than 0.05 % fresh weight, declined with ripening.The green areas of the outer walls of "blotchy" fruit contained much less glucose and fructose than did the walls of normal mature green fruit, while the red areas contained amounts similar to those encountered in normally ripened red fruit.