Biochemistry

Textbook of Biochemistry With Clinical Correlations, 5^th Edition edited by Thomas M. Devlin (Wiley-Lyss) Premium text in basic biochemistry it covers structure of macromolecules, transmission of information, functions of proteins, metabolic pathways and their control, and physiological processes. Includes illustrations, clinical correlations, and review questions.

Editor’s summary: The purposes of the fifth edition of the Textbook of Biochemistry With Clinical Correlations are: to present a clear and pre­cise discussion of the biochemistry of mammalian cells and where appropriate prokaryotic and other eukaryotic cells; to re­late the biochemical events at the cellular level to the physio­logical processes occurring in the whole animal; and to cite ex­amples of abnormal biochemical processes in human disease. These remain unchanged from the earlier editions. The scope and depth of presentation should fulfill the requirements of most biochemistry courses. Topics for inclusion were selected to cover the essential areas of both biochemistry and physiological chemistry for upper‑level undergraduate, graduate‑level, and es­pecially professional school courses in biochemistry. Since the application of biochemistry is so important to human medicine, the text continues to have an overriding emphasis on the bio­chemistry of mammalian cells. Information from biochemical in­vestigations of prokaryotes and other eukaryotes is presented, however, when these studies are the primary source of knowl­edge about the topic. The textbook is organized and written such that any sequence of topics considered most appropriate by an instructor can be presented.

The rapid advances in knowledge in the biological sciences, particularly due to the techniques of molecular biology, and the continued evolution of biochemistry courses, required a critical rethinking of the sequence of topics and content of each chap­ter in the previous edition. The editor and contributors sought input from biochemistry instructors in the review, and no part of the previous edition was excluded from the evaluation. The outcome was a decision to change the sequence of the material but to maintain the division of material in the same chapters, except for combining into one chapter the presentation of the structures of nucleic acids. The chapter on Gas Transport and pH Regulation was deleted because very few biochemistry courses include this topic. Every chapter was revised and up­dated with inclusion of significant new information and deletion of some material.

The content of the fifth edition is divided into five sections, in which related topics are grouped together. Part 1, Structure of Macromolecules, contains an introductory chapter on cell structure, followed by chapters on nucleic acid and protein structure. Part II, Transmission of Information, describes the synthesis of the major cellular macromolecules, that is, DNA, RNA, and protein. A chapter on biotechnology is included be­cause information from this area has had such a significant impact on the development of our current knowledge base. Part II concludes with a chapter on the Regulation of Gene Expression in which mechanisms of both prokaryotes and eukaryotes are presented. Part III, Functions of Proteins, opens with a pres­entation of the structure‑function relationship of four major families of proteins. This is followed by a discussion of enzymes, including a separate chapter on the cytochromes P450. A pres­entation of membrane structure and function concludes Part III Part IV, Metabolic Pathways and Their Control, starts with a discussion of bioenergetics followed by separate chapters on the synthesis and degradation of carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids, and purine and pyrimidine nucleotides. A chapter on the inte­gration of these pathways in humans completes this part. Part V, Physiological Processes, covers those areas unique to mam­malian cells and tissues beginning with two chapters on hor­mones that emphasize their biochemical functions as messen­gers, and a chapter on molecular cell biology containing discussions of four major signal transducing systems. The text­book concludes with presentations of iron and heme metabo­lism, digestion and absorption of basic nutritional constituents, and principles of human nutrition.

The illustrations were reviewed and updated where ap­propriate, and many new figures were added including a num­ber of protein structures published recently The adage "A pic­ture is worth a thousand words" is appropriate and the reader is encouraged to study the illustrations because they are meant to clarify confusing aspects of a topic.

In each chapter the relevancy of the topic to human life processes is presented in Clinical Correlations, which describe the aberrant biochemistry of disease states. In the past few years the genetic and biochemical bases of many diseases have been documented, thus a number of new correlations have been in­cluded. There has been no attempt to review all of the major dis­eases but rather to present examples of disease processes where the ramifications of deviant biochemical processes are well es­tablished. References are included in the correlations to facilitate exploration of the topic in more detail. In some cases similar clinical problems are presented in different chapters, but each from a different perspective. All pertinent biochemical informa­tion is presented in the main text, and an understanding of the material does not require a reading of the correlations. In some cases, clinical conditions are discussed as part of the primary text because of the significance of the medical condition to an understanding of the biochemical process.

Each chapter concludes with a set of Questions and Answers. The multiple‑choice format has been retained because they are valuable to students for self‑assessment of their knowledge and they are the type used in national examinations. New questions have been added that include clinical vignettes, as well as problem solving questions. Brief annotated answers are given.

The appendix, Review of Organic Chemistry, is designed as a ready reference for the nomenclature and structures of organic molecules encountered in biochemistry and is not intended as a comprehensive review of organic chemistry. The material is presented in the Appendix rather than at the beginning of chapters dealing with the different biologically important molecules. The reader should become familiar with the content of the Appendix and then use it as a ready reference when reading related sections in the main text.

We still believe that a multi‑contributor textbook is the best approach to achieve an accurate and current presentation of biochemistry. Each contributor is involved actively in teaching biochemistry in a medical or graduate school and has an active research interest in the field in which he or she has written. Thus, each has the perspective of the classroom instructor, with the experience to select the topics and determine the emphasis required for students in a course of biochemistry. Every contributor, however, brings to the book an individual approach, leading to some differences in presentation. However, every chapter was edited to have a consistent writing style and to eliminate unnecessary repetitions and redundancies. Presentation, some topics, such as the structure of DNA binding proteins, included in two different chapters in order to make the individual discussions complete and self contained; in these cases individual contributors approach the topic from different perspectives. The repetition should facilitate the learning progress

The contributors prepared their chapters for a teaching book. The textbook is not intended as a compendium of biochemical facts or a review of the current literature, but each chapter, however, contains sufficient detail on the subject to make it useful as a resource. Contributors were requested not reference specific researchers; our apologies to those many scientists who have made outstanding research contributions to the field of biochemistry. Each chapter contains a Bibliography that serves as an entry point to the research literature.

Tea Tree: The Genus Melaleuca edited by Ian Southwell, Robert Lowe (Medicinal & Aromatic Plants--Industrial Profiles , Vol 9 Harwood Academic Publishers) Melaleuca, a volume in the series Medicinal and Aromatic Plants - Industrial Profiles is an up-to-date treatment of the scientific and commercial aspects of this increasingly popular medicinal plant genus. It covers material written by tea tree specialists dealing with significant aspects of M. alternifolia including botany, chemistry, cultivation, agronomy, processing, toxicology, bioactivity, uses and marketing. Cajuput (M. cajuputo, niaouli (M. quinquenervia) and other potentially commercial Melaleucas are also reviewed. The book will be of interest to all of those concerned with the study and use of medicinal and aromatic plants and provides a comprehensive and contemporary overview of the status of tea tree.

About the Editors

Ian Southwell, born at Cowra, NSW, Australia, graduated in Science with Honours (1967) and Masters (1972) degrees from the University of Sydney. He joined the Essential Oil group at the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (1968). In 1982 he obtained his PhD from the University of Manchester, UK, for studies in terpene synthesis. After a brief time in alkaloid synthesis at Indiana University, Bloomington, USA, he returned to Australia to lead the Essential Oil Unit at NSW Agriculture's Wollongbar Agricultural Institute where he is now Principal Research Scientist. He has published prolifically on essential oil bearing species in relation to chemical structure, bioactivity, irritancy, chemical ecology and essential oil production, has completed several short term UNIDO assignments and is a Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, a member of the New York Academy of Sciences and currently Chairman of Standards Australia's Essential Oil Committee.

Robert Lowe, born in Sydney, Australia, is a Technical Officer at NSW Agriculture's Wollongbar Agricultural Institute. He has a background and technical qualifications in analytical chemistry as well as diplomas from the University of Southern Queensland in Asian Studies and Further Educa­tion and Training. He has worked in Australian and Indonesian research and university laboratories and, in recent years, has been involved in agronomic and breeding research with tea tree.

Volume 9 of the book series Medicinal and Aromatic Plants - Industrial Profiles Series Editor: Roland Hardman

Roland Hardman, BPharm BSc (Chemistry) PhD (London) FRPharmS, has had experience in retail, industrial and academic pharmacy. He had held academic posts in universities in Nottingham, UK; lbadan, Nigeria (Head of the Pharmacy Department); and Bath, UK (Reader and Head of Phannacognosy) and is now retired. He has over 150 research and related publications to his name and Dr Hardman has also held patents on the processing of plants and Plant Breeders' Rights. For some years he represented the UK on the Committee for the Utilization of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of the Economic Union and from 1988-1995 he was the President of the Section for Study of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of the Federation Internationale Pharmaceutique. Dr Hardman keeps in touch with the latest developments in the field through his work as a consultant.

Individual volumes in the series Medicinal and Aromatic Plants - Industrial Profiles provide both industry and academia with in-depth coverage of the major medicinal and aromatic plants of industrial importance in a genus. Each volume will discuss key topics such as plant sources and their commercial cultivation, chemical constituents, quality assurance, pharmacological properties, toxicology, application and market trends relevant to the genus.

The series will be of great value to those engaged in botany, agriculture, pharmacognosy, phyto­chemistry, the food, flavour, cosmetic and fragrance industries, alternative medicine and in other pharmaceutical and health sciences.

 

Environmental Toxicology: Current Developments edited by J. Rose (Environmental Topics Series, Volume 7: Gordon and Breach Science Publishers) The effects that our chemical environment has on our physical and mental well-being are a matter of increasing concern and are attracting much research effort. This timely collection of essays highlights current developments in the field of environmental toxicology. Chapters analyse the carcinogenic, mutagenic, genotoxic and neurotoxic effects of both anthro­pogenic and natural toxins in the soil, air and water around us, as well as in our workplace and diet. The book also looks at the effects of toxins on other organisms, as well as the tech­niques, policies and management strategies employed in studying and controlling environ­mental pollutants.

This exciting and sometimes controversial book provides a fascinating overview of many current developments in the field. It will be a valuable reference source for toxicologists, public health personnel, medical researchers and practitioners, biologists, botanists, food scientists, agriculturalists and environmentalists.

About the series

The series publishes compilations of papers on all aspects of the environment and its rela­tionship with man, including ecology, occupational hygiene, industrial health, social effects of technological advancements, radiation, noise, pollution, city planning, ekistics, trans­portation, genetics, drug concerns, environmental management, population problems, food, environmental medicine and bioengineering.

About the editor

John Rose is Visiting Professor at the University of Central Lancashire (UK). He is the founder and vice-president of the Institution of Environmental Sciences and the organiser of both national and international conferences in this field. He is at present the editor of two international journals and the author of fifty-one books concerned with the environment, computers, systems and automation.

 

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