Medical Biochemistry at a Glance

J. G. Salway is the author of Medical Biochemistry at a Glance, 3rd Edition, published by Wiley.

I have taught biochemistry to medical students and to undergraduates and graduate students, at both Temple University School of Medicine and at Case Western Reserve University, since 1968, so that I have had a great deal of experience in the field and have a feel for what works well for medical students. Medical Biochemistry at a Glance would be an excellent book for USMLE Step 1. In my experience, medical students (and pre-medical students) would greatly benefit from reading it in preparation for the exam. This compares very well with Lippincott’s Biochemistry - this has the right price and approach to compete with Lippincott for a less expensive and more accessible alternative to the larger text books that are out there.I like the way it combines the metabolic pathways and principles in such a creative fashion, and the metabolism sections are among the best I have read and the easiest to understand. Metabolism is a very complicated subject and, in my experience, most teachers of the subject would really benefit from your text. (Richard W. Hanson, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine)

• Preface to the third edition 7Acknowledgements to the third edition 7Figure key 8SI/mass unit conversions 9Part 1 Acids, bases and pH1 Acids, bases and hydrogen ions (protons) 102 Understanding pH 123 Production and removal of protons into and from the blood 144 Metabolic alkalosis and metabolic acidosis 165 Respiratory alkalosis and respiratory acidosis 18Part 2 Structure of amino acids and proteins6 Amino acids and the primary structure of proteins 207 Secondary structure of proteins 228 Tertiary and quaternary structure and collagen 24Part 3 Formation of ATP: oxidation and reduction reactions9 Oxidation/reduction reactions, coenzymes and prosthetic groups 2610 Anaerobic production of ATP by substrate-level phosphorylation, from phosphocreatine and by the adenylate kinase (myokinase) reaction 2811 Aerobic production of ATP 3012 Biosynthesis of ATP by oxidative phosphorylation I 3213 Biosynthesis of ATP by oxidative phosphorylation II 3414 What happens when protons or electrons leak from the respiratory chain? 3615 Free radicals, reactive oxygen species and oxidative damage 3816 Aerobic oxidation of glucose to provide energy as ATP 4017 Anaerobic oxidation of glucose by glycolysis to form ATP and lactate 4218 Anaerobic glycolysis in red blood cells, 2,3-BPG (2,3-DPG) and the Bohr effect 44Part 4 Carbohydrates19 Carbohydrates 4620 Absorption of carbohydrates and metabolism of galactose 4821 Fate of glucose in liver: glycogenesis and lipogenesis 5022 Fructose metabolism 5223 Glucose homeostasis 5424 Glucose-stimulated secretion of insulin from β-cells 5625 Regulation of glycogen metabolism 5826 Glycogen breakdown (glycogenolysis) and glycogen storage diseases 6027 Insulin signal transduction and diabetes mellitus 6228 Diabetes mellitus 6429 Alcohol metabolism: hypoglycaemia, hyperlactataemia and steatosis 66Part 5 Enzymes and regulation of pathways30 Enzymes: nomenclature, kinetics and inhibitors 6831 Regulation of enzyme activity 7032 Regulation of glycolysis and Krebs cycle 7233 Oxidation of fatty acids to produce ATP in muscle and ketone bodies in liver 7434 Regulation of lipolysis, β-oxidation, ketogenesis and gluconeogenesis 76Part 6 Lipids and lipid metabolism35 Structure of lipids 7836 Phospholipids I: phospholipids and sphingolipids 8037 Phospholipids II: micelles, liposomes, lipoproteins and membranes 8238 Metabolism of carbohydrate to cholesterol 8439 VLDL and LDL metabolism I: “forward” cholesterol transport 8640 VLDL and LDL metabolism II: endogenous triacylglycerol transport 8841 HDL metabolism: “reverse” cholesterol transport 9042 Absorption and disposal of dietary triacylglycerols and cholesterol by chylomicrons 9243 Steroid hormones: aldosterone, cortisol, androgens and oestrogens 94Part 7 Metabolism of amino acids and porphyrins44 Urea cycle and overview of amino acid catabolism 9645 Non-essential and essential amino acids 9846 Amino acid metabolism: to energy as ATP; to glucose and ketone bodies 10047 Amino acid disorders: maple syrup urine disease, homocystinuria, cystinuria, alkaptonuria and albinism 10248 Phenylalanine and tyrosine metabolism in health and disease 10449 Products of tryptophan and histidine metabolism 10650 Haem, bilirubin and porphyria 108Part 8 Vitamins51 Fat-soluble vitamins I: vitamins A and D 11052 Fat-soluble vitamins II: vitamins E and K 11253 Water-soluble vitamins I: thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and pantothenate 11454 Water-soluble vitamins II: pyridoxal phosphate (B6) 11655 Water-soluble vitamins III: folate and vitamin B12 11856 Water-soluble vitamins IV: biotin and vitamin C 120Part 9 Molecular biology57 The cell cycle 12258 Pyrimidine metabolism 12459 Purine metabolism 12660 Structure of DNA 12861 The “central dogma” of molecular biology 13062 Organisation of DNA in chromosomes 13263 Replication of DNA (part 1) 13464 Replication of DNA (part 2) 13665 DNA damage and repair 13866 Transcription of DNA to make messenger RNA (part 1) 14067 Transcription of DNA to make messenger RNA (part 2) 14268 Transcription of DNA to make transfer RNA 14469 Transcription of DNA to make ribosomal RNA 14670 Translation and protein synthesis 14871 Comparison of DNA replication, DNA transcription and protein synthesis in eukaryotes and prokaryotes 150Part 10 Diagnostic clinical biochemistry72 Diagnostic clinical biochemistry (with Dr J. W. Wright FRCP, MRCPath) 152Index 154