Athel Cornish-Bowden - Böcker

Mathematics is essential to the study and understanding of biochemistry yet most undergraduates do not have a grasp of maths. This book sets out all the mathematics needed for an undergraduate course in biochemistry, assuming a minimum of prior knowledge. Emphasis is placed on topics necessary for biochemists and all the examples are relevant to biochemistry. Each chapter contains illustrative boxes and worked examples and also a problem section (the answers are given in the back of the book). The book starts by covering the basic concepts of mathematics such as manipulating fractions, functions, and plotting graphs and then explains exponents and logarithms in depth. The next two chapters cover all the ordinary differentiation and integration required by the biochemist. Partial differentiation is explained in a later chapter. Chapter 6 is about solving equations (linear, simultaneous, quadratic, and higher-order) and the final chapter covers the basic ideas of statistics. Basic Mathematics for Biochemists will therefore be invaluable to all biochemistry undergraduates and will also be useful to more experienced biochemists needing to refresh their maths.

THIS BOOK collects together papers given at a NATO Advanced Research Workshop held at Il Ciocco (Lucca), Italy, from the 9th to the 15th April, 1989. It sets out to present the current state of understanding of the principles governing the way fluxes and concentrations are maintained and controlled in metabolic systems. Although this is a topic that has held the interest of biochemists for many years, it is only quite recently that the methods of analysing the kinetics of multi-enzyme pathways developed over the past two decades have come to be widely discussed or applied experimentally. Many biochemists remain sceptical that the new methods offer a real advance (except in complexity) over the landmark discoveries of the 1950s and 1960s relating to inhibition of enzymes at branch-points by the end products of metabolic pathways, and the interpretation of allosteric effects and cooperativity. Even those who have become convinced that the classical ideas provide only the starting point for understanding metabolic control have been by no means unanimous in their assess­ ment of the direction in which one should advance. In this book we have tried to include all of the current points of view, including the view that the classical theories tell us all that we need to know. We have not seen it as our role as editors to paper over the cracks that exist and to pretend that we can speak to the world with one voice.

The study of multienzyme systems has advanced considerably during the 1990s. The cell is more complicated than classical biochemistry presents it; it contains more structure, and the behaviour of any system of enzymes is more elaborate than can be explained in simple terms. Nevertheless, classical enzymology and metabolism remain central to any modification of the metabolic behaviour of organisms, as attempted by modern biotechnology and drug development techniques. In this work the authors draw attention to the drawbacks, problems, and opportunities associated with this field. The areas covered include problems with current practice, the imposition of human objectives on organisms, understanding health and disease, computer modelling, the increasingly complex picture of cell structure, control and regulation of metabolism, and the general contribution metabolic control is making to biochemistry on a broader canvas.

The study of multienzyme systems has advanced considerably during the 1990s. The cell is more complicated than classical biochemistry presents it; it contains more structure, and the behaviour of any system of enzymes is more elaborate than can be explained in simple terms. Nevertheless, classical enzymology and metabolism remain central to any modification of the metabolic behaviour of organisms, as attempted by modern biotechnology and drug development techniques. In this work the authors draw attention to the drawbacks, problems, and opportunities associated with this field. The areas covered include problems with current practice, the imposition of human objectives on organisms, understanding health and disease, computer modelling, the increasingly complex picture of cell structure, control and regulation of metabolism, and the general contribution metabolic control is making to biochemistry on a broader canvas.

Biochemical Evolution: The Pursuit of Perfection, Second Edition by Athel Cornish-Bowden describes the relationship between biochemistry and evolutionary biology, arguing that each depends on the other to be properly understood. There are many aspects of evolution that make sense only in the light of biochemical knowledge, just as there are many aspects of biochemistry that make sense only in the light of evolution.

Research now shows us that long-term activation of the stress cycle can have a hazardous, even lethal, effect on the body, increasing the risk of obesity, heart disease, depression, cancer, and other illnesses. This new edition of an award-winning book presents cutting-edge research on the effects of stress.Edited by one of the world’s authorities in stress management, occupational psychology, and occupational medicine, Handbook of Stress Medicine and Health, Second Edition offers a completely revised and updated look at the different types of stress, including their characteristics, symptoms, duration, and treatment approaches. The text proposes a generic theory on stress and health and explores the relationship of stress to a variety of health outcomes, including heart disease, cancer, mental health, burnout, and complications of the endocrine and immune systems. It addresses the link between stress and personality, and discusses the impact of social support on various health conditions. The final chapters deal with stress and its consequences, such as the emotional processing of traumatic events, dealing with stress in families and in chronic disease, and coping with stress in the workplace. With contributions from the foremost leaders in the field, this authoritative book evaluates a wide range of psychosocial factors that contribute to many of today’s major illnesses. It also proposes strategies for prevention and management, which will hopefully encourage future research into the reduction of stress.

THIS BOOK collects together papers given at a NATO Advanced Research Workshop held at Il Ciocco (Lucca), Italy, from the 9th to the 15th April, 1989. It sets out to present the current state of understanding of the principles governing the way fluxes and concentrations are maintained and controlled in metabolic systems. Although this is a topic that has held the interest of biochemists for many years, it is only quite recently that the methods of analysing the kinetics of multi-enzyme pathways developed over the past two decades have come to be widely discussed or applied experimentally. Many biochemists remain sceptical that the new methods offer a real advance (except in complexity) over the landmark discoveries of the 1950s and 1960s relating to inhibition of enzymes at branch-points by the end products of metabolic pathways, and the interpretation of allosteric effects and cooperativity. Even those who have become convinced that the classical ideas provide only the starting point for understanding metabolic control have been by no means unanimous in their assess­ ment of the direction in which one should advance. In this book we have tried to include all of the current points of view, including the view that the classical theories tell us all that we need to know. We have not seen it as our role as editors to paper over the cracks that exist and to pretend that we can speak to the world with one voice.