H. Baum – författare

The burgeoning interest in biomembranes in recent years has been such that "membranology" is now virtuMtyasubject in its own right, cutting vertically, as it were, through the strata of conventional disciplines from mathematics and physics, through chemistry, to biology. The very scope of the topic is thus so daunting that it is tempting to treat it only at one stratum of this hierarchy, be it the biophysics of phospholipid bilayers or the biochemistry of interactions at the cell surface. Such an approach is entirely valid, particularly among specialists with common interests. However, this approach does present a distorted perspective to the newcomer to the field, and, more significantly, it fails to stimulate cross fertil­ ization of ideas among workers at the various disciplinary levels. For example, as in all areas of molecular biology, the clinicians are frequently unaware of the contributions to their problems that might be made by the application of more basic knowledge and techniques. Conversely, biochemists or biophysicists may be ignorant of the existing practical problems to which they might address their expertise.

The burgeoning interest in biomembranes in recent years has been such that "membranology" is now virtuMtyasubject in its own right, cutting vertically, as it were, through the strata of conventional disciplines from mathematics and physics, through chemistry, to biology. The very scope of the topic is thus so daunting that it is tempting to treat it only at one stratum of this hierarchy, be it the biophysics of phospholipid bilayers or the biochemistry of interactions at the cell surface. Such an approach is entirely valid, particularly among specialists with common interests. However, this approach does present a distorted perspective to the newcomer to the field, and, more significantly, it fails to stimulate cross fertil­ ization of ideas among workers at the various disciplinary levels. For example, as in all areas of molecular biology, the clinicians are frequently unaware of the contributions to their problems that might be made by the application of more basic knowledge and techniques. Conversely, biochemists or biophysicists may be ignorant of the existing practical problems to which they might address their expertise.

Molecular Aspects of Medicine, Volume 7 discusses diseases such as urolithiasis. Another term for this disease is calculosis. Urolithiasis occurs when stones are formed in areas such as the biliary, salivary, or renal systems, but it is found more often in the urinary tract. The epidemiology and etiology of the disease are extensively covered in the book. The second chapter focuses on the cell surface of healthy and disease-infected cells. Topics such as the plasma membrane, the extracellular matrix, and cell culture and transformation are also covered in the said chapter. The third chapter of the book is about the serum steroid transport proteins. This chapter discusses the biochemistry and clinical significance of the steroid binding proteins, albumin, and different binding globulins. The fourth chapter covers the physiology and pharmacology of emesis. The book concludes with a discussion on the mechanisms of pain and opioid-induced analgesia. The text can be a useful tool for doctors, medical technologists, students, and researchers in the field of medicine.