Biochemistry. The Chemical Reactions Of Living Cells

Description

Biochemistry: The Chemical Reactions of Living Cells, Second Edition provides a reliable source of information about the fascinating chemical reactions taking place in the human body and in the living world around us. Enlarged, updated, and improved, this second edition, like the first, will be widely regarded as the most comprehensive of all biochemistry texts. This is the only biochemistry text on the market sufficiently detailed to be used by undergraduates, graduate students and professional workers. The title is quite comprehensive, strong on chemical foundations, and thoroughly referenced. The renowned author, David Metzler has written a readable and accessible revision which has a wealth of information unavailable in most textbooks. The second edition provides a huge amount of biochemical information in substantial depth. This book describes the amazingly complex structures of the compounds that make up cell, the forces that hold them together, and the chemical reactions that allow for recognition, signaling, and movement. The actions of protein and RNA enzymes, vitamins, coenzymes, and metal ions in the catalysis of these reactions is emphasized. The examination of these chemical mechanisms provide the basis for a thorough treatment of biosynthesis and the breakdown of food and cell constituents. The book is full of information on the human body, its genome, and the action of muscles, eyes, and the brain. It also deals with the world around us in considering metabolism of bacteria, toxins, antibiotics, specialized compounds made by plants, photosynthesis, luminescence of fireflies, and many other topics. This book details the chemical basis of life -- the structures ofproteins, DNA, RNA, polysaccharides, and lipids, and the ways that these ''building blocks'' are assembled into clusters, fibrils, tubules, membranes, ribosomes, mitochondria, and outer cell coats. It covers bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals; the structural chemistry of proteins, DNA, RNA, membranes, cell walls, isoprenoid compounds, polyketides, and alkaloids; enzyme mechanisms, kinetics, coenzymes, and metalloenzymes; metabolism, including the synthesis of DNA, RNA, and proteins; signaling, effects of light, and cell defense mechanisms