Physical and Chemical Basis of Molecular Biology

Description

The twenty-one chapters of this volume present a comprehensive description for chemists, biologists and students of the fundamental physical and chemical phenomena that form the basis of molecular biology. Topics include the fundamental thermodynamic and kinetic properties of biochemical reactions in solution; the physical properties of aqueous solutions, including the hydrophobic effect; both individual and cooperative noncovalent interactions between atoms and molecules; mass spectrometry; and radioactivity. Methods for observing the structures of nucleic acids and proteins, including microscopy, scanning probes, crystallography and NMR, are explained in detail. The interactions of macromolecules with radiation of various types are described in terms of the information that they yield. The hydrodynamic properties of proteins and nucleic acids in aqueous solution and in molecular sieves are described to explain centrifugation and electrophoresis. The interactions of macromolecules with other molecules in solution and when attached to solid supports are described, explaining chromatography, blotting, affinity labeling, and cross-linking. Content:• Front Matter • Common Abbreviations • Glossary • Preface • Table of Contents •Section 1. Fundamentals 1. Thermodynamics for Molecular Biology 2. Noncovalent Interactions between Atoms and Molecules 3. Aqueous Solutions 4. Kinetics: A Brief Review 5. Isotopes and Radioactivity 6. Mass Spectrometry •Section 2. Visualizing Macromolecules 7. Scattering of Radiation by Molecules 8. Microscopy and Scanning Probes 9. Crystallography •Section 3. Spectroscopy 10. Absorption and Emission of Light 11. Circular Dichroism 12. Vibrational Spectroscopy 13. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) 14. Electron Magnetic/Paramagnetic/Spin Resonance •Section 4. Transport in Solution 15. Hydrodynamics: Movements of Molecules in Solution 16. Sedimentation by Centrifugation 17. Electrophoresis 18. Molecular Sieves: Gel Filtration/Size Exclusion Chromatography •Section 5. Interactions between Molecules 19. Ligand Binding 20. Chromatography 21. Interactions of Immobilized Macromolecules Index