Essentials of Biological Chemistry

Essentials of Biological Chemistry is an introduction to this exciting and rapidly developing field of the chemistry of biologically active compounds. Assuming little in the way of biological knowledge, this text aims to develop students' understanding of how biological processes are controlled by underlying chemical principles. Taking a mechanistic approach, the book starts with the basics and carefully leads the reader through the essentials of the field. It begins by looking at biological systems and the physical chemistry of the cell, and then moves on to cover protein structure and function and catalytic proteins, and concludes with a number of case studies. Each chapter is carefully structured, and includes examples, summaries, self-test questions and problems.Essentials of Biological Chemistry:* Takes a mechanistic approach to this exciting subject.* Contains examples, chapter summaries, self-test questions and problems.* Includes a colour plate section and a number of carefully developed case studies.* Has an associated web site with molecular models, simulations and additional information: www.vuw.ac.nz/~teespitt/essentials/index.htmEssentials of Biological Chemistry will prove invaluable to students of chemistry taking a first course in biological chemistry.