Foundations of Chemical Biology

by Dobson, C. M.; Gerrard, J. A.; Pratt, A. J.

• ISBN13: 9780199248995
• ISBN10: 0199248990
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-03-14
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Chemical biology is born out of a desire to understand the molecular basis of life. What are the molecules found in cells? How do their intrinsic properties equip them to perform all the complex processes found in cells? This book introduces the fundamental chemistry of the molecules that areessential to all cells. The molecules covered include amino acids and sugar phosphate derivatives, and the macromolecules derived from them (proteins and nucleic acids respectively). In such a short text it is not possible to provide a comprehensive account of the chemistry of these molecules;instead this book introduces important concepts concerning their intrinsic chemistry. The aim is to provide the fundamental ideas relating to the chemistry of life that can then be applied to more advanced aspects of chemical biology.

Author Biography

A. J. Pratt is Senior Lecturer in Chemistry at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand.

Table of Contents

The chemicals of biological systems	1	(6)
Introduction to amino acids and proteins	7	(12)
The structures of proteins	19	(10)
From structure to metabolic function: the globins	29	(10)
Proteins as catalysts	39	(12)
Sugars and phosphates: an introduction	51	(8)
Metabolism and the biochemistry of glucose	59	(10)
Lipids: cells as compartments	69	(8)
Genetic information: nucleotides and nucelic acids	77	(16)
Epilogue: where to from here?	93	(2)
Index	95