Biochemistry(Satyanarayana,Chakrapani) .pdf

The term Biochemistrywas introducedby Carl Neubergin 1903.Biochemistrybroadlydealswith the
chemistrvof life and living processes.Thereis no exaggerationin the statement,'Thescopeof biochemistrg
is asuastaslilb itself!' Everyaspectof life-birth,growth,reproduction,aginganddeath,involvesbiochemistry.
For that matter,everymovementof life is packedwith hundredsof biochemicalreactions.Biochemistryis the
mostrapidlydevelopingandmostinnovativesubjectin medicine.Thisbecomesevidentfromthefactthatover
the years,the major shareof NobelPrizesearmarkedfor Medicineand Physiologyhasgoneto researchers
engagedir: biochemistry.
The disciplineof biochemistryservesas a torch light to trace the intricate complexicitiesof biology,
besidesunravellingthechemicalmysteriesoflife.Biochemicalresearchhasamplydemonstratedthatall living
thingsarecloselyrelatedat the molecularlevel.Thusbiochemistryis the subjectof unity in the diversified
livingkingdom.
Advancesin biochemistryhavetremendousimpacton humanwelfare,andhavelargelybenefitedmankind
andtheir living styles.Theseincludethe applicationof biochernistryin the laboratoryfor the diagnosisof
diseases.theproducts(insulin,interferon,€rowthhormoneetc.)obtainedfrom geneticengiineering,andthe
possibleuseof genetherapyin the nearfuture.
0rganizationof the Book
This texthook,comprising43 chapters,is orgianizedinto serrensecl:ionsin the heirarchicalorder of
learninSbiochemistry.
. SectionI dealswith the chemicalconstituentsof life-carbohydrates,lipids,proteinsandaminoacids,
nucleicacidsandenzymes.
. SectionII physiologicalchemistryincludesdigestionandahsorption,plasmaproteins,hemoglobinand
prophyrins,andbiologicaloxidation.
. SectionIII incorporatesall the metabolisms(carbohydrates,lipids,aminoacids,nucleotides,minerals)
. Section[V covershormones,organfunctiontests,water,electrolyteandacid-basebalance,tissueproteins
andtrodi'fluids,andnutrition.
. SectionV is exclusivelydevotedto molecularbiologyandbiotechnology(DNA-replication,recombination,
ar"lnrepair,transcriptionandtranslation,regulationofgeneexpression,recombinantDNAandbiotechnology)
. SectionVI givesrelevantinformation on current topicssuch a^shuman genomeproject,genetherapy,
bioirrtormatics,prostaglandins,diabetes,cancer,AIDSetc.
. Section VII dealswith the basic aspectsfor learning and understandingbiochemistry (bioorganic
chenristry',hiophysicalchemistrytoolsof biochemistry,genetics,immunology).
Each chapterin this book is carefully craftedwith colour illustrations, headingsand subheadingsto
facilitatequickunderstanding.Theimportantapplicationsofbiochemistryto humanhealthanddiseaseareput
togetherasbiomedical/clinicalconcepts.Iconsare usedat appropriateplacesto serveas 'landmarks'.
The origins of biochemicalwords,confusablesin biochemistry,practicalbiochemistryand clinical
biochemistrylaboratory,givenin the appendixare novelfeatures.
Thebriokis so organizedasto equipthe readerswith a comprehensiveknowledgeof biochemistry.