Biochemistry: The Molecular Basis of Life

Biochemistry: The Molecular Basis of Life is the ideal text for students who do not specialize in biochemistry but who require a strong grasp of biochemical principles. The goal of this edition has been to enrich the coverage of chemistry while better highlighting the biological context. Once concepts and problem-solving skills have been mastered, students are prepared to tackle the complexities of science, modern life, and their chosen professions.
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Distinctive Features
*A Review of Basic Principles. To ensure that all students are sufficiently prepared for acquiring a meaningful understanding of biochemistry, the first four chapters - now streamlined for easier coverage and self-study assignment - review the principles of relevant topics such as organic functional groups, noncovalent bonding, thermodynamics, and cell structure.
*Chemical and Biological Principles in Balance. Comprehensive coverage offers the flexibility for each instructor to decide how much chemistry or biology to present. Chemical mechanisms are always presented within the physiological context of the organism.
*Real-World Relevance. Because students who take the survey of biochemistry course come from a range of backgrounds and have diverse career goals, the fifth edition consistently demonstrates the fascinating connections between biochemical principles and the fields of medicine, nutrition, agriculture, bioengineering, and forensics.
*The most robust Problem-Solving Program available.
In-chapter "Worked Problems" illustrate how quantitative problems are solved, and dozens of "Questions" interspersed throughout the chapters provide students with opportunities to put their knowledge into action right when new concepts and high-interest topics are introduced. Chapter overviews, end-of-chapter "Review Questions" and "Thought Questions," and key-word lists help students grasp the big picture in each chapter.
*Simple, Clear Illustrations. Biochemical concepts often require a high degree of visualization, and the McKee & McKee art program brings complex processes to life. Over 700 full-color figures, many newly enhanced for a more vivid presentation in three dimensions and consistent scale and color for chemical structures.
*Currency. The fifth edition has been extensively updated with recent developments in the field, while remaining focused on the "big-picture" principles that are the focus of the one-term biochemistry course.
New to this Edition
*Chapter-opening Vignettes, an all-new feature of the fifth edition, give biological motivation. These 19 essays include the nature and diversity of life, the ocean's dark secret life, spider silk, humans and enzymes, sweet and bitter taste in diet, metabolism and jet engines, evolution as chance and necessity, oxygen's molecular paradox, global warming and renewable energy, the Gulf dead zone, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's, hypertension and uric acid, what makes us human, the medical mystery of DNA and chimeras, and the superbug MRSA
*New "Biochemistry in Perspective" boxes (9 new in all) on cell regulation and metabolism, protein folding and human disease, quantum tunneling and catalysis, wine production, turbo design dangers, myocardial infarct, the hormone cascade system, and trapped ribosomes
*New "Biochemistry in the Lab" boxes on protein sequence analysis and glycomics
*Beefed-up chemical coverage with increased emphasis on mechanisms
*Enhanced coverage of cutting-edge topics including RNAi, epigenetics and the epigenome, macromolecular crowding, GLUT transporters, systems biology, and the contribution of dietary fructose to the current epidemics of obesity and type II diabetes
*"Key Concept" icons, plus additional icons for biomedical applications with new labels identifying the application. Other icons point to JMOL visualization software.
*20% more end-of-chapter review and thought questions that were already doubled in number and expanded in range of difficulty in the fourth edition
*Updated coverage of coenzymes, viruses, and biotechnology
*Extended coverage of amino acids, proteins, enzymes, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, and genetic information--the basic building blocks--and trimmed down coverage of metabolism (especially nitrogen metabolism)
*The entire text is now tied to NEW Sapling Learning online homework system! Oxford University Press has partnered with Sapling Learning to produce an online homework and instructional solution for Biochemistry: The Molecular Basis of Life textbook. The text that presents the coverage you need with the relevance your students want is now available with the most powerful online homework system in the industry.

Gertrude McKee is a biochemist, who taught Biochemistry at Thomas Jefferson University, Rosemont College, and Immaculata College. James McKee is an Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, PA.