Author: Paul Engel
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0192558811
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 193
Book Description
Enzymes are the astonishing, tiny molecular machines that make life possible. Each one of these small proteins speeds up a single chemical reaction inside a living organism many millionfold. Working together, teams of enzymes carry out all the processes that collectively we recognise as life, from making DNA to digesting food. This Very Short Introduction explains the why and the how of speeding up these reactions - catalysis - before going on to reveal how we have evolved these catalysts of such extraordinary power and exquisite selectivity. Paul Engel shows how X-ray crystallography has revealed the complex molecular shapes that allow enzymes to function at an extraordinarily sophisticated level. He also examines medical aspects of enzymes, both in the way faulty enzymes cause disease and in the way enzymes can be used for diagnosis and therapy. Finally, he looks at the many varied ways in which individual enzymes, taken out of their biological context, are used nowadays as tools - in washing powders, food production, waste treatment, and chemical synthesis. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Enzymes: A Very Short Introduction
Author: Paul Engel
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0192558811
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 193
Book Description
Enzymes are the astonishing, tiny molecular machines that make life possible. Each one of these small proteins speeds up a single chemical reaction inside a living organism many millionfold. Working together, teams of enzymes carry out all the processes that collectively we recognise as life, from making DNA to digesting food. This Very Short Introduction explains the why and the how of speeding up these reactions - catalysis - before going on to reveal how we have evolved these catalysts of such extraordinary power and exquisite selectivity. Paul Engel shows how X-ray crystallography has revealed the complex molecular shapes that allow enzymes to function at an extraordinarily sophisticated level. He also examines medical aspects of enzymes, both in the way faulty enzymes cause disease and in the way enzymes can be used for diagnosis and therapy. Finally, he looks at the many varied ways in which individual enzymes, taken out of their biological context, are used nowadays as tools - in washing powders, food production, waste treatment, and chemical synthesis. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0192558811
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 193
Book Description
Enzymes are the astonishing, tiny molecular machines that make life possible. Each one of these small proteins speeds up a single chemical reaction inside a living organism many millionfold. Working together, teams of enzymes carry out all the processes that collectively we recognise as life, from making DNA to digesting food. This Very Short Introduction explains the why and the how of speeding up these reactions - catalysis - before going on to reveal how we have evolved these catalysts of such extraordinary power and exquisite selectivity. Paul Engel shows how X-ray crystallography has revealed the complex molecular shapes that allow enzymes to function at an extraordinarily sophisticated level. He also examines medical aspects of enzymes, both in the way faulty enzymes cause disease and in the way enzymes can be used for diagnosis and therapy. Finally, he looks at the many varied ways in which individual enzymes, taken out of their biological context, are used nowadays as tools - in washing powders, food production, waste treatment, and chemical synthesis. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
BIOCHEMISTRY
Author: MARK. LORCH
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781705282373
Category : Biochemistry
Languages : en
Pages :
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781705282373
Category : Biochemistry
Languages : en
Pages :
Book Description
Enzymes: A Very Short Introduction
Author: Paul Engel
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0192558803
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 152
Book Description
Enzymes are the astonishing, tiny molecular machines that make life possible. Each one of these small proteins speeds up a single chemical reaction inside a living organism many millionfold. Working together, teams of enzymes carry out all the processes that collectively we recognise as life, from making DNA to digesting food. This Very Short Introduction explains the why and the how of speeding up these reactions - catalysis - before going on to reveal how we have evolved these catalysts of such extraordinary power and exquisite selectivity. Paul Engel shows how X-ray crystallography has revealed the complex molecular shapes that allow enzymes to function at an extraordinarily sophisticated level. He also examines medical aspects of enzymes, both in the way faulty enzymes cause disease and in the way enzymes can be used for diagnosis and therapy. Finally, he looks at the many varied ways in which individual enzymes, taken out of their biological context, are used nowadays as tools - in washing powders, food production, waste treatment, and chemical synthesis. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0192558803
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 152
Book Description
Enzymes are the astonishing, tiny molecular machines that make life possible. Each one of these small proteins speeds up a single chemical reaction inside a living organism many millionfold. Working together, teams of enzymes carry out all the processes that collectively we recognise as life, from making DNA to digesting food. This Very Short Introduction explains the why and the how of speeding up these reactions - catalysis - before going on to reveal how we have evolved these catalysts of such extraordinary power and exquisite selectivity. Paul Engel shows how X-ray crystallography has revealed the complex molecular shapes that allow enzymes to function at an extraordinarily sophisticated level. He also examines medical aspects of enzymes, both in the way faulty enzymes cause disease and in the way enzymes can be used for diagnosis and therapy. Finally, he looks at the many varied ways in which individual enzymes, taken out of their biological context, are used nowadays as tools - in washing powders, food production, waste treatment, and chemical synthesis. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Biochemistry: A Very Short Introduction
Author: Mark Lorch
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0192570625
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 144
Book Description
Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring From the simplest bacteria to humans, all living things are composed of cells of one type or another, all of which have fundamentally the same chemistry. This chemistry must provide mechanisms that allow cells to interact with the external world, a means to power the cell, machinery to carry out varied processes within the cell, a structure within which everything runs, and also governance through a web of interlocking chemical reactions. Biochemistry is the study of those reactions, the molecules that are created, manipulated, and destroyed as a result of them, and the massive macromolecules (such as DNA, cytoskeletons, proteins and carbohydrates) that form the chemical machinery and structures on which these biochemical reactions take place. It didn't take long for an understanding of the chemistry of life to turn into a desire to manipulate it. Drugs and therapies all aim to modify biochemical processes for good or ill: Penicillin, derived from mould, stops bacteria making their cell walls. Aspirin, with its origins in willow bark, inhibits enzymes involved in inflammatory responses. A few nanograms of botulinum toxin (botox), can kill by preventing the release of neurotransmitters from the ends of nerves and so leads to paralysis and death, or give a wrinkle free forehead (if administered in very tiny quantities).This Very Short Introduction discusses the key concepts of biochemistry, as well as the historical figures in the field and the molecules they studied, before considering the current science and innovations in the field, and the interaction between biochemistry, biotechnology, and synthetic biology. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0192570625
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 144
Book Description
Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring From the simplest bacteria to humans, all living things are composed of cells of one type or another, all of which have fundamentally the same chemistry. This chemistry must provide mechanisms that allow cells to interact with the external world, a means to power the cell, machinery to carry out varied processes within the cell, a structure within which everything runs, and also governance through a web of interlocking chemical reactions. Biochemistry is the study of those reactions, the molecules that are created, manipulated, and destroyed as a result of them, and the massive macromolecules (such as DNA, cytoskeletons, proteins and carbohydrates) that form the chemical machinery and structures on which these biochemical reactions take place. It didn't take long for an understanding of the chemistry of life to turn into a desire to manipulate it. Drugs and therapies all aim to modify biochemical processes for good or ill: Penicillin, derived from mould, stops bacteria making their cell walls. Aspirin, with its origins in willow bark, inhibits enzymes involved in inflammatory responses. A few nanograms of botulinum toxin (botox), can kill by preventing the release of neurotransmitters from the ends of nerves and so leads to paralysis and death, or give a wrinkle free forehead (if administered in very tiny quantities).This Very Short Introduction discusses the key concepts of biochemistry, as well as the historical figures in the field and the molecules they studied, before considering the current science and innovations in the field, and the interaction between biochemistry, biotechnology, and synthetic biology. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Astrobiology: A Very Short Introduction
Author: David C. Catling
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199586454
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 161
Book Description
Examines the origins of life on Earth and the search for extraterrestrial life, through an understanding of the factors that have allowed life to exist on this planet and the commonalities on others that may enable life elsewhere.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199586454
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 161
Book Description
Examines the origins of life on Earth and the search for extraterrestrial life, through an understanding of the factors that have allowed life to exist on this planet and the commonalities on others that may enable life elsewhere.
Microbiology: A Very Short Introduction
Author: Nicholas P. Money
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191503916
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 137
Book Description
In recent decades we have come to realize that the microbial world is hugely diverse, and can be found in the most extreme environments. Fungi, single-celled protists, bacteria, archaea, and the vast array of viruses and sub-viral particles far outnumber plants and animals. Microbes, we now know, play a critical role in ecosystems, in the chemistry of atmosphere and oceans, and within our bodies. The field of microbiology, armed with new techniques from molecular biology, is now one of the most vibrant in the life sciences. In this Very Short Introduction Nicholas P. Money explores not only the traditional methods of microscopy and laboratory culture but also the modern techniques of genetic detection and DNA sequencing, genomic analysis, and genetic manipulation. In turn he demonstrates how advances in microbiology have had a tremendous impact on the areas of medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191503916
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 137
Book Description
In recent decades we have come to realize that the microbial world is hugely diverse, and can be found in the most extreme environments. Fungi, single-celled protists, bacteria, archaea, and the vast array of viruses and sub-viral particles far outnumber plants and animals. Microbes, we now know, play a critical role in ecosystems, in the chemistry of atmosphere and oceans, and within our bodies. The field of microbiology, armed with new techniques from molecular biology, is now one of the most vibrant in the life sciences. In this Very Short Introduction Nicholas P. Money explores not only the traditional methods of microscopy and laboratory culture but also the modern techniques of genetic detection and DNA sequencing, genomic analysis, and genetic manipulation. In turn he demonstrates how advances in microbiology have had a tremendous impact on the areas of medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Enzymes
Author: Robert A. Copeland
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0471461857
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 416
Book Description
Fully updated and expanded-a solid foundation for understandingexperimental enzymology. This practical, up-to-date survey is designed for a broadspectrum of biological and chemical scientists who are beginning todelve into modern enzymology. Enzymes, Second Editionexplains the structural complexities of proteins and enzymes andthe mechanisms by which enzymes perform their catalytic functions.The book provides illustrative examples from the contemporaryliterature to guide the reader through concepts and data analysisprocedures. Clear, well-written descriptions simplify the complexmathematical treatment of enzyme kinetic data, and numerouscitations at the end of each chapter enable the reader to accessthe primary literature and more in-depth treatments of specifictopics. This Second Edition of Enzymes: A Practical Introductionto Structure, Mechanism, and Data Analysis features refinedand expanded coverage of many concepts, while retaining theintroductory nature of the book. Important new featuresinclude: A new chapter on protein-ligand binding equilibria Expanded coverage of chemical mechanisms in enzyme catalysisand experimental measurements of enzyme activity Updated and refined discussions of enzyme inhibitors andmultiple substrate reactions Coverage of current practical applications to the study ofenzymology Supplemented with appendices providing contact information forsuppliers of reagents and equipment for enzyme studies, as well asa survey of useful Internet sites and computer software forenzymatic data analysis, Enzymes, Second Edition isthe ultimate practical guide for scientists and students inbiochemical, pharmaceutical, biotechnical, medicinal, andagricultural/food-related research.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0471461857
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 416
Book Description
Fully updated and expanded-a solid foundation for understandingexperimental enzymology. This practical, up-to-date survey is designed for a broadspectrum of biological and chemical scientists who are beginning todelve into modern enzymology. Enzymes, Second Editionexplains the structural complexities of proteins and enzymes andthe mechanisms by which enzymes perform their catalytic functions.The book provides illustrative examples from the contemporaryliterature to guide the reader through concepts and data analysisprocedures. Clear, well-written descriptions simplify the complexmathematical treatment of enzyme kinetic data, and numerouscitations at the end of each chapter enable the reader to accessthe primary literature and more in-depth treatments of specifictopics. This Second Edition of Enzymes: A Practical Introductionto Structure, Mechanism, and Data Analysis features refinedand expanded coverage of many concepts, while retaining theintroductory nature of the book. Important new featuresinclude: A new chapter on protein-ligand binding equilibria Expanded coverage of chemical mechanisms in enzyme catalysisand experimental measurements of enzyme activity Updated and refined discussions of enzyme inhibitors andmultiple substrate reactions Coverage of current practical applications to the study ofenzymology Supplemented with appendices providing contact information forsuppliers of reagents and equipment for enzyme studies, as well asa survey of useful Internet sites and computer software forenzymatic data analysis, Enzymes, Second Edition isthe ultimate practical guide for scientists and students inbiochemical, pharmaceutical, biotechnical, medicinal, andagricultural/food-related research.
Molecules: A Very Short Introduction
Author: Philip Ball
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 019157841X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 184
Book Description
The processes in a single living cell are akin to that of a city teeming with molecular inhabitants that move, communicate, cooperate, and compete. In this Very Short Introduction, Philip Ball explores the role of the molecule in and around us - how, for example, a single fertilized egg can grow into a multi-celled Mozart, what makes spider's silk insoluble in the morning dew, and how this molecular dynamism is being captured in the laboratory, promising to reinvent chemistry as the central creative science of the century. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 019157841X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 184
Book Description
The processes in a single living cell are akin to that of a city teeming with molecular inhabitants that move, communicate, cooperate, and compete. In this Very Short Introduction, Philip Ball explores the role of the molecule in and around us - how, for example, a single fertilized egg can grow into a multi-celled Mozart, what makes spider's silk insoluble in the morning dew, and how this molecular dynamism is being captured in the laboratory, promising to reinvent chemistry as the central creative science of the century. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Enzyme Assays
Author: Robert Eisenthal
Publisher: Practical Approach
ISBN: 9780199638208
Category : Analysis
Languages : en
Pages : 310
Book Description
Enzyme assays are among the most frequently performed procedures in biochemistry and are routinely used to estimate the amount of enzyme present in a cell or tissue, to follow the purification of an enzyme, or to determine the kinetic parameters of a system. The range of techniques used tomeasure the rate of an enzyme-catalysed reaction is limited only by the nature of the chemical change and the ingenuity of the investigator. This book describes the design and execution of enzyme assays, covering both general principles and specific chapters.Building upon the highly popular first edition, this book combines revised or rewritten chapters with entirely new contributions. Topics include experimental protocols covering photometric, radiometric, HPLC, and electrochemical assays, along with methods for determining enzyme assays after gelelectrophoresis. The theory underlying each method is outlined, together with a description of the instrumentation, sensitivity and sources of error. Also included are chapters on the principles of enzyme assay and kinetic studies; techniques for enzyme extraction; high- throughout screening;statistical analysis of enzyme kinetic data; and the determination of active site concentration.This second edition of Enzyme Assays will be valuable not only to biochemists, but to researchers in all areas of the life sciences.
Publisher: Practical Approach
ISBN: 9780199638208
Category : Analysis
Languages : en
Pages : 310
Book Description
Enzyme assays are among the most frequently performed procedures in biochemistry and are routinely used to estimate the amount of enzyme present in a cell or tissue, to follow the purification of an enzyme, or to determine the kinetic parameters of a system. The range of techniques used tomeasure the rate of an enzyme-catalysed reaction is limited only by the nature of the chemical change and the ingenuity of the investigator. This book describes the design and execution of enzyme assays, covering both general principles and specific chapters.Building upon the highly popular first edition, this book combines revised or rewritten chapters with entirely new contributions. Topics include experimental protocols covering photometric, radiometric, HPLC, and electrochemical assays, along with methods for determining enzyme assays after gelelectrophoresis. The theory underlying each method is outlined, together with a description of the instrumentation, sensitivity and sources of error. Also included are chapters on the principles of enzyme assay and kinetic studies; techniques for enzyme extraction; high- throughout screening;statistical analysis of enzyme kinetic data; and the determination of active site concentration.This second edition of Enzyme Assays will be valuable not only to biochemists, but to researchers in all areas of the life sciences.
Organic Chemistry: A Very Short Introduction
Author: Graham Patrick
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0191077852
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 144
Book Description
Organic chemistry is the chemistry of compounds of carbon. The ability of carbon to link together to form long chain molecules and ring compounds as well as bonding with many other elements has led to a vast array of organic compounds. These compounds are central to life, forming the basis for organic molecules such as nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. In this Very Short Introduction Graham Patrick covers the whole range of organic compounds and their roles. Beginning with the structures and properties of the basic groups of organic compounds, he goes on to consider organic compounds in the areas of pharmaceuticals, polymers, food and drink, petrochemicals, and nanotechnology. He looks at how new materials, in particular the single layer form of carbon called graphene, are opening up exciting new possibilities for applications, and discusses the particular challenges of working with carbon compounds, many of which are colourless. Patrick also discusses techniques used in the field. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0191077852
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 144
Book Description
Organic chemistry is the chemistry of compounds of carbon. The ability of carbon to link together to form long chain molecules and ring compounds as well as bonding with many other elements has led to a vast array of organic compounds. These compounds are central to life, forming the basis for organic molecules such as nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. In this Very Short Introduction Graham Patrick covers the whole range of organic compounds and their roles. Beginning with the structures and properties of the basic groups of organic compounds, he goes on to consider organic compounds in the areas of pharmaceuticals, polymers, food and drink, petrochemicals, and nanotechnology. He looks at how new materials, in particular the single layer form of carbon called graphene, are opening up exciting new possibilities for applications, and discusses the particular challenges of working with carbon compounds, many of which are colourless. Patrick also discusses techniques used in the field. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.