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.
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