"Clinical Chemistry encompasses the study of the fundamental princi ples of chemistry as applied to an understanding of the functioning of the human organism in health and disease." 1 From its very definition, clinical chemistry is an applied science. Its scope includes the following: I. Studies designed to elucidate the chemical mechanisms whereby the human normally functions. 2. The application of this information to an understanding of the disease process in the human. 3. The development of methodology and instrumentation in order to facilitate data gathering so as to apply the above principles to the diagnosis and treatment of disease in the human. This book is an attempt to organize the information gathered relative to points I and 2 into a logical sequence so as to define the areas oj learning encompassed by the science oj clinical chemistry. It is constructed around the subject which is the target of this science, namely the human. The material is presented from the point of view of the clinical chemist, but since it is impossible to discuss a mechanism adequately without visualizing its parts, some schematic anatomical drawings are included to simplify the discussion of responses to chemical challenges. The book is partly a curriculum which has been worked out by the authors for the training of clinical chemists and clinical pathologists. It should also be useful for the training of medical technologists.

This book, the third volume in the series, continues to explore the application of chemistry to our understanding of the functioning of the human in health and disease. It is the objective of the authors to continue to present, in this and subsequent volumes, the biochemical aspects of clinical chemistry, and to indicate how this knowledge applies to the diagnosis of disease and the treatment of the patient. For this purpose, the literature is reviewed carefully and the findings of the different study groups are integrated, to present an overall view of the present status of the various fields. The text is written with the intent to serve in the training of clinical chemists, clinical pathologists, and medical students in clinical biochemistry. It is also intended to serve as a reference text for the practicing physician who desires a more rational approach to the use of the clinical chemistry laboratory, as an aid in understanding (1) the chemical changes in disease and (2) the logical use of the laboratory data in the treatment of the patient. This volume is concerned with the plasma proteins and their significance in normal human metabolism. The immunoglobulins are not included in this study since, along with complement and clotting factors, they form an integrated system concerned with defense against invading organisms. These will be discussed in Volume 4 of this series. A historical introduction (Chapter I) is followed by a general presentation of the composition and properties of proteins (Chapter 2).