Biochemistry (Available Titles CengageNOW)

Book Preface

The Fourth Edition

Scientific understanding of the molecular nature of life is growing at an astounding rate. Significantly, society is the prime beneficiary of this increased understanding. Cures for diseases, better public health, remedies for environmental pollution, and the development of cheaper and safer natural products are just a few practical benefits of this knowledge. In addition, this expansion of information fuels, in the words of Thomas Jefferson, “the illimitable freedom of the human mind.” Scientists can use the tools of biochemistry and molecular biology to explore all aspects of an organism—from basic questions about its chemical composition, through inquiries into the complexities of its metabolism, its differentiation and development, to analysis of its evolution and even its behavior. New procedures based on the results of these explorations lie at the heart of the many modern medical miracles. Biochemistry is a science whose boundaries now encompass all aspects of biology, from molecules to cells, to organisms, to ecology, and to all aspects of health care. This fourth edition of Biochemistry embodies and reflects the expanse of this knowledge. We hope that this new edition will encourage students to ask questions of their own and to push the boundaries of their curiosity about science.

Making Connections

As the explication of natural phenomena rests more and more on biochemistry, its inclusion in undergraduate and graduate curricula in biology, chemistry, and the health sciences becomes imperative. The challenge to authors and instructors is a formidable one: how to familiarize students with the essential features of modern biochemistry in an introductory course or textbook. Fortunately, the increased scope of knowledge allows scientists to make generalizations connecting the biochemical properties of living systems with the character of their constituent molecules. As a consequence, these generalizations, validated by repetitive examples, emerge in time as principles of biochemistry, principles that are useful in discerning and describing new relationships between diverse biomolecular functions and in predicting the mechanisms underlying newly discovered biomolecular processes. Nevertheless, it is increasingly apparent that students must develop skills in inquiry-based learning, so that, beyond this first encounter with biochemical principles and concepts, students are equipped to explore science on their own. Much of the design of this new edition is meant to foster the development of such skills. We are both biochemists, but one of us is in a biology department, and the other is in a chemistry department. Undoubtedly, we each view biochemistry through the lens of our respective disciplines. We believe, however, that our collaboration on this textbook represents a melding of our perspectives that will provide new dimensions of appreciation and understanding for all students.