Biochemistry: A Short Course

STREAMLINED COVERAGE OF MAJOR TOPICS
Based on instructor input, details of enzyme mechanisms and organic chemistry have been eliminated throughout the book, and extraneous and advanced topics have been removed. Coverage is broken into short chapters for ease of use.

A FOCUS ON RELEVANCE TO STUDENTS’ LIVES
Numerous examples and photos of biochemistry in action show students that biochemistry is part of everything they do and experience. Students learn a biochemical concept, then see how that concept is applied to the mechanisms of disease and treatment. Some examples of the health-related questions asked throughout the book include:

• Why do some people get stomach aches from drinking milk?
• In what ways are cancer and exercise training biologically similar?
• How does the study of drug abuse provide insight into Parkinson disease?
• How do cataracts result from a defect in a simple biochemical pathway?
• How does aspirin work?
• How do certain kinds of cholesterol predict heart attacks?
• What happens when athletes take steroids?
• How can mistakes in copying DNA lead to cancer?
• How can inducing more mistakes actually treat cancer?

SELF-ASSESSMENT THAT REINFORCE CONCEPTS

· Quick Quizzes in the margins help students assess their understanding of concepts as they learn them.
· End-of-chapter problems (40 per Section) help students apply what they have learned, not just recall what they have read.
· Students learn more analytical skills by watching Problem-Solving Videos on the Book Companion Site.