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PART ONE: The Science of Life and its Chemical Basis
In biology textbooks, introductory chapters on cell chemistry can be dry and uninteresting to student readers. For this edition, this material has been revised in two ways. First, there is more emphasis on biological function as well as structure, and second, theories on the origin of life are woven into the chapters. There is now a separate chapter on nucleic acids, with an introduction of genes and gene expression. This will make references to transcription and translation in subsequent chapters clearer.
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| Chapter 1: Studying Life |
| A new opener that is tied to the discussion of the scientific method and experimental approaches introduces an environmental issue that is very current and makes the connection between biological research and public policy. This chapter now has a more complete coverage of the “tree of life.”
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| Chapter 2: Small Molecules and the Chemistry of Life |
| Greater emphasis is placed on the role of water in biochemistry, including a clearer explanation of the importance of hydrophobic/hydrophilic interactions. The sections on basic chemistry have been clarified and condensed. There is more discussion on the role of weak chemical interactions.
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| Chapter 3:
Proteins, Carbohydrates, and Lipids |
| There is a greater emphasis on structure and function. A classic experiment is described that investigated how the primary structure of a protein determines its three-dimensional structure. The role of chaperones is clarified. There is greater emphasis on the structure of phospholipids and how they assemble to form a membrane.
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| Chapter 4:
Nucleic Acids and the Origin of Life - NEW CHAPTER |
| This new chapter integrates an introduction to nucleic acids with their role in the origin of life. In addition to nucleic acid structures, there is a new introduction to gene expression through transcription and translation. This sets up discussions in many subsequent chapters before this topic is dealt with in depth in Chapters 13 and 14. Early and more recent ideas and experiments on the origin of life are described.
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