Principles and Problems in Physical Chemistry for Biochemists - Hardcover

Price, Nicholas C.; Dwek, Raymond A.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0198555113 ISBN 13: 9780198555117

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1979

Synopsis

What use is physical chemistry to the student of biochemistry and biology? This central question is answered in this book mainly through the use of worked examples and problems. The text is brief and concise. It starts by introducing the laws of thermodynamics, and then uses these laws to derive the equations relevant to the student in dealing with chemical equilibria (including the binding of small molecules to proteins), properties of solutions, acids and bases, and oxidation-reduction processes. The student is thus shown how a knowledge of thermodynamic qualities makes it possible to predict whether, and how, a reaction will proceed. Thermodynamics, however, gives no information about how fast a reaction will happen. The study of the rates at which processes occur (kinetics) forms the second main theme of the book. This section poses and answers questions such as `how is the rate of a reaction affected by temperature, pH, ionic strength, and the nature of the reactants? These same ideas are then shown to be useful in the study of enzyme-catalysed reactions. This book is intended for all undergraduates interested in biology and biochemistry.

About this title

Review

"Remarkably efficient [at] putting across conceptually difficult material ... Principles and Problems will continue to be essential reading for biochemistry undergraduates." The Biochemist, June 2002

About the Author

Nicholas C. Price is at I.L.B.S. Division of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Glasgow. Raymond A. Dwek is at Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford.

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1979
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0198555113
• ISBN 13: 9780198555117
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 272