version of the hook is a useful text for introductory biochemistry, partienlady for sludents with a physial science baekeround.
book reviews Editor: W. F. KIEFFER College of Woosler Wooster, Ohio
ROBERTS A. SMITH University of Califomin Los Angela
Dynamic Aspects of Biochemistry Biochemistry: A Brief Course
Abraham Mamr and Benjamin Harroul, both of City University of New York. W. B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia, 1968. 445 pp. Figs. and tables. 16 X 24cm. $9.
One is pleasantly surprised an reading this lstest edition of a book which mrny in the field will recognize has been around through several prior versions. The letest edition appears to he a. completely new hook and cannot even he compared with the previous offerings by these authors. It seems geared to the changing audience for introduct,ory biochemistry and lacks much of the more descript,ive physiological chemist,ry oft,en found in larger works. This book appears admirably snited t,o t,he sophomore or jnnior with some backponnd in organic chemistry. The aothors have present,ed intradrmtory biochemistry in a sequence which fits uuefully following int,roductory organic chemistry since it, allows an inst,rnctor a logical progression from purely organic chemistry t,o the chemistry of molecules of biological importance and finally to t,he chemistry of metabolic processes. An important step in this sequence is the introduction early (Chapter 1) in the book of the grass anatomy of a cell which is highly wefnl for students with a physical science background. All too often introductory biochemistry text h o o k neglect to focus the students at,tent,ion to t,he fact that the science has developed as a result of man's attempt t,o nnderst,and the mysteries of cellolar stnlct,we and fnnction. Mazur and Harrow have, however, started their book with a discussion of cellular organization which
should help orient the student with s. purely chemical background. The hook moves on to the chemistry of proteins and emphasizes the properties of proteins which are pnrely a part of their being large molecules. The student is left with no doubt about the higher orders of structure of proteins although the difference between secondary and tertiary structure of proteins is not clearly spelled out,. A logical follow up to the discnssion of protein structure is a discussion of biological catalysis which is treated a t s n adequately introductory level. Following these chapters the hook moves on to a. discussion of the chemistry and structure of nucleie acids and this together with the chapters on nuoleic acid metabolism and protein synthesis make an excellent unit. The student is exposed to enough basic nucleic acid chemistry hefore the discussion of nucleic acid function so that again he can gain an appreciation of properties of nncleic acids which result from their size and particular stroct u r d features. The chapter on hiological oxidation which incidently includes hiological energy generation and transfer, precedes the d e tailed discussion of carbohydrate chemistry and metaholism. I t is logically presented and gives a, good stepping off point for intermediary metabolism. It was the authors' choice to present met* halic regulatory mechanisms in the chapter dealing with lipid metabolism. I t is this reviewer's conviction that these important concepts should be included with the discussion of the metabolic pathwsys more often considered as part of the energy process. As is often the case with new hooks, this one is not free from error missed inproafing. Most of these will easily he caught by students, none in our use of the book have caused serious concern. All in all this
-Reviewed in this lssue Abraham Mazur and Benjamin Harrow, Biochemistry: A Brief Course Ernest Baldwin, Dynamic Aspects of Biochemistry
J. W. Richards, Interpretation of Technical Data Ruth A. Walker and Helen Johnston, The Language of Chemistry. Reading, Writing, and Understanding Equations Ocorqs W . IV~irzfart,Pyrotechnics
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Ernest Baldwin, University College in the University of London. 5t,h ed. University Printing House, Cambridge, 466 pp. Figs. October 1967. xiv and tables. 16 X 23.5 cm. $9.50.
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"Dynamic Aspects of Biochemistry" was first published twenty-one years ago. The latest edition, the fifth, is a n exemplary t,ext-hook for the serious young student of biology who seeks a. concise treatment of the chemical basis for metabolic pathways. As in the previous editions, the hook consists of two parts, Enzymes and Metaholism. The first three chapters deal with the nature of enzymatic catalysis and biological energetics. The succeeding five chapters in this section treat the general types of enzymes, namely the hydralases, transferases, lyases and isamerases, oxidases, and dehydrogenase systems. I n this section, Professor Baldwin has used good judgment with the difficult matter of enzyme nomenclature, using acceptable trivial nomenclature along with synonyms when required. As in the previous editions, the section on metabolism begins with a chapter on biochemical methodology. The sueceeding parts deal successively with the metnbo h m of the amino acids, nucleatides, carbohydrates, and fats. Included in the second part of the hook also is a omprehensive discussion of the eitrate cycle with emphesis on its relevance to energy produetion in aerobic systems. One major deletion in the current edition is the c h a p ter an Special Aspects of Nitrogen Metahalism, which treated such metaholifes as quaternary nitrogencompounds, theimidsi zole bases, and taurine. Discussion of these compounds has been incorporated into the other chapters. Unfortunately, the lstest edition, like the Fourth, has no bibliography. The major revisions in the letest edition are the treatment of onecarbon metabolism, t,he nucleatides and nucleic acids, and lipid metabolism. One minor error in the discussions of tetrahydrafolate derivatives on page 109 is the assignment of the CH, of methyl-tetrshydrofolie acid to the number 10 N rather than to the number 5 N. There is also the incorrect implicatiqn that betaines can be derived in mammalian systems from glycine by successive methylations of glycine. The new section on the relationshi~sbetween nucleic acids and protein synthesis, although only six pages (Continued on page A620)
book reviews in length, is clearly presented and will he usefd t o the beginning student wishing an orientation with the field. The summary of purine synthesis outlined in Fig. 55, p. 283, has several errors which might mislend the slodent. An one example, step (3) shows n reaction involving ATP, tetrahydrofolate, and formate, rrdher than ,5,lO-methenyl-tetrahydrofolate.Snch a farmulxtion might suggest that one enzyme system catdyaes two unrelated reactions. I t also would have been well to indicate the reversihility of several of t,he steps and to mentinn the significance of ATP being converted to AT)P and Pi in these synthetic reactions. The last chnpier of thc hook, on the mctabolism of fats, is a good survey of both over-all metabolic pathways and mechrtnismaof individual reactions. Regretfdly, Professor Bnldwin has chosen not to d i cuss i.he hiosynthesis of cholesterol, I he delineation of which is one of the scientific trinmphs of our age. With his lalenl for summarizing complicated renction sequences in a very h ~ c i dstyle, i t ran be hoped that the s~ltlrorwill treat. this topic in his next edition. The number of text-books in hiochemist,ry has increased a t the predicted rate dming the past decade, and many books in physiology and cell biology also have sect,ions which can be e d e d "biochemistry." The choice of such books for the beginning student must depend in large measure on
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rinm and the corresponding driving force of a reaction appear. Sections are forther given to Lewis Acids and Bases and to the Ligand Field Theory. The chemistry is generally, though not always, aqneous. The chemistry of organic comW. R. FRISELL pomds and Ligand Field Theory are given School qf Medicme representative treatment. Uniuelsill, of Colorado The method imed for any pariic~dar Denver topic is: first, to explain the chemical principles involved; second, to work out, illnstrative problems according to these prinriples: and third to provide a collecThe Language of Chemistry. Reading. tion of exercise;, whose answers are to be Writing, a n d Understanding Equations found in the appendix. At, times the euerrises deal with several of the previous Ruth A . Walker and Helen Johnslon, seclions. Theory often appears as x sel. both of Hunter College of the City of statements to he mderstood, such ns University of New York. Prenticethe theory of redox reactions. Hall, Ine., Endewnod Cliffs, New Jersey, The data. of this hook consist largely of 1967.. x 192 pp. Figs. and tables. tablea, such as Tahle 6-5, Standard Elec15 X 23 cm. Paperbormd. $2.95. trode Potentials in Acidic Aqueaos SOIL!tians, abbreviated from Latimer to ahout, The "Language of Chemistry" is a twenty-one items. There are some excurmonograph on t,he reading, writing, and sions into data, related t o theory, such as understanding of the chemical eqmt,ion. in Tahle 7-1, the Periodicity of Pituling's I t cont,ains a. brief int,rodnct,ion to the Elect~.onegativities. Now and then adnaming of ions and compounds. The vice is given to consult t,he literatnre, for ideal of predicting the possible products which citation is given. of a reaction, if such occur, is set up early Some instn~ct,orsmight call this probin this work, and the balancing of such a lem book. Although i t contains almost chemical statement into whst is known as of various one hundred and fifty a chemical equation is soon imdertaken. subdivision and complexity, it. seems to go The gradient of difficnlty for the student. deeper into theory than the m n of the mill ascends thro~rghont the work. One is problem hook and, by the same token, to carried throogh the n s ~ ~ smetathesis, l nroton exhanee. .. , and redox reactions in omit many of the fine points of problem teaching even within the scope of its snbmost of their logicnlly organized stthdiviject matter. The hook carries a modicum sions and seqnences. Chemical eqnilibthe personal prejudices and pedagogical methods of t,he teacher. Professor Baldwin's book st,ill ranks among the bet,ter introductory texts because of its overall evidence of scholarship.
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