Stephen Contakes 
30-Second Biochemistry 
The 50 vital processes in and around living organisms, each explained in half a minute

The successful 30-Seco
nd series tackles biochemistry, the science of the chemical processes which underpin the workings of all organic life.




30-Second Biochemistry takes 50 of the
most significant ideas relating to the study of the chemical processes connected to living organisms,
simplifying each concept using just 300 words and one picture.



By using chemical procedures to tackle biological challenges, biochemistry reveals the behaviour of complex molecules and how they
combine to form the building blocks of life .



Through this book you will gain a
clear understanding of a fascinating area of science , embarking on a journey that
reveals how new life is created , the path molecules take to develop from microscopic cells into complete organisms and how energy is harvested and harnessed to help organisms function efficiently.



Have all the key terms of this fascinating science
explained in simple, bitesize chunks of information-rich text,   as well as meeting the key figures who have helped make biochemistry what it is today.

Table of Content

6 Introduction

 


Chapter 1: Biochemistry’s Context

12 GLOSSARY

14 Life’s Scale

16 Life’s Units

18 Life’s Power

20 Life’s Rules

22 Life’s Matrix

24 Life’s Give & Take

26 Profile: Lawrence Henderson

28 Life’s Organizing Force

 


Chapter 2: Building Blocks

32 GLOSSARY

34 Elements

36 Bonds: Life’s Handedness

38 Chains: Biological Polymers

40 Lipids

42 Sweetness: Carbohydrates

44 Profile: Frederick Sanger

46 Life’s Letters: Nucleotides

48 Workforce: Amino Acids

& Peptides

 


Chapter 3: Machinery

52 GLOSSARY

54 Protein Folding & Aggregation

56 Shape: Protein Structure

58 Profile: Max Perutz

60 Roads & Rafters: Structural

Proteins

62 Motors

64 Transport & Storage

66 Membranes, Messengers

& Receptors

68 Making Life Go: Enzymes

 


Chapter 4: Harvesting Energy

72 GLOSSARY

74 Life’s Currency

76 Using Big Carbs

78 Using Small Carbs

80 Long-term Storage

& Burning Fats

82 The Central Hub

84 Profile: Hans Krebs

86 ATP From Air

88 Mobilizing the Cell

 


Chapter 5: Making Life

92 GLOSSARY

94 Burning in Reverse:

Photosynthesis

96 Bringing in the Nitrogen

98 Pooling the Amino Acids

100 The Making of the

Message Bearers

102 Maintaining the Code

104 Profile: James Watson, Francis

Crick & Rosalind Franklin

106 Reading the Book

108 Doctoring Decoding: Epigenetics

110 Finding the Source

 


Chapter 6: Staying Alive

114 GLOSSARY

116 In & Out: Digestion & Excretion

118 Blood, Breath & Balance

120 Moving

122 Profile: Hugh Huxley

124 Biochemistry on the Brain

1 26 Detox

128 Electrolyte Balance

130 Coordinating the Defence

 


Chapter 7: In Sickness & Health

134 GLOSSARY

136 Things We Need

138 Staying Fit

140 Progeny & the Pill

142 Maintaining the Right Balance

144 Repelling the Hijackers

146 Profile: Gertrude Elion

& George Hitchings

148 When Cells Break Bad

150 Gene Editing

 

152 Appendices

154 Resources

156 Notes on Contributors

158 Index

160 Acknowledgements

 

About the author

Stephen Contakes is Associate Professor of Chemistry at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California, where he teaches courses in inorganic, analytic and physical chemistry. With a background in organometallic and bioinorganic chemistry, his research interests involve the preparation of redox-active hydrogen bonded assemblies and photoactive nanoparticle catalysts for use in pollutant remediation.