Text Book Of Medicinal Biochemistry

About the Book:
This book covers the syllabus of Biochemistry prescribed by different Indian Universities for the preclinical students of medical colleges. It is intended to provide a broad knowledge of General Biochemistry with essentials of some rapidly advancing fields like Immunochemistry, Nucleic acids, Protein synthesis and Gene expression.

The book includes relevant basic physical chemistry and organic chemistry with detailed presentation of the biomolecules together with structure and function of the living cell. The special factors involved in biochemical reactions are dealt with for their chemical nature and mechanism of action based on current advances of molecular basis.

General metabolic reactions are explained diagrammatically with up-to-date information in terms of structure of molecules. Metabolic changes under special conditions like starvation, high altitude, deep sea diving, astronautical flights, sports and disease conditions are included.
A correlating link has been maintained throughout with Clinical Medicine wherever applicable. Digestion, absorption, organ functions and changes of blood constitutions in diseases are given with sufficient details for an easy follow-up in contemporary and future subjects of study by the students in the medical course.

Medicinal subjects, not usually included in General Biochemistry such as contraception, toxicology. Nutrition radioisotopes and antimetabolites are also described with enough fundamentals for a thorough understanding.


About the Author:
?R.L. Nath hold a Ph.D from London University for his pioneering research on the electronic nechanism of enzyme action using -D-glycosidase from emulsin. His continued research on enzymes carried out in India for nearly 20 years brought him international recognition. Other areas of his research include development of methodology suited to Indian conditions in clinical Biochemistry, determination of normal ranges of biochemical constituents in body fluids for local population, carbohydrate metabolism, clinic biochemical studies on diseases like diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease and nephritic syndrome as well as on the possible applicability of steroids in the treatment of meningitis collaboration with the Johns Hopkins University of USA.?

He has to his credit about 155 research publications in India and abroad besides a book Practice of Biochemistry in Clinical Medicine (1976, enlarged second edition, 1990) with up-to-date technique for clinical investigations and interpretation of results. It was the first book of its kind in India. Besides various honours in India including UGC award as an eminent retired teacher, Dr. Nath has been cited in such international biographies as World Whos Who in Science-from antiquity to the present (1968), Whos Who in the World (1974-75) and International Directory of Distinguished Leadership (1996) in USA and also in Dictionary of International Biography (1974-75) and Men of Achievement (1976) in UK. He was a collaborator of Enzymologia for 9 years.

Dr. Nath has taught Chemistry, Biochemistry and Chemical Pathology to medical students and performed/supervised biochemical investigations for patients for nearly 50 years (1939-88). He served as Professor and head of the Department of Biochemistry in the renowned postgraduate medical institute, the school of Tropical Medicine, Calcutta. After retirement, he joined the R.K. Mission Seva Pratishthan, a general hospital, as Head of Biochemistry Department and Consultant in Biochemistry; he was subsequently appointed as Professor of the Vivekananda Institute of Medical Sciences holding the post till 1988. He served the University College of Medicine, Calcutta as extra mural professor teaching Clinical Biochemistry in the post-graduate classes for nearly 7 years.

His deep insight into the inadequacies in the teaching of Biochemistry. responsible for students? poor understanding of the role of basic sciences in Clinical medicine and associated subject. has induced him to write the present theoretical treatise. Medical graduates without specialization will benefit from the fundamental pre-requisites and continuation links provided between Biochemistry, Clinical Medicine and allied subjects of the medical sciences.


Contents:

Introduction
Some Fundamental Aspects in Chemistry
Fluid Electrolyte Homeostasis in the Body
The Cell
Enzymes
Chemistry of Carbohydrates
Chemistry of Lipids
Chemistry of Amino Acids and Proteins
Vitamins and Coezymes
Bioenergetics and Biological Oxidation
The Alimentary System
Metabolism of Carbohydrates
Metabolism of Lipids
Metabolism of Amino Acids and Proteins
Nucleic Acids and Protein Biosynthesis
Integration of Metabolism of Carbohydrates, Lipids and Proteins and Adaptation under Starvation
Metabolism of Some Inorganic Constituents
Porphyrins and Hemoglobins
The Immune System
Nervous Conduction and Muscular Contraction
Detoxication
Functions of Some Organs and their Tests
Nutrition
The Blood
Antimetabolites
Fertility Control
Radioisotopes
Appendicies.