Principles and Problems in Physical Chemistry for Biochemists

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 book starts by introducing the laws of thermodynamics, and then uses these laws to derive the equations relevantto 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, ionicstrength, and the nature of the reactants? These same ideas are then shown to be useful in the study of enzyme-catalysed reactions.

Nicholas Price is Professor of Protein Science in the Division of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Glasgow Raymond Dwek, FRS, is Head of the Department of Biochemistry and Director of the Glycobiology Institute, University of Oxford and a Professorial Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford George Ratcliffe is Professor of Plant Sciences in the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford and a Fellow of New College, Oxford Mark Wormald is a University Research Lecturer in the Glycobiology Institute, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford and a Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford