Product Description

Over the last few years, the language of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology has expanded enormously to the extent that few scientists can expect to be familiar with all the terms and concepts. This is partly due the massive influence of the Genome and successive "-omics" projects which have developed in to many new areas of research. At the same time, terms from other subject areas - including mathematics, statistics, physics and other life sciences - appear increasingly in the biochemical literature. The Oxford Dictionary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology provides a comprehensive and 'encyclopaedic' survey of modern biochemistry and molecular biology. This new edition of the popular dictionary has been comprehensively reviewed and updated to include many important new concepts and words. The entries are short but informative, providing up-to-date information on a broad range of topics, including definitions for terms from the fields of Bioinformatics, Biophysics, Cell Biology, Chemistry, Genetics, Immunology, Mathematics, Microbiology, Pharmacology, Systems Biology, and Toxicology. There are over 21000 main entries, which include: details of biochemical substances and the processes in which they are involved, methods and concepts in molecular biology, and definitions of biochemical symbols and abbreviations. Each entry is accessibly written. They point out pitfalls where terms are often confused, and explain the precise syntax of biochemical terms such as Greek letters and other formatting, which are invariably lost when searching the Internet. In addition, the dictionary is generously illustrated with over 900 chemical structures. The Oxford Dictionary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology will serve as an invaluable reference text for student and professional biochemists and molecular biologists seeking information both from within and outside their own fields. It will also be of relevance and use to a broader audience of life scientists seeking an authoritative overview of fundamental principles.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #956244 in Books
• Published on: 2006-06-29
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 3.97 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 736 pages

From Booklist
Just as its title suggests, this work is a dictionary of more than 17,000 terms currently in use in the fields of biochemistry and molecular biology. Entries are uniformly concise, with entries for the most complex topics (such as protein) covering only about half a page. In a single alphabet, the dictionary includes topics and methods, chemical substances, and brief biographical entries of key scientists. The only illustrations are structure diagrams of the more complex chemical compounds. Appendixes help the reader understand scientific nomenclature and Greek symbols, list organizations and Web sites of interest in the field, and cover current hot topics in biochemistry. Despite its low price (especially for a science reference source), this dictionary is not for every library. Because it will require a significant scientific background to be able to understand the content of this work, it is beyond the reach of the casual reader. Libraries supporting research or college-level study in the field will find it useful, but other libraries will be able to rely on existing chemical and biological reference works to cover this material. For public libraries, the eighth edition of the McGraw Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology [RBB S 15 97] and The Merck Index (12th ed., Merck, 1996), which is an excellent source for information on chemical compounds, will fill most needs.

Review
`Review from previous edition ....the book is almost an encyclopedia. It is comprehensive, thorough, clear, and accurate.' TIBS

`....the Dictionary will provide practising biochemists and molecular biologists with a valuable reference work as well as guidance on current terminology. It will prove of great value to those from other fields of study or work wishing to check or discover the meaning of a biochemical or molecular biological term.' FEBS Letters

`Along with the main text, the appendices provide good grounding in the mysteries of bioinformatics, nomenclature conventions and so on, making this a useful point of reference....any copy of this book that finds itself on a research laboratory's bookshelf will be dog-eared and coffee stained in a matter of months.' Nature

`This easy-to-use, well cross-referenced dictionary provides a wealth of useful and interesting information.' Society for General Microbiology Quarterly

`...probably the most comprehensive (and accurate) of the dictionaries at present on offer.' Biochemical Education

`....provides the latest information in biochemistry and in cellular and molecular biology, constituting therefore the most complete document actually at the disposal of life scientist on a very broad range of topics.' Cellular and Molecular Biology

`....besides offering a wealth of biochemical information, the dictionary contains the Internet addresses of relevant organizations, databases, and research tools.' SIM News

`The Dictionary is an invaluable source of information for biochemists as well as for other biologists, for teachers and their students as well. Undoubtedly this book has to be on the shelves of each biological laboratory in universities, hospitals, and biotechnology companies.' Immunological Investigations

`This book is a most impressive achievement which must become an essential volume in every departmental library and on the bookshelf of every research team' The Biochemist

From the Publisher
over 900 structures