Book Description
An understanding of biochemistry and molecular cell biology opens the door to an understanding of life itself. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is perfectly suited to opening up this subject to the widest range of students, giving insights into this fascinating area with which every biological and biomedical science student should be familiar.Biochemistry and Molecular Biology takes students from the fundamentals of cell biology and biochemistry to the latest advances in genomics and proteomics, maintaining a wonderful clarity, enriched by carefully layered explanations and vivid illustrations throughout.New OrganisationThe third edition has undergone substantial re-structuring to facilitate its use by students with little prior understanding of the subject area.New Pedagogy- Summaries at the end of each chapter which highlight the key concepts presented and aid revision.- Boxed applications illuminate the concepts being introduced, describing medical examples and health-related issues.- More problems at the end of each chapter.Supplementary resourcesThe companion web site will contain illustrations from the book, Web links, course outlines as PowerPoint slides, checklists of key concepts, discussion points and questions for each chapter, plus answers to the discussion points, questions, and problems in the textbook. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

One of the most concise introduction to mol. bio. & biochem.
This is one of the most concise books I have ever seen on these subjects. Given the ambitious idea of introducing both these subjects in one text book, the authors have done an outstanding job. It is a no nonsense, clearcut book. Most of the necessary concepts are introduced to a decent depth required for appreciation of the subject. Perfect for beginners who don't want fat volumes. Great for preparing for competitive exams like the Subject GRE, especially for engineering or other non-bio students. One of my friends with no background in biology at all wanted to apply for graduate studies in a bio-related field, studied for the Subject test from this book, and cracked it.

Very good introduction into subject
Authors has produced very clear introduction into the subject. It has somewhat conversational feeling to it as thgough you are in the class room. Authores indicate emphasis on areas that are critical to know and understand well. applications to Molecular biology is given in every opportunity. Book requires certain knowledge of Chemistry. Although most used concepts are repeated for clarification, still certain knowledge is assumed.Without good understanding of Organic Chemistry this book becames buch of diagrams with no meaning. Certainly a must read book paralel to Cell biology to understand the biochemistry going on in the cell.

New for High School Biochemistry classes
This book is well written. It is easy to understand and has great illustrations.I teach at the high school level and my students get along well with this book ... Read more

Book Description
Recently expanded to 2 volumes, Short Protocols in Molecular Biology, Fifth Edition, provides condensed descriptions of more than 700 methods compiled from Current Protocols in Molecular Biology. Includes new chapters on chromatin assembly and analysis, nucleic acid arrays, generation and use of combinatorial libraries, discovery and analysis of differentially expressed genes in single cells and cell populations.

The book is specifically designed to provide quick access to step-by-step instructions for the essential methods used in every major area of molecular biological research

Short Protocols in Molecular Biology, Fifth Edition is an authoritative and indispensable guide for all life scientists, researchers, and students at the graduate and advanced undergraduate level

Expanded to 2 volumes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

no longer short
I used a previous edition of this book in graduate school, and it was an excellent resource.Covering a broad range of protocols in a complete but concise manner, it was a single albeit fat volume that was portable and reasonably priced. In comparison to Maniatis and the full version of CP, this edition remains less extensive and less expensive, however in expanding to 2 volumes it has lost the advantage of portability that was (what I thought) really set it apart from others.The price of this edition has also increased to the point where the value of owning a personal copy has become highly questionable.

an excellent brief reference book
This is a well-organized, clear, short reference work.Well done

The (little) Red book...
Here is the little red bok.
If the big one is too expensive for you, you can always buy this. You'll find inside all the important protocols and data for molecular biology.It's up to date, and clearly presented.
Try it, and then buy the big one!

A very good reference manual
This book is an essential tool for people in the scientific field such as Molecular Biology (obviously), Biochemistry, and Neuroscience. It is comprehensive and up-to-date as far as the techniques are concerned. It isgood value in a sense that you don't have to buy the whole "CurrentProtocols Series" which costs an arm and a leg if you do. Althoughnowadays, a lot of "kits" are commercially available, thetechniques found in this book explain principles and provide differentalternatives suited for your needs. Molecular Cloning by Maniatis et al.,although needs updating, is still a helpful reference in my opinion and itcomplements this book.

A Must-Have for any Molecular Biologist...
I originally bought this book as a secondary source of information (Maniatis has ben my bible now for a few years...) but as time has progressed I have found myself using this book more and more.Theprotocols are easy to follow, logically placed, give enough information soyou understand what it is you are doing, are up to date, and are all in onevolume.Yes, this has effectively replaced my copy of Molecular Cloning(which is indesperate need of an update).Great job! ... Read more

Book 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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Complete and mostly accurate
How does one review a dictionary? If the aim is to arrive at a reasoned and mature assessment of the book the ideal way would be to keep it on my shelf for five years or so, noting how often I find it useful to consult it, how often I am happy with the result of the consultation, and how often I am unhappy. Unfortunately, however, the job needs to be done more quickly than that, so I shall adopt a more superficial approach, checking a selection of definitions to see how accurate and helpful they are.

Opening the book at random led the definition of "elasticity coefficient". The definition given is accurate enough as far as it goes (setting aside the presence of two undefined quantities in the equation given), but I wonder how much illuminated a reader will be who consults the dictionary in the hope of understanding the (important) difference between an elasticity coefficient and a control coefficient. The definition fails to mention that elasticity coefficients are usually called just elasticities, and it fails to give a cross-reference to "control coefficient" (perhaps just as well, as the dictionary has no entry for control coefficient), but it does give a rather unhelpful suggestion to "see controllability coefficient" --- unhelpful because following the suggestion leads only to the information that this is a "former name for elasticity coefficient". Would it not save the reader trouble just to include this information in the main entry?

What about something that I knew nothing at all about before, such as myocilin? This is apparently also called TIGR, which was news to me as I thought TIGR was The Institute for Genome Research, and that is also what the entry for TIGR says, without any cross-reference to myocilin. Anyway, myocilin is a protein of no known function expressed in many tissues---not especially muscle, despite the entry a few lines up that says that myo+ is a prefix denoting muscle. Is this important enough to justify a five-line definition? Apparently it is, because the gene for myocilin is implicated in glaucoma.

As an illustration of the maxim that one picture is worth a thousand words, the definition of "Fischer projection" runs to more than 150 words, but lacks the simple diagram that would have rendered the words more readily intelligible.

A common fault in elementary biochemistry textbooks is the lack of understanding that some authors display of the ionic states of biochemical species in neutral aqueous solution. This is now far better than it was a generation ago, but there are still some authors who have not yet seen the light. So how well does the dictionary fare? Less well than I would have hoped. Phosphoric acid derivatives are normally shown in ionized states, but carboxylic acids and primary amines do less well: threonine, thyronine, thyroxine, tranexic acid, tryptophan and tyrosine all appear in physically impossible states in the space of a few pages.

All this led me to consult the entry on "zwitterion", which defines it as "an alternative name for dipolar ion". This seemed to be an example of defining the familiar in terms of something less familiar, but I see that several textbooks do prefer the latter term. Anyway, a dipolar ion or zwitterion is "a molecule containing ionic groups of opposite charge in equal numbers". So the form of aspartate that exists in neutral solution is not a zwitterion? If we want a word that includes all the common amino acids at pH 7 we need amphion (or amphoion if we prefer it and can think of a way to pronounce it), a term that I have never encountered (in either spelling) in any paper I have seen in the biochemical literature. Anyway, it would have been nice to see more expansive definitions of these terms, and it would be hard to argue that there was no space available in a dictionary that has room for nine lines to discuss the pronunciation of Linux. It is dangerous, anyway, for a biochemistry dictionary to include terms from computing that are in danger of becoming obsolete before the ink is dry: Netscape, for example, is "a popular browser available for a variety of computers and operating systems", but this is 2006, and who uses Netscape Navigator in 2006? Have young biochemists even heard of it? Incidentally, despite the bold type there is no entry for browser.

If any of the editors read this review they will doubtless find it very pedantic. I have to plead guilty to that, but reviewers of dictionaries need to be pedantic, and in an ideal world compilers of dictionaries would be pedantic as well.

Excellent reference for the biochemist!
I have been using this book as a general reference since I bought it three years ago. It describes most terms in general biochemistry, molecular biology, organic chemistry and genetics. I find it easier to have one reference book where one can look up terms, than having to search through various textbooks to find the descriptions.

keep handy when you're trawling through science literature
As someone involved in biochemical research, I spend loads of time reading a variety of life science journals. Just keeping up with the latest research is hard enough, but as my areas of interest become ever larger and intermeshed with other disciplines such as medicine and physics, I've found myself delving into this book more and more. But the pace of research is also a problem for a book like this, because to remain useful, new editions cannot appear fast enough to keep up with the latest batch of techniques, genes and proteins. Ultimately an Internet version of this book that gets updated on a regular basis would be the most useful. Never the less, once you get in the habit of using this dictionary, you'll want to keep it nearby when you're browsing the life science literature. Is this book good value? I think it's expensive compared to all other books, but well priced for an academic textbook. I find that using this book is still more rapid and direct than browsing the web for the definition of a word I don't know, and the brief definition given in this book is a good starting point for hunting down more detailed information.

FAIR: DEPENDING ON YOUR NEED
This revised edition of "Oxford Dictionary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology" is comprehensive, clinically relevant, and fairly up-to-date. It has a good coverage (for degree students), although that advanced researchers may need something more extensive. Its ability to correlate biochemical terms and data is appreciated. But with just over 17,000 definitions, its listed price is a bit on the high side. Buyers could get a better illustrated, more voluminous Biochem dictionary at that price.

Every Definition you'll need
Great for Science majors, all the definitions or words you used to know but can't remember from class to class.Very thorough.much better than a textbook glossary. ... Read more

Book Description
A comprehensive, inquiry-based approach to biology

BSCS, A Molecular Approach (Blue Version) challenges gifted and honor students to think scientifically, to integrate concepts, to analyze data, and to explore complex issues. This research-based program, developed with funding from the National Science Foundation, supports an inquiry approach to biology. It provides students with the background information needed to ask their own research questions and to conduct their own investigations. Over 60 in-text labs create positive opportunities for students to engage in try inquiry learning. ... Read more

Book Description
High-Yield Cell and Molecular Biology gives you more of what you need to prepare you for the USMLE Step 1! The information found in this text provides a strong understanding of introductory undergraduate cell and molecular biology which serves as a valuable review resource for the board exam. As part of the High-Yield Series, material is presented in a concise, uncluttered fashion. The sections cover information typically found in a second year molecular biology course such as chromosomal DNA, chromosome replication and DNA synthesis, molecular genetics, gene amplification, inherited diseases and molecular immunology. Well illustrated, this text provides students with a strong foundation to prepare them for more advanced work in cell and molecular biology. It also serves as a great source for course review. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not bad is a quick kill
To get the quick and fast H.Y. facts for the boards this is the one! Its shorter and to the point in comparison to BRS. Note this is not a good book for class only for the Boards

Very High Yield!
High yield cell and molecular biology is exactly what it says, and from the outset doesn't pretend to be anything else. "Lean efficient text" says the blurb, "Study guides with the barest essentials". These words certainly comforted me after reading the somewhat ominous title! The text is compact, with clear and helpful diagrams illustrating and clarifying the most difficult concepts in the book. The style is in fact very much the same as I might choose to write own revision notes, with chapters divided into sub-titles, and those into bullet points. Key words are emboldened, so it is possible to absorb a page by only scanning the bold type; useful if you are caught short when preparing for an exam and need the facts quickly! There is a smattering of clinical examples throughout, and descriptions of procedures such as PCR, which both help anchor your thoughts of the sometimes abstract nature of the subject. Being a molecular biology book it is biased toward genetics, and as this is a confusing area for many students (including me), this will help if your genetics lectures tend to sail several meters over your head. On the downside, the economic nature of the text and the no-frills nature of the diagrams mean that it is not a particularly colourful or engaging read in it's own right. This is also positive, meaning that it is easier to extract information quickly than would be possible from a more bulky text. It is clearly meant to be dipped into, rather than read cover-to-cover. Realistically though, who would read a textbook cover-to-cover?People who will benefit from this book will be pre-clinical medical students, those intercalating a BSc in clinical science or genetics, doctors requiring an up-to-date review, or other students of biomedical science. This should not be your only textbook on cellular biology and genetics, but will serve as the perfect revision tool when exams sidle up too close for comfort. ... Read more

Book Description
Now it its Fifth Edition, this best-selling text and atlas is the perfect text for medical, health professions, and undergraduate biology students. It combines a detailed textbook that emphasizes clinical and functional correlates of histology with a beautifully illustrated atlas featuring full-color digital micrographs of the highest quality. This edition includes over 100 new illustrations, more Clinical Correlation boxes on the histology of common medical conditions, and new information on the molecular biology of endothelial cell function. Terminology throughout the text is consistent with Terminologia Anatomica. A powerful interactive histology atlas CD-ROM for students is included with the book and features all of the plates found in the text with interactive functionality. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Comprehensive text
This is an excellent text for medical histology. I have read this book cover to cover twice and highlighted the heck out of it. My opinion is that if you know this book, you will know general medical histology. At times the material is much more detailed than you will need to get through your Histo course, but it is well worth it for developing a greater depth of understanding. The book has excellent microphotographs and illustrations throughout, so you won't be left wanting when the text gets really dense. Be forewarned though, this book has numerous errors. Most of them are small (like typesetting, spelling, and figure labels) but others are more fundamental mis-statements (or perhaps misleading statements) about molecular mechanisms and processes. These problems do not take away from the value of the text however, since the more significant errors are usually in the minutia and may just be a product of the publication lagging behind our evolving understanding of different processes. I would definitely buy and read this book again.

A solid histology reference and study guide
This text has been helpful while studying cell biology and histology in medical school.The images and accompanying text are both high quality.I think that it could be improved in some instances by adding more electron microscopy images along with the light microscopy.

The best Histology book that I've found.
This Histology book is the most thorough and well-written text out there. If you have no background in Histology, this book can be quite intimidating because it is content-rich. I was very overwhelmed when I first started with this book for undergrad, but now that I have gotten through it and read other titles for med school, I believe that this book is the best. It teaches Histology in a way that prepares you to be a real pathologist, using mostly light micrographs and tons of clinical correlations. Other Histology texts (e.g. Color Textbook of Histology: With STUDENT CONSULT Online Access) treat the subject as a general learning tool rather than as a core component of your potential specialty. They use more (and less-detailed) illustrations and electron micrographs with fewer clinical correlations and light micrographs.

Still, I would be hard-pressed to recommend this book to medical students if the book was not already required. It is probably more detailed than any medical school Histology course will be, and as a med student, your time is everything! Your time will probably be better spent in gross. Still, if you know that pathology is something you are interested in, this book is a great introduction to Histology and will better prepare you for your career than any other text.

Histology: too much text
I agree with the first and second review. I use this book as a reference for hard-to-understand concepts. As a first year med student, however, I never really have time to refer to it because it is too content-dense. I would prefer a book with more pictures; perhaps just a picture section with pointers on important points.

Excellent
This is an amazing book, excellent book, It's easy to read, good graphics, It's everything you need for completely understand of Histology ... Read more

Book Description
A core collection of diverse cutting-edge techniques for the generation, expression, optimization, and characterization of recombinant antibodies. Readily reproducible protocols for lead generation range from the cloning of human immunoglobulin genes to the selection and generation of human recombinant antibodies by humanization approaches, molecular display technologies and transgenic animals. Procedures are also described on restructuring antibody leads into monovalent, multivalent, and bispecific binding fragments for a wide variety of in vivo applications. State-of-the-art technologies are described for the characterization of antigen-binding affinity and specificity with novel applications in radioimmunotargeting, cancer immunotherapy, drug abuse, and proteomics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Molecular Biology of the Cell: The Problems Book
This is an excellent supplemental book for this course no matter which textbook is utilized in your course.Highly recommended.

LifeSaver...
Molecular Biology of the Cell : The Problems Book is a great book for biology students as well as those interested in really learning the concepts behind the theory.This book is extremely detailed in itsquestions as it vigorously tests the knowledge learned from it's companiontextbook, Molecular Biology of the Cell. This book has tremendouslyhelped in my understanding of the major chapters of the main textbook(chapters 6-end).It provides a thorough breakdown on the types ofquestions that it asks.For example, the questions in the book arestructured by True/False, matching, as well as essay formats.Thisprovides for a varied way of learning the essential material.Ihighly recommend this book for those students preparing for standardizedexams as well as those taking a course in molecular or cell biology.

LifeSaver...
Molecular Biology of the Cell : The Problems Book is a great book for biology students as well as those interested in really learning the concepts behind the theory.This book is extremely detailed in itsquestions as it vigorously tests the knowledge learned from it's companiontextbook, Molecular Biology of the Cell. This book has tremendouslyhelped in my understanding of the major chapters of the main textbook(chapters 6-end).It provides a thorough breakdown on the types ofquestions that it asks.For example, the questions in the book arestructured by True/False, matching, as well as essay formats.Thisprovides for a varied way of learning the essential material.Ihighly recommend this book for those students preparing for standardizedexams as well as those taking a course in molecular or cell biology. ... Read more

Book Description
Until now, those interested in the emerging field of computational molecular biology have used surveys and technical articles collected from many sources. Introduction to Computational Molecular Biology brings together major results in the field, in coherent and readable format. Setubal and Meidanis present a representative sample of problems in molecular biology, focusing on the algorithms that have been proposed to solve them. Readers will find background material on molecular biology, definitions of key terms, descriptions of models, and a full sample of algorithmic results. Key theoretical computer science concepts are emphasized, such as the improvement in asymtotic running time with better algorithms, the contrast between heuristics and an algorithm with guarantees, and the difficulty posed by NP-complete problems. Algorithms for sequence comparison, including the popular BLAST and FAST programs, are covered. Introduction to Computational Molecular Biology serves readers from both the mathematical and computing sciences as well as molecular biology. The authors assume a basic chemistry background and some training in college-level discrete mathematics and algorithms. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

I cannot compute the greatness of this tome
In my long career in computational science, I have often tried to calculate how many licks it takes to get the center of a tootsie pop.Turns out, it's 0 - if you stick the thing into a blender and hit "frappe"

Detailed broad overview of algorithms
We used this book in a bioinformatics class. It can take a whole semester to discuss this little book. The approach here is algorithmic. It explains fundamental bioinformatics algorithms in detail. In comparison to Pevzner's Computational Molecular Biology, it's more practical, and has less mathematical formalisms. This book peaks inside the black box of bioinformatics algorithms.
It's rigourous and for mathematics and computer science folks, and some material is difficult. Biologists may have a hard time with it, because of algorithm analysis and the required familiarity with graph theory. On the other hand, computer science folks shouldn't really take the introductory chapter on biology seriously.
Take a look at its Table of Contents to see what it covers, there's no point repeating it here.
Must have for anyone interested in implementing bioinformatics algorithms. On the other hand, if you're a biologist simply interested in how to use bioinformatics in your work, e.g., BLAST, there's no point reading this book.

Strong on algorithm analysis
This is a good book on some of the algortihms used in bioinformatics. That term may not have been in wide use back in `97, leading to the title that suggests a lot more focus on the molecules than is in fact present.

The book starts with two brief chapters on biology and mathematical basics - graph theory and algorithm analysis. I'm sorry to say that these really are too brief. A reader who comes in with little knowledge of either topic will probably leave with about the same level of knowledge.

After that, the authors give coverage of the basics, as `97 writers saw them: approximate string matching, fragment assembly, mapping, trees, and a discussion of the reversals that occur in DNA over evolutionary time. Each topic is presented carefully, in a number of variations, and with formal analysis of the algorithmic complexity. That last won't do much for the biologists in the crowd, but gives programmers a good idea of how each technique will behave as the problems grow larger (and they always do). The presentation generally stick with the most popular algorithms, emphasizing detailed presentation over breadth of coverage. Multiple alignment, in particular, could have used a lot more pages. Also, topics like assembly and restriction digests aren't at the forefront of analysis any more. They're important, but good algorithms exist in widely available tools, and more advanced analyses tend to attract more attention these days. The section on genome rearrangements is quite good, but seems to stand alone - it could have been one input into tree building, but the authors don't draw any clear relationships between the reorderings and any other problems.

The section on structure prediction is definitely showing its age. RNA structure prediction has come a long way since this was written, and protein structure prediction has come even farther. Discussions of the basic ideas are good, but a more recent reader will want a lot more development. The final section, on using DNA as a material for performing computations, is interesting but hardly mainstream. The authors use one or two problems as case studies, but don't present the kinds of tools that can be applied to lots of different problems, just a few point solutions.

This book's value, today, lies mostly in the clarity of its complexity analysis and in the pseudocode that gives a programmer a step in the right direction. It has a few unusual items, like a highly generalized gap model for approximate string matching. On the whole, though, more recent books present most of the same material at least as well, and cover more up-to-date topics.

When it was new, I might have given this book a five star rating. Times have changed, though, and I have to rate this book among the others on the shelves now.

//wiredweird

Concise and to-the-point
This is a really nice introduction to the most commonly used algorithms in bioinformatics.It is not really a general introduction to molecular biology or to computer science, and to make best use of this book a reader probably needs some prior exposure to both.But, for someone who has had a basic course in say genetics, and a basic programming course that covers simple data structures and algorithms etc., this volume provides all they will need to understand what is really happening when they run a BLAST search, for instance.A serious computer-science type person will probably not find the alogorithms described here very interesting, because they aren't meant to be elegant or interesting, just useful.I think a reader would have to have some direct interest in bioinformatics per se in order to enjoy this book.One thing that I find particularly nice is that the length of the chapters is just right so that you can read through a chapter in a single sitting, and because the chapters are largely independent of one another, its a handy book to have around and pick up when one has a little spare time.I recommend it very strongly.

Not a good introduction book
I do not think it is a good introduction book for biologists to learn computational biology. The authors should have used more figures and examples to illustrate the concepts. Also, I do not like the norrow margins of this book. I like to write comments and my understanding in the books when I read. There is simply no place to write. ... Read more

Book Description
Tools developed by statistical physicists are of increasing importance in the analysis of complex biological systems. Physics in Molecular Biology discusses how physics can be used in modeling life. It begins by summarizing important biological concepts, emphasizing how they differ from the systems normally studied in physics. A variety of topics, ranging from the properties of single molecules to the dynamics of macro-evolution, are studied in terms of simple mathematical models. The main focus of the book is on genes and proteins and how they build systems that compute and respond. The discussion develops from simple to complex systems, and from small-scale to large-scale phenomena. This book will inspire advanced undergraduates and graduate students in physics to approach biological subjects from a physicist's point of view. It is self-contained, requiring no background knowledge of biology, and only familiarity with basic concepts from physics, such as forces, energy, and entropy.Download Description
Tools developed by statistical physicists are of increasing importance in the analysis of complex biological systems. Physics in Molecular Biology discusses how physics can be used in modeling life. It begins by summarizing important biological concepts, emphasizing how they differ from the systems normally studied in physics. A variety of topics, ranging from the properties of single molecules to the dynamics of macro-evolution, are studied in terms of simple mathematical models. The main focus of the book is on genes and proteins and how they build systems that compute and respond. The discussion develops from simple to complex systems, and from small-scale to large-scale phenomena. This book will inspire advanced undergraduates and graduate students in physics to approach biological subjects from a physicist's point of view. It is self-contained, requiring no background knowledge of biology, and only familiarity with basic concepts from physics, such as forces, energy, and entropy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Bringing New Tools to the Study of Biology
In recent years physicists have been developing a series of statistical tools that help them to understand how large groups of things operate. Even more recently some of these same techniques have begun to be applied to biological concepts and to the modelling of complex biological processes. The techniques use the standard physical concepts of force, energy, and entropy but apply them to life processes.

Dr. Sneppen is a professor of biophysics. He is a theorist who teaches on the physics of biological system and mathematical biology. Dr. Zocchi teaches biophysics at advanced undergraduate and graduate level at UCLA. This book is intended as a text for third or fourth year study in the physics department undergraduate school. It is written from the standpoint of the physicist and should serve as an introduction to the merger of the physical and biological sciences. Obviously some background in statistics and biology will help the student, but it is not required. ... Read more

Book Description

Boiled-down essentials of the top-selling Schaum's Outline series, for the student with limited time

What could be better than the bestselling Schaum's Outline series? For students looking for a quick nuts-and-bolts overview, it would have to be Schaum's Easy Outline series. Every book in this series is a pared-down, simplified, and tightly focused version of its bigger predecessor. With an emphasis on clarity and brevity, each new title features a streamlined and updated format and the absolute essence of the subject, presented in a concise and readily understandable form. Graphic elements such as sidebars, reader-alert icons, and boxed highlights feature selected points from the text, illuminate keys to learning, and give students quick pointers to the essentials.

Customer Reviews (3)

Concise, but brevity causes loss of glossary
I needed a primer for biochemistry and upon Amazon search with "primer biochemistry" I came across this.Honestly, it hasn't proven more helpful that the chapter 1 introduction in my textbook yet.I've given 3 stars because I've yet to see how uniquely this book has supplemented my understanding, especially since there is no glossary for all the vocabulary in bold print.If I don't get something from context, I have to go elsewhere.On the other hand, it is brief, to the point, and inexpensive so I don't rate it less.

Great for review, but not very much cell bio
I love this book! It's so easy to read and it provides a good review for students taking molecular biology. However, I wouldn't recommend it as a resource for someone who is just starting to learn. The writing style assumes that you know the basic concepts already and sometimes skims through material quickly. However, I would have to say that this book is very readable and contains some excellent illustrations.

However, my one complaint is the lack of coverage of cell biology. This book seems, frankly, to be almost all molecular biology. It lacks any sort of discussion about actin, microtubules, and so on. I find that disappointing, but I understand that it's a "quick outline."

Great book for reference and quick brush-up
I bought this book so I would not have to shuffle through the pages of my cell/molucular bio textbook. Although this book was great with having the main concepts, there wasn't much detail. But that is the purpose of the book- to have the main molecular biology topics in a clear and organized manner. For more detail and test questions get the full outline book from the same series. If you just want the info you need to know this book is outstanding! ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (6)

Only one out there, but you don't need it
Like others who have reviewed this book, I bought it because it's the only one out there.The other books are just practice tests.This book alone did not adequately prepare me for the biochem subject test.What it did do is provide a guideline to things I needed to review in depth using my own text books from college.Also, the practice test in the back of the books was far easier than the practice tests from the GRE website, which were more in line with the real test.I would not purchase it again.Rather, just use the info provided by the GRE website to guide you and rely on your text books and lecture notes for review.

An less than adequate test prep
This book provides a very, very basic review of the major concepts of biochem, cell biology, and molecular biology (i.e. genetics).I found this review helpful, but the detailed questions of the actual exam require a much more detailed review.This prep was also chaulk-full of typos, mistakes, improperly tagged vocab words, and incorrectly drawn chemical structures (texas carbons and nitrogens, double bonds to hydrogen atoms, etc.) that required me to look up the actual structure or correct definition.The practice exams were also a bit easier than the actual exam was, so an accurate gauge of how well you are doing cannot be obtained with this test prep.If all you need is a brief review before your subject exam, then this will probably work, otherwise review your old corsework and notes.

Critical Errors- DO NOT BUY
This book is rife with errors and mistakes, an in critical ways.For example, one question, on a fairly basic topic, asked what %age guanines are in a DNA molecule (double-stranded) that contains 20% thymines and 30% purines.Given that guanine is a purine, and adenine is a purine, this implies that the breakdown is as follows: 20% A, 20% T, 10% G, 40% C.This is clearly impossible, as that would not be a stable molecule.

Other idiotic errors abound, but I provide that as the absolutely worst examples.This book leaves me with absolutely no idea how well I will do on the GRE, and has basically been a useless study aid.I find myself correcting it far more often than it corrects me.

Horrible.
Definitely not worth the money, or anything for that matter.Not only does the book have typos, but the information is incorrect.Everything is summarized (and not very well at that!), and "old school" terms are used.Remember: it's cheap for a reason!

Not worth your money
Unfortunately, I have been disappointed with this book. It wasn't helpful for me. After reading part 1 of this book, I realized that it is not reliable. I noticed a couple of structural mistakes in important biochemical pathway molecules and some spelling errors. If you have a couple of months to prepare for this test, I would suggest quickly going over your main science books. Good luck everyone with the EXAM! ... Read more

Book Description
Many of the cells in our body undergo tightly regulated replication to enable growth to occur, and to ensure that damaged or worn out tissues are replaced. Regulation is mediated via many different mechanisms; it is when these mechanisms fail, and regulation is lost, that cancer can result. Recent advances in molecular cell biology have greatly expanded our understanding of the processes and mechanisms which underpin the regulation of cell replication, and what is happening at the molecular level when these fail.The Molecular Biology of Cancer: Mechanisms, Targets, and Therapeutics offers a fresh approach to the study of the molecular basis of cancer, and shows how our understanding of the defective mechanisms which drive cancer is leading to the development of new targeted therapeutic agents.Opening with an overview of the key hallmarks of cancer as a disease state, the book then leads us through the principal components of the regulatory machinery through which cell division is controlled, and explains how the failure of these components can lead to the onset of cancer. Uniquely, within each chapter, students are shown how this molecular knowledge is being applied to develop new targeted therapeutic strategies.The Molecular Biology of Cancer will prove a valuable resource for any student wishing to gain an insight into the molecular basis of the disease, and possible solutions for its effective control.Companion Web SiteFeatures figures from the book available to download, to facilitate lecture preparation, and a web link library to give students easy access to relevant online resources. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Easy to read!
This is a good introduction to this field. The book is easy to read and have good drawings.

An Introduction to the Biology of Cancer - and More
I'm one of those people who like to know how things work - especially if those things are inside my body and are likely to shorten my life span.Since my doctors don't tell me anything, I need other sources, and since the Internet is unreliable, I need a guidebook I can trust.Molecular Biology of Cancer turned out to be just the right book for me.It is also an excellent first book for anyone interested in the molecular biology of cancer.

First, as to technical level: This is very much what one expects in an undergraduate science text, with lots of section headings, lots of diagrams, and lots of boxes highlighting important points.If, like me, you're a non-student and non-scientist but interested in the subject, you'll probably find it very readable.You'll need to have some experience of reading diagrams in which symbols (squares, circles, etc.) represent molecules interacting with each other.And you'll have to be comfortable reading books with plenty of technical language.The terms specific to cancer biology should be no problem since they are well-explained and the terms that are in the glossary are printed in red in the text.You won't need to know anything about the chemistry involved in the molecular interactions (nothing about hydrogen bonding or redox, for example).

Some single-celled organisms can simply grow and divide as fast and as long as their food supply allows.Those that live in colonies must have chemical signals to regulate each cell's growth and activity.Mammals, being enormously more complex, need much more sophisticated communication between cells.That means, of course, that there are many things that can go wrong and many mechanisms to fix things that go wrong.And therefore, there are many things to be considered when diagnosing and treating cancer.Pecorino chooses particular examples to explain general principles.

First, a cell normally doesn't divide until a signal from outside sets off a chain of events that leads to division.An error in this chain, caused by an abnormal protein, can cause the cell to divide without the external signal.Pecorino chooses epidermal growth factor (EGF) to show the working of such a chain.When a cell does start to divide out of control, there are mechanisms which try to stop the reproduction, or to kill the cell.Pecorino focuses mostly on one molecule, called P53, which is involved in a number of such mechanisms and is abnormal in a majority of tumors, including mine.Most cells are fastened in place, so it takes a further abnormality for them to break loose.Since most cancers are caused by abnormal or inappropriately expressed genes, DNA repair and regulation are important.Here, Pecorino mentions the BRCA genes, which turn up often in articles about breast cancer.These are major topics, but there is much more than I can mention in an Amazon-size review.

So many genetic flaws don't show up all at once; a cancer is the product of evolution within one body.This is implicit in Molecular Biology of Cancer, but it is more developed in another book, Darwin in the Genome.(See my review for more info; click above on "See all my reviews".)

Given that there are so many molecular systems involved in cancer, one can see why there are many points at which drugs may inhibit or kill cancer cells.Pecorino points out a number of these.She even flags many these with red target icons, symbolizing potential drug targets.Perhaps by the time a student gets to be a researcher, most of these will be passé - a lot of people are working hard on them -- but her aim is to teach them how to spot potential target molecules and interactions and I think she succeeds.

Cancer can be of interest to people who aren't affected by it because, by showing what happens when things go wrong, it gives new insight into how these systems work in general.For those interested in developmental biology, it shows what happens inside a cell in response to a signal whereas most of the books I've read just mention the cellular interactions.Pecorino also gives examples of how a large variety of molecules may be created by mixing and matching a much smaller collection of simpler molecules or domains; this modularity is important in evolution.

So this book will be of interest to a variety of readers for a variety of reasons.Pecorino is particularly interested in students and hopes that some will be inspired by this book to take up cancer research.I second that and I hope that some will find metastatic prostate cancer to be a worthy field.

An excellent introductory book!!!
I got this book for the Cancer Biology class.
It's an excellent book to start learning about cancer. It's well updated and includes all the recent advances. It could have included some extra stuff in my opinion, but anyway it's a great book. I like the "future therapeutics" part at the end of each chapter. ... Read more

Book Description
Experiments in Molecular Biology provides a thorough introduction to recombinant DNA methods used in molecular biology and nucleic acid biochemistry. This unique laboratory manual is particularly appropriate for courses in molecular cloning, molecular genetics techniques, molecular biology techniques, recombinant DNA techniques, bacterial genetics techniques, and genetic engineering. Included is an especially helpful section to aid new instructors in avoiding potential pitfalls of specific experiments.

Key Features
* Contains student-tested, easy-to-follow protocols
* Presents background information that reinforces principles behind the methods presented
* Includes questions at the end of laboratory exercises
* Provides both detailed descriptions of experimental procedures and a theoretical support section
* Sequentially links experiments to provide a "project" approach to studying molecular biochemistry
* Includes student-tested, easy-to-follow protocols
* Background information reinforces principles behind the methods presented
* Includes questions at the end of laboratory exercises
* Advises new instructors on potential pitfalls of specific experiments
* Provides both detailed descriptions of experimental procedures and a theoretical support section
* Sequentially links experiments to provide a "project" approach to studying ... Read more

Book Description
Molecular biology is a fast-paced field that constantly provides new insights into the living world and the role of humans within it. Students and professionals need a clear understanding of new discoveries and applications, as well as a firm grasp of the fundmental concepts. Clark's Molecular Biology: Understanding the Genetic Revolution gives readers what they need in both regards.

Clark effectively introduces basic concepts followed by more specific applications as the text evolves. He has included research results as current as late 2004 when the gene count for humans was officially changed, and takes a thorough look at the medical, agricultural, and social aspects that shape modern-day molecular biology. This text is written in a straightforward manner and beautifully illustrated in full color.

Molecular Biology covers a deliberately broad range of topics to show that molecular biology is not applicable merely to human medicine and health, but also applies to veterinary medicine, evolution, agriculture, and other areas.

* Up to date description of genetic engineering, genomics, and related areas
* Basic concepts followed by more detailed, specific applications
* Hundreds of color illustrations enhance key topics and concepts
* Covers medical, agricultural, and social aspects of molecular biology
* Organized pedagogy includes running glossaries and keynotes (mini-summaries) to hasten comprehension ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

good text
Overall it is a nice textbook with helpful illustrations and diagrams.I used this book as a review to general molecular biology and the text went into more detail than I needed for my general needs. ... Read more

Book Description
In the eight years since the original publication of Molecular Biology Labfax, there has been a vast proliferation of molecular biology techniques. The Second Edition has been divided into two parts: Recombinant DNA, and Gene Analysis. Together they comprise a comprehensive collection of the most up-to-date methods available in molecular biology. This second volume of the two-part Second Edition provides key information on nucleic acid blotting and hybridization, DNA sequencing, PCR, labelingnucleic acids, electrophoresis, centrifugation, chemicals and reagents, and safety. Molecular Biology Labfax will be essential for scientists of all disciplines within the life sciences who use molecular biological techniques.

Key Features
* Provides most up-to-date information on techniques, sources, and equipment for anyone using molecular biological techniques
* Clearly presented information
* Divided into two parts which together comprise a complete collection of molecular biological methods ... Read more

Book Description
A panel of accomplished scientists describe their innovative, cutting-edge methods for determining the levels of mycotoxin contamination in foods and feeds.Almost half the methods presented involve molecular-based immunochemical or immunochemical/chromatographic techniques. The necessary equipment, reagents, and procedures are given in great detail for the analysis of a wide variety of mycotoxins, including aflatoxins, aflatoxin M1, cyclopiazonic acid,ochratoxin A, trichothcenes, moniliformin, fumonisins, zearlenone, Stachybotrys toxins, citrinin, patulin, ergot alkaloids, and Alternaria toxins. General techniques for mycotoxin analysis, sampling procedures for collecting representative test samples, isolation techniques, and techniques for the detection and identification of toxins and impurities are also included. Up-to-date and highly practical, Mycotoxin Protocols provides a comprehensive collection of the latest bioanalytical techniques for evaluating the contamination of mycotoxins in foods and feeds. ... Read more

Book Description
Matthew Guille assembles a hands-on collection of basic and essential molecular and embryological techniques for studying Xenopus and zebrafish. Easily reproducible and designed to succeed, these detailed methods include cellular techniques, techniques for the quantitative and spatial analysis of mRNA and proteins, and techniques for the expression of gene products in embryos. More specialized methods enable users to analyze promoters and transcription factors during early development, and include gel shift assays, as well as in vitro and in vivo footprinting. Molecular Methods in Developmental Biology: Xenopus and Zebrafish affords newcomers rapid access to a wide variety of essential, state-of-the-art techniques in developmental studies, and offers experienced researchers time-saving tips and new techniques from experts who have fine-tuned them for best results. ... Read more

Book Description
This new edition of Introduction to the Cellular and Molecular Biology of Cancer provides a comprehensive overview of cancer biology, covering the current status of both research and treatment. For the student or new researcher the breadth of cancer research can appear daunting, yet a broad understanding is essential for translation of laboratory findings into the clinic. Within the broad scope of the book, each topic is reviewed authoritatively by experts in the field, and the accompanying bibliographies allow rapid access to the relevant current literature. The book covers topics extending from the molecular alterations found in cancer cells and their causes to the current range of approaches to treatment. Since the publication of the previous edition in 1997 there has been unprecedented progress in cancer research: this is reflected by an extensive revision of all the material, and the addition of eight new chapters, covering DNA repair, epigenetic events, the cell cycle, cell immortalisation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, animal models, the genome, transcriptome and proteome, radiotherapy and molecular radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and gene therapy.The fourth edition of this popular book will serve as a text for both undergraduate and postgraduate use and also as an introduction for clinicians and scientists new to the field. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A great primer for researchers
I'm a mathematics Ph.D. student who's working in computational oncology, meaning that I study cancer from a mathematical/engineering point of view (conservation of mass, oxygen and glucose transport, etc.) and create computer models for study. This biophysical viewpoint has been fruitful, but I've found that to make further progress, an understanding of the cellular biology is required. Furthermore, a lack of vocabulary makes it difficult to communicate with the clinical/medical community.

That's where this book comes in: it gives a great, expansive overview of cancer that is difficult to come by in the mathematical world. In places, it is perhaps too detail-oriented (which specific proteins do what and how, e.g., in DNA repair), but that's the nature of the beast, and I feel that it's very important for mathematical biologists to be exposed to this. The text gives a good sampling ranging from epidemiology, genetics and epigenetics (gene expression), oncogenes, tumor suppresor genes, DNA repair, cell cycle, and most approaches to therapy.

Because this edition was published in late 2005, it's quite up-to-date, and in that regard, the papers cited are very useful to the student and researcher for further exploration and paper writing. Probably one of the greater weaknesses is in the figures in the earlier genetics sections: the diagrams are not particularly helpful in actually illustrating the complex processes. Overall, though, this has been very helpful for me in bridging the gap between mathematical biology and oncology. I'd highly recommend this text for anybody who desires to learn more about the biology of the cancer, regardless of where they're coming from. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Best choice of the cell biology
I have read 1st and 2nd edition, it's really very good! You can learn many pieces of new information,technology and concept from this book. I have finished my master biochemistry degree but I still keep reading this book. Trust me, you will be a biochemical expert if you studied this book well!!! ... Read more