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Contents 



PAGE 



Translator's Preface ix 



Introduction xi 



PART ONE 



Chapter I: The Biosphere 1 



Chapter II: Constituents of the Biosphere 7 



I. The three principal biochemical structures 8 



II. Other chemical structures of general interest 30 



Chapter III: Modes of Linkage by Covalent Bonds 57 



I. "Oside" Linkage . 57 



II. Ester linkage (and anhydride linkage) 61 



III. Peptide bond 77 



Chapter IV: Macromolecules 83 



I. Polysaccharides 85 



II. Proteins 93 



III. Nucleoproteins 107 



IV. Metalloproteins 111 

 V. Lipoproteins 127 



PART TWO— ENZYMES AND BIOCHEMICAL ENERGETICS 



Chapter I: General Principles of Biochemistry 131 



I. Free energy 131 



II. Energy coupling 136 



III. Energy rich bonds 137 



IV. The phosphate cycle 138 

 V. Biological oxido-reductions and the generation of energ>'-rich bonds 138 



VI. The cellular dynamo 145 



VII. The pyrophosphate bond and cellular work 146 



VIII. Chemical equilibrium and the stationary state 147 



Chapter II: Enzymes 151 



I. Definition 151 



II. Enzymes and activators 152 



III. Classification of enzymes 152 



IV. Kinetics 166 

 V. The mechanism of action of enzymes and coenzymes 171 



PART THREE— CHEMICAL REACTIONS IN THE BIOSPHERE 



Introduction 179 



Chapter I: Destructive and Non-destructive Methods in Modern Biochemistry 181 



I. From the whole organism to the pure enzyme 181 



II. Biochemical investigation and the use of isotopes 182 



III. The use of mutant strains of micro-organisms 184 



