10 Books And Manuals On Biochemistry For Beginners
Biochemistry is a discipline that, like many others, was born from the need to integrate concepts from different sciences, in this case chemistry and biology, to focus efforts on its field of study. Cells carry out a multitude of chemical reactions and contain a wide variety of organic molecules that work for the maintenance and survival of both the cell itself and the organism it constitutes.
It is not surprising that given the field it works in, biochemistry has gained importance in recent years, such as in the advancement of cancer research or in the study of neuronal connections, typical of fields such as neurosciences or psychology. For this reason, it usually attracts the attention of curious people who try to approach this area somewhere between chemistry and the science of living beings. A good way to appease this curiosity is read books on biochemistry
The beginnings of biochemistry date back to the beginning of the 19th century, with the discoveries of the first enzymes. For those who don’t know, an enzyme is a protein that has the ability to control chemical reactions. As a science that is related to life, biochemistry branches into other disciplines, some of them shared directly with biology, such as genetics, molecular biology or cellular biology
Despite the years of research behind it, the dissemination bibliography on this scientific discipline is not as extensive as could be expected, and it can become quite a challenge to find works that deal with the subject, even more so when it touches on topics which at first glance do not seem to be about biochemistry. From here I present a series of biochemistry books and manuals to help you find introductory reading.
1. Lehninger: Principles of Biochemistry (David L. Nelson, Michael M. Cox)
One of the essential biochemistry manuals. Started by the North American biochemist Albert L. Lehninger, it is a large and complete work (more than a thousand pages) that collects all the foundations of this discipline and presents them in an understandable and didactic way With each new edition it is nourished by the new advances discovered. Ideal for self-taught people to get started in this science.
2. Biochemistry (Jeremy M. Berg, John L. Tymoczko, Lubert Stryer)
Another of the works that many university students have used to have a better understanding of this discipline. Its content is informative and clear, and helps clarify concepts about biochemistry Perfect alternative to Lehninger.
3. Human Biochemistry: Text and Atlas (Jan Koolman)
This text explores a different way to talk about biochemistry, and it is through the use of diagrams and illustrations , more than words. A simple but visual form that makes the complicated biochemical processes that occur in the human body simple and allows us to retain and understand through images.
4. Biochemistry (Donald Voet, Judith G. Voet)
Donald Voet, together with his wife, Judith G. Voet, wrote this manual on biochemistry so that students at the University of Pennsylvania (where they serve as professors) would have a tool for understanding this discipline. Its content is so didactic that it has become a classic of biochemistry and its sale spread outside the premises.
5. Biochemistry with clinical applications (Thomas M. Devlin)
Devlin’s work focuses more on understanding the biochemistry that occurs in the human body and the appearance of related diseases, that is, when a metabolic pathway does not function correctly, which generates a disease in the patient. With this, he highlights the importance of biochemistry in people’s health and shows the medical application of this science
In the following link you can find out more.
6. Molecular biology of the cell (Bruce Alberts, Alexander Johnson, Julian Lewis, Martin Raff, Keith Roberts, Paul Walter)
Molecular biology is one of the branches of biochemistry, and focuses on the study of the macromolecules of life , that is, proteins and nucleic acids (DNA and RNA). This work by Alberts is a classic for people without much knowledge of the subject who can get started in it through the use of simple and very didactic language.
You can learn more about the text here.
7. Molecular biology of the gene (James D. Watson, Tania A. Baker, Stephen P. Bell, Alexander Gann, Michael Levine, Richard Losick)
The work of the famous geneticist James D. Watson can be considered a book on biochemistry, since this text covers many aspects of nucleic acids , including its structure. Its simple presentation makes it an understandable and enjoyable read, despite being a very complex topic.
If you liked it, there is more information at this link.
8. Structure and mechanism of enzymes (Alan Fersht)
Although it is a book that is quite old (it was published in 1980), it is still a good text to introduce yourself to the concept of enzymes and chemical reactions for its simple and understandable way of presenting the topic.
9. Basis of metabolic control: the frontiers of metabolism (David Fell)
Metabolism is one of the main fields of study of this science. This book on biochemistry focuses on this concept, presenting the bases for start acquiring new knowledge of metabolic pathways which in recent years have been gaining importance.
Here you will find more details.
10. Introduction to Cell Biology (Bruce Alberts, Dennis Bray, Karen Hopkin)
Although I am talking about biochemistry, the truth is that With an overview of the cell, many of its terms are better understood , for example when visualizing the place where this process occurs. And cell biology also belongs to one of the branches of this science; The processes and structures studied by biochemistry are found inside cells.
For more information, you can follow the following link.
