Reflections on Biochemistry

Book excerpt: Reflections on Biochemistry: In Honour of Severo Ochoa offers reflections on a wide range of topics relating to biochemistry, including energy metabolism, lipids and saccharides, regulation, nucleic acids and the genetic code, protein biosynthesis, and cell biology. The essays celebrate Severo Ochoa's outstanding contributions to biochemistry spanning nearly half a century. This book is comprised of 47 chapters and begins with a biography of Ochoa and his scientific work in the field of biochemistry, particularly his research on intermediary metabolism, RNA synthesis, and the genetic code. The discussion then turns to energy metabolism, photosynthesis, and fermentation, touching on topics such as the role of lactic acid in the development of biochemistry and the biosynthesis of cell components from acetate. The next section is devoted to lipids, saccharides, and cell walls and includes chapters that deal with biotin, sulfur biochemistry, and dipicolinic acid. Subsequent chapters explore hormonal regulation of adipose tissue lipolysis; the structural relationship between genes and enzymes; bacteriophages, colicins, and ribosomes; and cell biology and neurobiology. This monograph will be of interest to biochemists and students of biochemistry.