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Introduction to Organic and Biochemistry
BIOCHEMICAL EDUCATION
Summer 1973 Vol. 1 No. 3
Organic C h e m i s t r y b y N.L. Allinger, M.P. Cava,
less t~an six different authors writing about those areas of the subject in which they are primarily interested.
D.C. De J o n g h , C.R. J o h n s o n , N.A. L e b e l a n d
59
C.S. Stevens, W o r t h P u b l i c a t i o n s Inc., 1971, pp. x x + 1007, £ 6 . 5 0 .
The book is imaginative in plan, and well-written; the printing is clear and neat,, but the layout is not perhaps quite as good as modern texts of U.S. origin have now come to make us expect almost as a matter of course.
I n t r o d u c t i o n t o Organic a n d B i o c h e m i s t r y b y L o r e n L. Braun. E.E. Merrill Publishing Co., C o l u m b u s , O h i o , 1972, pp. vi + 298, £ 2 . 5 0 . P a p e r b a c k .
The second book is a shorter and more elementary work intended for a course lasting only one semester or even one quarter. The author describes it as having been written concurrently with his Essentials of Organic and Biochemistry, the present text containing exactly the same treatment of organic chemistry as the Essentials but having a shortened, and simplified biochemical section. The book does not attempt any fundamental integration of organic and biochemistry but comprises eleven chapters (194 pp.) of basic organic chemistry, a bridging chapter on amines, amino-acids and proteins (23 pp.) then essentially biochemical chapters on enzymes, biochemical energy, carbohydrates, lipids, metabolism of proteins, and, finally, nucleic acids (68 pp. in all). The choice of material is reasonable enough given the highly restricted space available, but this restriction does mean that it is usually only possible to provide brief notes on a topic rather than any satisfying explanation: the biochemical section suffers particularly in this respect.
The first of these books is a large and relatively comprehensive textbook designed primarily for a year long course in U.S. universities. It consists essentially of three parts: (1) The structures of organic molecules (Ch. 1-13), (2) the reactions these structures undergo (Ch. 14-23), and (3) the determination of structure, and the synthesis of more complicated molecules, especially the chemistry of natural products (Ch. 24-34). There is also a chapter (Ch. 35) on industrial organic chemistry. Short exercises, to emphasise particular points, are interspersed throughout the text and there are also longer problems at the ends of chapters: solutions to most of these are provided at the back of the book.
In short, this is a brave try at something that is virtually impossible within this compass. It is, indeed, rather difficult to see what group of students are going to feel any need for this book.
The authors, in their preface, state that it has been their aim to produce a textbook rather than an encyclopaedia, and in this they have been largely successful: the book has clearly profited greatly from the fact that drafts have been tried out on students at three different U.S. universities. This testing has apparently ironed out some of the potential differences of level and treatment that might otherwise have been expected to result, with no
Cambridge, England
The role of Biochemistry in undergraduate
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
curricula. J.W. Porteous. (Continued from page 43.) 3. The Robbins report: Higher Education. Cmnd. 2154, HMSO, London, 1963. 4. The Plowden report: Children and the Primary Schools. Vol. 1 & 2. HMSO, London, 1967. 5. A framework of Government research and development (A Green Paper including reports by Lord Rothschild and by a Working Group of the Council on Scientific Policy under Professor Sir Frederick Dainton). Cmnd. 4814, HMSO, London, 1972. 6. The James report: Teacher education and training. HMSO, London, 1972. 7. See: Nature, 1972. 239. 126. 8. See: Nature, 1972. 235. 243. Nature, 1972. 238. 242 & 305. 9. Science, Growth & Society: a report of the Secretary-General's ad hoc Group on New Concepts of Science Policy. OECD, Paris, 1971. 10. Dainton, F.S. The next generation of scientists and technologists. Heriott-Watt University, Editburgh, 1968. 11. Fischer, R.B. Science, Man and Society, W,B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, 1971. 12. See, for example, Nature, 1972, 237, 366. 13. Science Research Council/Social Sciuces Research Council report: Broader Education for Graduates. London, 1972.
Peter Sykes
I am grateful to Professor G.M. Burnett and to Professor J. Nisbet for drawing my attention to references (9), (10) and (13) listed above. I am also grateful to Professor S.E. Hunt and E. Braun of the University of Aston in Birmingham who very kindly provided me with a synopsis of the curriculum referred to in this article before it was generally available.
ADDENDUM This article was written in October 1972. Nature (1973. 242. 375 - 390) carried a series of nine articles under the general heading Careers for Scientists; several of these articles deal with matters alluded to in the present essay. Since the present article was written the author has learned that the Department of Liberal Studies in Science of the Faculty of Science in the University of Manchester (Professor F.R. Jevons) offers a degree course embracing integrated studies in the physical sciences and in liberal arts; and that a study of life sciences as an alternative to the study of physical sciences will be available in the future. These courses would seem to go a long way towards meeting the aims of the curriculum proposed in the present article. Furthermore, it seems that the Nuffield Foundation is sponsoring a scheme, in which eight Universities and o n ~ Polytechnic are participating, "to keep science courses in closer touch with society" (Guardian, London, March 15, 1973). It will be interesting to watch the progress of this scheme; and, in particular, to see to what extent biochemistry makes a contribution to the laudable objectives of the scheme.
Summer 1973 Vol. 1 No. 3
Organic C h e m i s t r y b y N.L. Allinger, M.P. Cava,
less t~an six different authors writing about those areas of the subject in which they are primarily interested.
D.C. De J o n g h , C.R. J o h n s o n , N.A. L e b e l a n d
59
C.S. Stevens, W o r t h P u b l i c a t i o n s Inc., 1971, pp. x x + 1007, £ 6 . 5 0 .
The book is imaginative in plan, and well-written; the printing is clear and neat,, but the layout is not perhaps quite as good as modern texts of U.S. origin have now come to make us expect almost as a matter of course.
I n t r o d u c t i o n t o Organic a n d B i o c h e m i s t r y b y L o r e n L. Braun. E.E. Merrill Publishing Co., C o l u m b u s , O h i o , 1972, pp. vi + 298, £ 2 . 5 0 . P a p e r b a c k .
The second book is a shorter and more elementary work intended for a course lasting only one semester or even one quarter. The author describes it as having been written concurrently with his Essentials of Organic and Biochemistry, the present text containing exactly the same treatment of organic chemistry as the Essentials but having a shortened, and simplified biochemical section. The book does not attempt any fundamental integration of organic and biochemistry but comprises eleven chapters (194 pp.) of basic organic chemistry, a bridging chapter on amines, amino-acids and proteins (23 pp.) then essentially biochemical chapters on enzymes, biochemical energy, carbohydrates, lipids, metabolism of proteins, and, finally, nucleic acids (68 pp. in all). The choice of material is reasonable enough given the highly restricted space available, but this restriction does mean that it is usually only possible to provide brief notes on a topic rather than any satisfying explanation: the biochemical section suffers particularly in this respect.
The first of these books is a large and relatively comprehensive textbook designed primarily for a year long course in U.S. universities. It consists essentially of three parts: (1) The structures of organic molecules (Ch. 1-13), (2) the reactions these structures undergo (Ch. 14-23), and (3) the determination of structure, and the synthesis of more complicated molecules, especially the chemistry of natural products (Ch. 24-34). There is also a chapter (Ch. 35) on industrial organic chemistry. Short exercises, to emphasise particular points, are interspersed throughout the text and there are also longer problems at the ends of chapters: solutions to most of these are provided at the back of the book.
In short, this is a brave try at something that is virtually impossible within this compass. It is, indeed, rather difficult to see what group of students are going to feel any need for this book.
The authors, in their preface, state that it has been their aim to produce a textbook rather than an encyclopaedia, and in this they have been largely successful: the book has clearly profited greatly from the fact that drafts have been tried out on students at three different U.S. universities. This testing has apparently ironed out some of the potential differences of level and treatment that might otherwise have been expected to result, with no
Cambridge, England
The role of Biochemistry in undergraduate
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
curricula. J.W. Porteous. (Continued from page 43.) 3. The Robbins report: Higher Education. Cmnd. 2154, HMSO, London, 1963. 4. The Plowden report: Children and the Primary Schools. Vol. 1 & 2. HMSO, London, 1967. 5. A framework of Government research and development (A Green Paper including reports by Lord Rothschild and by a Working Group of the Council on Scientific Policy under Professor Sir Frederick Dainton). Cmnd. 4814, HMSO, London, 1972. 6. The James report: Teacher education and training. HMSO, London, 1972. 7. See: Nature, 1972. 239. 126. 8. See: Nature, 1972. 235. 243. Nature, 1972. 238. 242 & 305. 9. Science, Growth & Society: a report of the Secretary-General's ad hoc Group on New Concepts of Science Policy. OECD, Paris, 1971. 10. Dainton, F.S. The next generation of scientists and technologists. Heriott-Watt University, Editburgh, 1968. 11. Fischer, R.B. Science, Man and Society, W,B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, 1971. 12. See, for example, Nature, 1972, 237, 366. 13. Science Research Council/Social Sciuces Research Council report: Broader Education for Graduates. London, 1972.
Peter Sykes
I am grateful to Professor G.M. Burnett and to Professor J. Nisbet for drawing my attention to references (9), (10) and (13) listed above. I am also grateful to Professor S.E. Hunt and E. Braun of the University of Aston in Birmingham who very kindly provided me with a synopsis of the curriculum referred to in this article before it was generally available.
ADDENDUM This article was written in October 1972. Nature (1973. 242. 375 - 390) carried a series of nine articles under the general heading Careers for Scientists; several of these articles deal with matters alluded to in the present essay. Since the present article was written the author has learned that the Department of Liberal Studies in Science of the Faculty of Science in the University of Manchester (Professor F.R. Jevons) offers a degree course embracing integrated studies in the physical sciences and in liberal arts; and that a study of life sciences as an alternative to the study of physical sciences will be available in the future. These courses would seem to go a long way towards meeting the aims of the curriculum proposed in the present article. Furthermore, it seems that the Nuffield Foundation is sponsoring a scheme, in which eight Universities and o n ~ Polytechnic are participating, "to keep science courses in closer touch with society" (Guardian, London, March 15, 1973). It will be interesting to watch the progress of this scheme; and, in particular, to see to what extent biochemistry makes a contribution to the laudable objectives of the scheme.