Biochemistry Resources
Command of biochemistry is crucial to developing molecular-level
understanding in structural biology. Use these tools to learn or
review key biochemical concepts and skills. Compatible with any
current biochemistry text. All are student-tested.
Learning Tools for Biochemistry Courses
Biochemistry Topics List
For a one-year course, integrated with all of the following Biochemistry
Learning Tools.
Biochemistry, Chapter Zero: Setting the Stage for
Biochemistry
A review of essential concepts from general and organic chemistry.
This review provides a metabolic context for organizing your study
of biochemistry.
Learning Strategies
Getting a foothold on new subjects.
Essential Skills
Don't show up for an exam without these skills.
Supplemental Problems
You can solve these problems ONLY with molecular graphics!
Reviewing Organic Chemistry
Need to review an O-chem topic for your biochemistry course? Go
to the excellent O-CHem
Directory, prepared by Professor
Thomas Newton.
The Well-Read Biochemist:
A Scientist Encounters the Humanities
Poems, essays, fiction, and art -- through the eyes of a structural
biologist.
Small Song
The weeds give
way to the
wind and give
the wind away
A. R. Ammons
A Graphics Manifesto
If you are not training your first-year biochemistry students
to use molecular graphics and the Protein Data Bank as tools for
independently exploring macromolecular structure, YOU ARE FAILING
THEM IN AN IMPORTANT AREA. To see why, read my Molecular
Graphics Manifesto.
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Foundations
of
Structural Biology
Crystallography
Made Crystal Clear:
A Guide for Users of Macromolecular Models
by Gale Rhodes
Third Edition, 2006
Elsevier/Academic Press
Basics of single-crystal X-ray crystallography, for beginning
crystallographers and users of macromolecular models. Includes
brief introductions to NMR and homology models, and to other diffraction
methods (electron, neutron, Laue, fiber, and powder).
Learn more about this book.
and an integral part of
Crystallography Made Crystal
Clear:
CMCC Home Page
Support for readers of my book, including links to sites that further
expand your understanding of crystallography and crystallographic
models.
World's Smallest
Style Manual
Always Under Construction
Send me your favorite unfavorites.
Improve your writing. Search your documents and eliminate
all instances of these words and phrases:
=> at this
point in time -- many needless words.
What's wrong with now?
=> begs the question -- self-defeating attempt to sound as erudite as your local philosopher. Justifying the answer to a question by making the assumption that the answer is true is called (by philosophers, logicians, debaters) "begging the question". In other words, the answer leaves the question begging for an answer. Any circular argument begs the question. In recent years, scientists have misused the phrase to mean "raises the question", as in "Discovery of one catalytic RNA begs the question of whether RNA catalysis is widespread."
Use raises the question. (Be erudite, while your colleagues are merely sounding erudite.)
=> concomitant -- vague word
implying accompaniment, but things can accompany each other in many ways. Pick the word
that describes the situation precisely: associated, connected,
consequent, related, resultant.
=> copious
quantities --
old chemistry jargon.
Try plenty.
=> due to the fact that --
more needless words.
Use because.
=> in close proximity -- redundant
and unnecessarily complex. Ever heard of distant proximity?
Use near.
=> instantiate -- philosophical and education jargon, meaning "to be an instance (or example) of.. ." Made by turning the nice little word "instance" into an ugly verb. I call this atrocious act "verbing", an ugly word that is an example of itself.
Use exemplify.
=> instantiation -- an instance. Made by turning the ugly verb "instantiate" (see above) into an even uglier noun. But we already have a noun; we made the ugly verb from it. Use the noun.
Use instance.
For a hilarious example of horrid writing (and not very clear thinking, either) featuring the instantiate family of words, see Science 25 April 2008:
Vol. 320. no. 5875, pp. 454 - 455, LEARNING THEORY:
The Advantage of Abstract Examples in Learning Math. (Then, just imagine! People who talk like this are trying to tell you how to teach.)
=> orientate -- one extra
syllable turns a lovely word into something grating.
Use orient.
=> problematic -- vague jargon, usually. Perhaps justifiable when you mean "of uncertain outcome". If that's not what you mean, then pick the word that describes the problem precisely: ambiguous, arduous,
arguable, challenging, complex, confusing, debatable, difficult,
disputed, doubtful, dubious, equivocal, questionable, hard, knotty, moot, puzzling, uncertain.
=> utilize --
one of the language's ugliest words. The word means use.
Use use.
=> more to come... |
