Andrea T. Da Poian Miguel A. R. B. Castanho  Integrative Human Biochemistry A Textbook for Medical Biochemistry Integrative Human Biochemistry Andrea T. Da Poian (cid:129) Miguel A. R. B. Castanho Integrative Human Biochemistry A Textbook for Medical Biochemistry Andrea T. Da Poian Miguel A. R. B. Castanho Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Institute of Biochemistry and Leopoldo de Meis Institute of Molecular Medicine Federal University of Rio de Janeiro School of Medicine Rio de Janeiro , Rio de Janeiro , Brazil University of Lisbon Lisbon , Portugal ISBN 978-1-4939-3057-9 ISBN 978-1-4939-3058-6 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-4939-3058-6 Library of Congress Control Number: 2015946870 Springer New York Heidelberg Dordrecht London © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015 T his work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifi cally the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfi lms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specifi c statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. T he publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Printed on acid-free paper Springer Science+Business Media LLC New York is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com) This book is a tribute to the legacy of Leopoldo de Meis for his inspiration to younger generations. Thanks, Leopoldo. Foreword: Leopoldo De Meis’ Legacy— A Biochemistry Textbook with a Difference This is a comprehensive and concise basic Biochemistry textbook for health science students. This readership is often overwhelmed by conventional textbooks, which cover many topics in great depth. Indeed, although this information is necessary for those aiming to become biochemists, it is excessively detailed for the interests of future nurses, physicians, and dentists. The authors—experienced teachers and researchers aware of the needs of health science students—have devised a book specifi cally for this community. To this end, the book starts off with a description of the molecules of life and rapidly moves on to cover metabolism and related fi elds, such as the control of body weight. The book is therefore devoted to human metabolism. Given that its audi- ence is health science students, only those topics considered of relevance for humans are presented. One of the hallmarks of current developments in the life sciences is the merge of classical disciplines. Consequently, the book encompasses pure bio- chemical information in the framework of related fi elds such as Physiology, Histology, and Pharmacology. The fi nal chapters on the regulation of metabolism during physical activity and the control of body weight clearly refl ect this multidis- ciplinary perspective. T he presentation of metabolism is organized around the concept of the genera- tion and management of energy. Unlike most textbooks, here the synthesis of ATP is described fi rst in a very detailed way, after which the metabolic pathways that feed ATP synthesis are addressed. This logical approach to presenting material was advocated by Leopoldo de Meis, one of the greatest Biochemistry teachers and educators of our time. In this regard, this book is a tribute to Leopoldo. T he structural aspects of macromolecules are consistently shown in the fi gures, and the fundamental notion that reactions are the result of molecular interactions is reiterated throughout the book. Given that in most university degrees Molecular Biology and Genetics are now taught in separate courses, the reader is provided with a description of nucleic acids, faithfully referred to as “Polymers of saccharide conjugates,” in the chapter dealing with the families of biological molecules. However, the reader will not fi nd information on DNA and RNA typical of conven- tional textbooks. vii viii Foreword: Leopoldo De Meis’ Legacy—A Biochemistry Textbook with a Difference Another interesting feature of the book is the use of “boxes,” which develop singular concepts in a more informal manner. This presentation technique is highly illustrative and reader-friendly. Furthermore, key experiments that have opened up new concepts are explained, thus helping students to appreciate that scientifi c knowledge derives from the work of researchers, some of which are depicted in caricatures. Finally, each chapter includes a set of up-to-date and well-chosen refer- ences, which will help those students wishing to delve further into specifi c fi elds. In summary, this textbook provides a modern and integrative perspective of human Biochemistry and will be a faithful companion to health science students following curricula in which this discipline is addressed. Similarly, this textbook will be a most useful tool for the teaching community. Barcelona , Spain Joan Guinovart Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Barcelona, Spain, and International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, IUBMB Pref ace T raditional lecture classes in biological sciences are being challenged by modern forms of communication. Modern communication tends to be more visual and less interpreta- tive in nature. In lectures, the didactics are changing vastly and rapidly; the deductive power of mathematics is complemented by the intuitive clarity of movie simulations, even if the fi rst is fully embedded in the scientifi c method and the latter are mere artistic confi gurations of a faintly perceived reality. It is a general trend in modern societies that the most effective communication is more condensed and focused, contextualizes the information, and is disseminated across multiple media. Textbooks do not escape this reality. A modern scientifi c textbook to be effective should be a means of commu- nication that needs to address specifi c issues of interest, place these issues in a broader interdisciplinary context, and make use of modern visualization tools that represent reality within the state of the art available in scientifi c research. W e have shaped this book based on many years of Biochemistry teaching and researching. We hope to stimulate other teachers to actively rethink biochemical education in health sciences and “contaminate” students with the passion for bio- chemical knowledge as an essential part of the indefi nable but fascinating trick of nature we call life. “We’re trying for something that’s already found us,” Jim Morrison would say. Presentation of Book Structure Our goal in this endeavor is not writing just another piece of literature in bio- chemistry. We aim at a different textbook. Biochemistry is defi ned as the study of the molecular processes occurring in living organisms, which means that it com- prises the network of chemical and physical transformations that allow life to exist. H owever, this intrinsic integrative nature of biochemistry may be lost if it is taught as lists of molecules’ types and metabolic pathways. In this book, we intend to introduce the biochemistry world in an actual integrative way. For this, our option was to focus on human biochemistry, presenting the molecular mechanisms of ix