Biochemistry

From The Critics

Reviewer: Anatoly Bezkorovainy, JD, PhD(Rush Medical College of Rush University)
Description: This is a very brief review of biochemistry, not much more than a dictionary. The entries are designed to elicit information already stored in the "little grey cells" of Poirot. When reviewing material for the USMLE Step 1, the reader could probably go through this book in a couple of afternoons.
Purpose: The purpose is to provide a compendium of facts to help medical students pass the USMLE Step 1.
Audience: This book is intended for medical students.
Features: There are some notable sins of omission, e.g. oxidative phosphorylation is still described as producing ATP at specific locations of the pathway rather than being the result of proton flow through the FOF1 ATPase. Regulatory mechanisms in the intermediary metabolism area are covered very sparsely such as in the glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, and glycogen metabolism pathways. Protein chemistry and enzymology are covered well. Most of the vocabulary necessary to pass the USMLE Step 1 in the areas of DNA and RNA replication and RNA translation is there, though recombinant DNA technology is hardly mentioned.
Assessment: This book provides a "quick fix" review of biochemistry. The mastery of its contents may result in a minimum pass on a licensure exam, but it should not be used as the sole medium for reviewing biochemistry.

Anatoly Bezkorovainy

This is a very brief review of biochemistry, not much more than a dictionary. The entries are designed to elicit information already stored in the "little grey cells" of Poirot. When reviewing material for the USMLE Step 1, the reader could probably go through this book in a couple of afternoons. The purpose is to provide a compendium of facts to help medical students pass the USMLE Step 1. This book is intended for medical students. There are some notable sins of omission, e.g. oxidative phosphorylation is still described as producing ATP at specific locations of the pathway rather than being the result of proton flow through the FOF1 ATPase. Regulatory mechanisms in the intermediary metabolism area are covered very sparsely such as in the glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, and glycogen metabolism pathways. Protein chemistry and enzymology are covered well. Most of the vocabulary necessary to pass the USMLE Step 1 in the areas of DNA and RNA replication and RNA translation is there, though recombinant DNA technology is hardly mentioned. This book provides a "quick fix" review of biochemistry. The mastery of its contents may result in a minimum pass on a licensure exam, but it should not be used as the sole medium for reviewing biochemistry.

Booknews

Offers a review of concepts frequently seen in course exams and on USMLE Step I. Material is presented in concise yet detailed format, with key words in bold. Contains chapters on general biochemistry, metabolism, amino acids and proteins, DNA and RNA and protein synthesis, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins and hormones, and biochemical disorders. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

2 Stars from Doody