Introducing Biological Energetics

Norman Cheetham has extensive science teaching experience at Secondary School, Teachers' College and University level. He has contributed chapters to three science text books used in Australian Secondary Schools, and developed the chemistry sections of a set of overhead projector-based teaching materials. Until retirement, he was an Associate Professor in the School of Chemistry, the University of NSW, Sydney, where he taught courses in food chemistry, polymer chemistry, carbohydrates, drug analysis, and instrumental techniques. He is now an Adjunct Professor at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia, and is still involved in teaching and research.

• Preface ; Introduction ; 1. The flow of energy in living systems ; 2. Origins - the early Earth ; 3. Energy and force explored ; 4. Which way? An introduction to thermodynamics ; 5. The building blocks ; 6. How fast, how far? Chemical thermodynamics and equilibrium ; 7. The strange story of water and oil ; 8. Size matters - proteins and enzymes ; 9. Molecular genetics - the chemical basis of heredity ; 10. Electron gymnastics - energy revisited ; 11. Cells and metabolism - putting it all together ; 12. From prokaryotes to eukaryotes - getting ready for multicellular life ; 13. Multicellular life - the last hurdle? ; Appendix A - Electromagnetic radiation ; Appendix B - Glycolysis ; Appendix C - The TCA Cycle ; Appendix D - The Calvin Cycle ; Appendix E - Amino acid structures ; Index