Introduction to organic and biochemistry

Abstract

Like the previous editions, we intend this book for non chemistry majors, mainly those entering health sciences and related fields, such as nursing, medical technology, physical therapy, and nutrition. It can also be used by students in environmental studies. In its entirety, it can be used for a oneyear (two-semester or three-quarter) course in chemistry, or parts of the book can be used in a one-term chemistry course. We assume that the students using this book have little or no background in chemistry. Therefore, we introduce the basic concepts slowly at the beginning and increase the tempo and the level of sophistication as we go on. We progress from the basic tenets of general chemistry to organic and finally to biochemistry. We consider this progress as an ascent in terms of both practical importance and sophistication. Throughout we integrate the three parts by keeping a unified view of chemistry. We do not consider general chemistry sections to be the exclusive domain of inorganic compounds, so we frequently use organic and biological substances to illustrate general principles. While teaching the chemistry of the human body is our ultimate goal, we try to show that each subsection of chemistry is important in its own right, besides being required for future understanding.