Search results for "Comparative Biochemistry"
showing 3 items of 3 documents
Toxic Proteins and Peptides
1994
Many animals produce poisonous substances which, even at a relatively low dose, are deleterious or lethal to other organisms, including man. They may serve on the one hand to disable or kill prey, or on the other hand as a protection or defence against predators. These substances are mostly produced by special glands, and both poison reservoirs and specialized structures for delivering the secretion, e.g. stings or modified mouthparts or fangs, are usually also present. In accordance with the aims of this book, we will deal with the comparative biochemistry of the animal toxins as natural products with special structures and functions; a discussion of the mechanisms of their pharmacological…
The Structural Variety and Metabolism of Proteins
1994
Individual eukaryote cells contain in the order of 104 different proteins, and each animal species contains an even greater number due to differences between the tissues of an individual and between the individuals themselves; furthermore, the protein spectrum changes during the course of development. The number of different proteins to be found in extant organisms may be as high as 1012. The description of this variety, its origin and biological significance is the most extensive theme in comparative biochemistry. This chapter will concern itself with the possibilities for structural variation and the general metabolism of proteins; further chapters will deal with comparative studies of in…
The Subject Matter and Methods of Comparative Biochemistry
1994
The diversity of living organisms, the abundance of forms, colours and phenotypes, is one of the most impressive aspects of our world. Since ancient times, science has concerned itself with the ordering and classification of this diversity. At first, only those structures and processes which were recognizable without any special apparatus could be compared; the invention of the light microscope and the electron microscope introduced new dimensions and new opportunities for comparison. Finally, progress to the molecular level became possible with the development of methods of biochemical analysis. Different comparative biological disciplines arose, each with particular goals and methods. The…