Water: The Forgotten Biological Molecule

ISBN-13: 9789814267526 / Angielski / Twarda / 2010 / 399 str.

Hidenao Fukuyama; Denis Le Bihan

Opis

The main objective of this book is to bring together multidisciplinary contributions from leading authorities on the properties and roles of water in cell systems which are otherwise dispersed in the literature and difficult to gather. The authors are drawn from areas of physics, chemistry, biology and physiology, where water plays a central role. The book focuses on current research and developments in the theoretical and experimental studies of water in biological systems and compounds, such as interaction with hydrophobic or hydrophilic structures, protein and membrane surfaces. It provides insights into the importance of water in cellular processes and physiology and, ultimately, in life, brain function, and health.

Recenzje

"This book offers refreshing new insights into a fundamental problem in biology at the beginning of the 21st century: ‘How does the intricate dance between macromolecules and water molecules control fundamentally important biological processes?’ Lacking basic theoretical understanding at the molecular level, we resort to empirical relationships with limited ability to predict future outcomes in biology, biotechnology, and medicine. The volume pushes the frontier using experimental insights gained from the most recent advances in technology to narrow the search."
- Dr. Gary Fullerton, University of Colorado Denver, USA

"This book courageously confronts the heart of natural science through water, clarifying this mysterious and attractive molecule’s role in life through a trans-disciplinary approach. It will no doubt be the first light of dawn for a new physiology and brain science."
- Dr. Hideaki Koizumi, Fellow, Hitachi, Ltd., Japan

Spis treści

The Structure of the Water Molecule. Water as a Solvent. Water at Interfaces. Water and Cell Membranes. Water and Cellular Structure/Physiology. Water, Health, and Life.

O autorze

Denis Le Bihan is a member of the French Academy of Sciences and director and founder of NeuroSpin, an ultra-high-field MRI facility (Atomic Energy Commission, Saclay, France).

Hidenao Fukuyama is chairman of the Human Brain Research Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.