CHEMISTRY FOR BIOLOGISTS AT ADVANCED LEVEL. By Bernard Rockett and Paul Sutton. John Murray pound;9.99.
Jackie Hardie rounds up new texts for A and AS-level biology. Biology syllabuses at 16-plus contain quite a bit of biochemistry, so any student studying biology without the support of a chemistry course of equivalent standard, may struggle. This self-study guide is designed so that students can easily find the topics on which they need help. The first section covers very basic biological chemistry ( “acids and bases” and “oxidation and reduction”, etc) and will be helpful to those whose knowledge of GCSE is limited. Part 2 deals with the Molecules of Life (sugars and carbohydrates, and nucleotides) and Part 3 with Important Physical Concepts, like rates of reaction and radioactive emission.
Each chapter begins with a short introduction followed by learning objectives. There’s a section of explanation with questions, a summary and more self-assessment questions, with answers at the back.
Jackie Hardie is deputy head of the Latymer School in north London