Basic Facts for Basic Science

This pocket-sized book concisely and systematically reviews the central concepts in the biological and medical sciences. It provides all those who are studying and working in the biomedical fields with a quick refresher in essential principles, terms, facts, and laboratory procedures and a reference source for the common core of knowledge that is needed for interdisciplinary collaboration. Key ideas and facts are presented in succinct summaries and easy-to-scan tables, lists, outlines, and dictionaries. Included are synopses of fundamental principles and terms in physics and physical chemistry, organic and inorganic chemistry, and molecular biology, molecular genetics, and recombinant DNA research. A summary of facts about animals used in biomedical research includes taxonomy, classification, and comparative data on propagation, life span, and metabolic rates. A condensed review of mathematical essentials covers algebra, geometry, trigonometry, analytical geometry, statistics, and curves commonly used to fit biological data and includes abridged tables of logarithms and exponential functions of e. A chapter on basic laboratory procedures describes preparation of buffers and balanced solutions, use of radioactive tracers, and spectrophotometry. The book also presents a guide to common abbreviations and symbols, units and their equivalents, and measures.