Carbohydrate Chemistry

This series of short texts provides accessible accounts of a range of essential topics in chemistry and chemical engineering. Written with the needs of the student in mind, the Oxford Chemistry Primers offer just the right level of detail for undergraduate study, and will be invaluable as a source of material commonly presented in lecture courses yet not adequately covered in existing texts. All the basic principles and facts in a particular area are presented in a clear and straightforward style, to produce concise yet comprehensive accounts of topics covered in both core and specialist courses. Carbohydrates are a vital part not only of metabolism, but are implicated as key coding molecules in a host of subtle biological events. The exploration of the rote and the manipulation of this wonderful class of molecules is an exciting and ever changing field. This primer seeks to strip off some of the mystery that often surrounds carbohydrate chemistry, a subject taught in ail undergraduate courses, by highlighting and summarizing some of the central principles and ideas and by illustrating them with both classical and state-of-the-art examples.