Kumi loves to eat, but she's worried that her passion for junk food is affecting her health. Determined to unlock the secrets of dieting, she enlists the help of her brainy friend Nemoto and his beautiful biochemistry professor, Dr. Kurosaka. And so it begins...

Follow along in The Manga Guide to Biochemistry as Kumi explores the mysteries of her body's inner workings. With the help of RoboCat, the professor's friendly endoscopic robot, you'll soar through the incredible chemical machinery that keeps us alive and get an up-close look at biopolymers like DNA and proteins, the metabolic processes that turn our food into energy, and the enzymes that fuel our bodies' chemical reactions.

As you dive into the depths of plant and animal cells, you'll learn about:
-The metabolism of substances like carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and alcohol
-How the energy powerhouses known as mitochondria produce ATP
-DNA transcription and the different types of RNA that work together to translate the genetic code into proteins
-Enzyme kinetics, how they're measured, and how enzyme inhibition works

Whether you're a medical student, an amateur scientist, or just curious about how your body turns cupcakes into energy, The Manga Guide to Biochemistry is your key to understanding the science of life.

Author: Masaharu Takemura, Kikuyaro, Office Sawa
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: No Starch Press
Published: 11/11/2011
Pages: 272
Weight: 1.15lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.90w x 0.70d
ISBN: 9781593272760
Audience: Ages 9-12


Review Citation(s):
Choice 05/01/2012

About the Author
Masaharu Takemura is an Associate Professor at the Tokyo University of Science who specializes in molecular biology and life science. A Doctor of Medical Science, he has written several books about biology.