This textbook uses a case-study approach to present the core principles of biochemistry and molecular biology in the context of human disease to students who will be involved in patient care. The 29 clinical cases have been carefully selected to cover key scientific concepts and some common, and other not so common, diseases. While the principal focus is on topics relating to metabolic disease, further subjects such as connective tissue disorders, neurological disorders, auto-inflammatory disorders, infective diseases, and cancer are also addressed. Each chapter provides a specific patient report that includes the natural history, pertinent clinical laboratory data, physical findings, subsequent diagnosis, and therapy. This is followed by a comprehensive discussion of the normal biochemical processes and reactions pertaining to the case, along with the pathophysiological mechanisms of the disease. Graphical diagrams are provided in each chapter for ease of comprehension.

While the historic roots of clinical chemistry originate from the chemical sciences the growth of the subject has been dependent upon the poli tical, social, economic and technologic national soil in which it has developed. Thus the present leaders in this field have backgrounds variously in chemistry, medicine, pharmacy or sometimes biology. Today, clinical chemistry has attained stature as a unified independent discipline. It is characterized by active and productive international and national societies; its function codified in the law of many countries; its scientific content the sole subject of international and national journals as well as textbooks and educational programs; and its inter national, regional and national meetings have become focal points for major exchange of scientific, clinical and technical information and exhibition. The positive impact of the discipline upon the delivery of health care has given it a significant position in the economics of public health. As a consequence it has become the most rapidly-growing segment of the industrial and commercial component of health main tenance. These changes have brought the need to define the educational and training processes to prepare future leaders of clinical chemistry. The diverse backgrounds of the present directors of clinical chemicallabora tories has required that the viewpoints of chemists, pharmacists, physicians and biologists be brought into harmony. This has been achieved by the years of discussion, debate and review by colleagues of varied professional backgrounds. This monograph reflects their consensus viewpoint for the practice of clinical chemistry at its most advanced level.

Medical and Health Sciences is a component of Encyclopedia of Biological, Physiological and Health Sciences in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. These volume set contains several chapters, each of size 5000-30000 words, with perspectives, applications and extensive illustrations. It carries state-of-the-art knowledge in the fields of Medical and Health Sciences and is aimed, by virtue of the several applications, at the following five major target audiences: University and College Students, Educators, Professional Practitioners, Research Personnel and Policy Analysts, Managers, and Decision Makers and NGOs.