The University of Sheffield
Department of Biomedical Science

Suggested Textbooks

Level 1 students, please see this list.

The texts listed below should cover substantial amounts, but not all, of Level 2 BMS teaching. Beyond these stages, emphasis shifts to source material such as journal articles. Prices are given as guides only – shop around.

Core Texts

Medical Physiology (2nd Edition) Boron, W and Boulpaep, E. Publ. Saunders. ISBN 978-0-80898-2360-2 (£60-65) An in-depth cellular and molecular approach to human physiology. We will come back to use this in many modules throughout Levels 1 and 2, and possibly 3. It will, therefore, look quite daunting to you now.
Either: Molecular Biology of the Cell (5th Edition). Alberts, B., Johnson, A., Lewis, J., Raff, M., Roberts, K. and Walters, P.  Publ. Garland. ISBN 0815341067.  (£60).  Very scary this one as it costs, and has too much depth for Level 1 students, but it is almost the cell and molecular biology bible so will keep you going for 2-3 years. A lot of lecturers use images from this book (e.g. in BMS151), but note that you can find them free at the NCBI Bookshelf : current site (but Google search for NCBI Bookshelf if you find a broken link):
Or: Cell Biology. Pollard, T.D. and Earnshaw. Publ. W.C. Saunders. Updated Edition. 3rd Edition ISBN 978-1-4160-2255-8. Not as scary for Level 1 as Alberts, but may lack depth for Levels 2 and 3. Some cell biology lecturers use images from here. (£50-60).
And: Practical Skills in Biomolecular Sciences (3nd Edition).  Reed, R., Holmes, D., Weyers, J. and Jones, A. Publ. Longman Press. ISBN 013239115 (£30). Referred to quite a lot in practical modules such as BMS154, but not an essential purchase.
And: Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain. (3rd Edition). Bear, M., Connors, B., Paradiso, M. Publ. Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins. ISBN 0781760038 (£34). Handy for e.g. BMS224.
And: Principles of Development. (4th Ed.) Wolpert, L. And Tickle C.. Publ. Oxford University Press. 2011. 978-0-19-954907-8. Recommended for Level 1 and 2 developmental biology modules. (£37)
And: Basic Pathology: An Introduction to the Mechanisms of Disease. (4th Edition). Lakhani, S., Dilly, S., Finlayson, C. and Dogan, A. Publ. Hodder Arnold, 2009. ISBN 9780340950036. (£30)  Really well written book that will be the basis for Level 1 pathology.
And: Pharmacology (7th Edition) Rang H. et al Publ. Churchill Livingstone 2012. ISBN 978-0-7020-3471-8.  (£40.00)  This book is used in Level 1 and 2.

NB  Blackwells Bookshop have in the past negotiated a special deal whereby if you purchase both Boron and Boulpaep and Rang’s books you receive a 10% discount!

Level 2+ books

In addition, students with a particular interest in Neuroscience should consider purchasing the following in preparation for Level 2:

Building Brains: An Introduction to Neural Development. By Price, D.J., Jarman, A.P., Mason, J.O. and Kind, P.C. Publ. Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 978-0-470-71229-0. Used for BMS270 and should be useful for BMS381. (£35)
Background: Brain Architecture, Understanding the Basic Plan by Swanson L.W. OUP.  ISBN 0195105052. (£26). This is an excellent background reader for neuroscience ranging from simple nervous systems to Man, with a historical perspective.

In addition, Drs. Linehan and Sahal highly recommend the following for L2 and 3 anatomy:

Anatomy and Physiology Revealed DVD (3E) and accompanying workbook. A special price has been agreed for this at Sheffield Blackwells.

In addition to the above core texts, the following books are good for the physiology and pharmacology done in Level 2:

Cell Signalling (3rd Edition) Hancock, J. Publ. OUP. ISBN 978-0-19-923210-9 (£29) A good reader for BMS215.