Preface xi
1 In the Beginning ... 1
1.1 Approaching the Study of Life 1
1.2 Billions and Billions of Creatures ... 5
1.3 ... All Alike 11
1.4 Where To from Here 16
2 Evolution 19
2.1 Inheritance 23
2.2 Variation 28
2.3 Selection 34
2.4 A Brief History of Life on Earth 41
2.5 Evolution and Life 47
2.6 Suggested Readings 47
3 A Little Bit of Chemistry 49
3.1 Matter 49
3.1.1 Atoms 50
3.1.2 Molecules and Bonds 54
3.2 Reactions 58
3.3 Organic Chemistry 62
3.4 Energy and Thermodynamics 66
3.5 Chemistry and Life 70
3.6 Suggested Readings 71
4 The Structure and Function of Bacteria 73
4.1 Membranes and Boundaries 75
4.2 Cytoplasm and Metabolism 77
4.3 Chromosomes and Genomes 82
4.4 Bacterial Life 86
4.5 Suggested Readings 88
5 Biological Macromolecules 91
5.1 Protein 92
5.1.1 Protein Structure 95
5.1.2 Protein Evolution 102
5.1.3 Protein Function 103
5.2 Nucleic Acids 104
5.2.1 DNA 104
5.2.2 RNA 107
5.2.3 DNA Evolution 111
5.3 Macromolecules and Life 116
5.4 Suggested Readings 117
6 Eukaryotes 119
6.1 Eukaryotic Gene Structure and Transcription 120
6.2 Components of the Eukaryotic Cell 124
6.2.1 The Nucleus 124
6.2.2 The Endoplasmic Reticulum and Golgi Apparatus 126
6.2.3 The Mitochondrion 126
6.2.4 The Chloroplast 130
6.2.5 Other Plastids 133
6.2.6 The Proteasome, the Lysosome, and the Peroxisome 133
6.3 Lifestyles of the Single-Celled Eukaryote 134
6.4 Suggested Readings 137
7 Multicellular Organisms and Development 139
7.1 The Origin of Multicellular Organisms 139
7.2 Development 145
7.2.1 Molecular Maps 148
7.2.2 Cell-to-Cell Signaling 151
7.2.3 Cell Motion 153
7.2.4 Differentiation 156
7.2.5 Organogenesis 158
7.3 Growth 159
7.4 Multicellular Life and Humanity 162
7.5 Suggested Readings 163
8 Anatomy, Physiology, and Systems Biology 165
8.1 Homeostasis 165
8.2 Tissues 168
8.3 Organ Systems 175
8.3.1 The Cardiovascular System 175
8.3.2 The Immune System 178
8.3.3 The Nervous System 181
8.4 Systems Biology 186
8.5 Suggested Readings 187
9 Disease and Its Treatment 189
9.1 General Principles of Pathology and Therapeutics 190
9.1.1 Cellular Stress and Responses to It 190
9.1.2 Cell Injury 192
9.1.3 Cell Death 193
9.1.4 General Principles of Therapeutics 194
9.2 Healing 196
9.3 Genetics and Disease 198
9.4 Infectious Disease and Antibiotics 200
9.5 Cardiovascular Disease 201
9.6 Cancer 205
9.7 Drug Discovery 208
9.8 Molecular Medicine 211
9.9 Suggested Readings 212
10 Molecular Biotechnology 215
10.1 Molecular Instrumentation 215
10.1.1 Measurements of Mass and Charge 216
10.1.2 Macromolecular Structure Determination 221
10.1.3 Assays of Molecular Activity 233
10.1.4 Distribution of Molecules Through Space and Time 224
10.1.5 Nucleic Acid Instrumentation 225
10.2 Model Organisms: Germs, Worms, Weeds, Bugs, and Rodents 230
10.2.1 Escherichia coli 232
10.2.2 Saccharomyces cerevisiae 232
10.2.3 Arabidopsis thaliana 233
10.2.4 Caenorhabditis elegans 233
10.2.5 Drosophila melanogaster 234
10.2.6 Danio rerio 234
10.2.7 Mus musculus 235
10.3 Genetic Engineering 235
10.4 Molecular Biotechnology and Human Life 238
10.5 Suggested Readings 239
11 Molecular Bioethics 241
11.1 Molecular Biology and Medicine 242
11.2 Molecular Biology and Agriculture 245
11.3 Molecular Biology and Society 246
11.4 Regulation and Control of Molecular Biotechnology 249
11.5 Learning about Life 250
11.6 Suggested Readings 251
Glossary 253
Index