Machinery of Life (eBook)

David S. Goodsell (Autor)

eBook Download: PDF

2009 | 2., Second Edition 2009
XII, 167 Seiten
Springer New York (Verlag)
978-0-387-84925-6 (ISBN)

Infos

Imagine that we had some way to look directly at the molecules in a living organism. An x-ray microscope would do the trick, or since we're dreaming, perhaps an Asimov-style nanosubmarine (unfortunately, neither is currently feasible). Think of the wonders we could witness firsthand: antibodies atta- ing a virus, electrical signals racing down nerve fibers, proteins building new strands of DNA. Many of the questions puzzling the current cadre of sci- tists would be answered at a glance. But the nanoscale world of molecules is separated from our everyday world of experience by a daunting million-fold difference in size, so the world of molecules is completely invisible. I created the illustrations in this book to help bridge this gulf and allow us to see the molecular structure of cells, if not directly, then in an artistic rendition. I have included two types of illustrations with this goal in mind: watercolor paintings which magnify a small portion of a living cell by one million times, showing the arrangement of molecules inside, and comput- generated pictures, which show the atomic details of individual molecules. In this second edition of The Machinery of Life, these illustrations are presented in full color, and they incorporate many of the exciting scientific advances of the 15 years since the first edition.

Dr. David S. Goodsell is Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology at The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA. His illustrations have become well known and now appear in many publications as the primary demonstration of the crowded nature of cells. He has also provided expertise and illustrations to many science museums, most recently acting as a 'thinking partner' for a new multi-site nanotechnology initiative headed in part by the Exploratorium in San Francisco.

Inhalt

The Machinery of Life 2
Preface 8
Contents 10
Introduction 13
A Matter of Scale 15
The Molecular World 16
Molecular Machines 20
Nucleic Acids 24
Proteins 28
Lipids 30
Polysaccharides 34
The Strange World of Molecules in Cells 36
The Processes of Living 39
Building Molecules 40
Harnessing Energy 50
Protection and Perception 55
Molecules in Cells: Escherichia coli 62
The Protective Barrier 63
Building New Proteins 68
Powering the Cell 72
Cellular Propellers 74
Molecular Warfare 76
A Human Cell: The Advantages of Compartments 79
The Human Body: The Advantages of Specialization 91
Infrastructure and Communication 92
Muscle 95
Blood 103
Nerves 109
Life and Death 117
Ubiquitin and the Proteasome 118
DNA Repair 120
Telomeres 124
Programmed Cell Death 124
Cancer 126
Aging 128
Death 132
Viruses 135
Poliovirus and Rhinovirus 137
Influenza Virus 140
Human Immunodeficiency Virus 141
Vaccines 143
You and Your Molecules 148
Vitamins 149
Broad-Spectrum Poisons 153
Bacterial Toxins 155
Antibiotic Drugs 157
Drugs and Poisons of the Nervous System 161
You and Your Molecules 163
Atomic Coordinates 164
Additional Reading 166
Index 168

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 10.4.2009
• Zusatzinfo: XII, 167 p.
• Verlagsort: New York
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Gesundheit / Leben / Psychologie
• Themenwelt: Medizin / Pharmazie ► Allgemeines / Lexika
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Biologie ► Biochemie
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Biologie ► Mikrobiologie / Immunologie
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Biologie ► Zellbiologie
• Themenwelt: Technik
• Schlagworte: biochemistry • Cell Biology • cellular processes • current37 • Escherichia coli • Molecular Biology • molecular machines • Polysaccharid • proteins • Virus • Viruses
• ISBN-10: 0-387-84925-4 / 0387849254
• ISBN-13: 978-0-387-84925-6 / 9780387849256