How we live and why we die: the secret lives of cells

Description

" ... Wolpert, an internationally acclaimed embryologist, draws on the recent discoveries of genetics to demonstrate how human life derives from a single cell and then grows into a body: an incredibly complete society made up of billions of cells. Wolpert sensitively examines the science behind often controversial research topics that are much discussed but rarely understood - stem cell research, cloning, DNA, and mutating cancer cells - all the while illuminating how the intricacies of cellular behavior bear directly on human behavior."--Inside jacket.;Introduction : the miraculous cell -- Discovery : how science made plain the facts of life -- How we live : how cells replicate, maintain order, evolve, and die -- How we function : how proteins determine the work of cells -- How genes work : how DNA encodes proteins -- How our cells are replaced : how stem cells self-replicate -- How we become human : how we develop from a single cell -- How we reproduce : how meiosis works -- How we move, think, and feel : how nerve cells communicate -- How we grow and why we age : how cells multiply, enlarge, and decline -- How we survive : how cells defend against bacteria and viruses -- How cancer strikes : how rogue cells form tumours -- How diseases are caused : when cells behave abnormally -- The origins of life : the mystery of the first cell.