Molecular & Cell Biology For Dummies

✍ Scribed by Kratz R.F.

• Publisher: Wiley
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 387
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Your hands-on study guide to the inner world of the cellNeed to get a handle on molecular and cell biology? This easy-to-understand guide explains the structure and function of the cell and how recombinant DNA technology is changing the face of science and medicine. You discover how fundamental principles and concepts relate to everyday life. Plus, you get plenty of study tips to improve your grades and score higher on exams!Explore the world of the cell — take a tour inside the structure and function of cells and see how viruses attack and destroy themUnderstand the stuff of life (molecules) — get up to speed on the structure of atoms, types of bonds, carbohydrates, proteins, DNA, RNA, and lipidsWatch as cells function and reproduce — see how cells communicate, obtain matter and energy, and copy themselves for growth, repair, and reproductionMake sense of genetics — learn how parental cells organize their DNA during sexual reproduction and how scientists can predict inheritance patternsDecode a cell's underlying programming — examine how DNA is read by cells, how it determines the traits of organisms, and how it's regulated by the cellHarness the power of DNA — discover how scientists use molecular biology to explore genomes and solve current world problemsOpen the book and find:Easy-to-follow explanations of key topicsThe life of a cell — what it needs to survive and reproduce Why molecules are so vital to cellsRules that govern cell behaviorLaws of thermodynamics and cellular work The principles of Mendelian geneticsUseful Web sitesImportant events in the development of DNA technologyTen great ways to improve your biology grade

✦ Table of Contents

Molecular &Cell Biology for Dummies......Page 3
About the Author......Page 5
Author’s Acknowledgments......Page 7
Contents at a Glance......Page 9
Table of Contents......Page 10
About This Book......Page 19
What You’re Not to Read......Page 20
How This Book Is Organized......Page 21
Icons Used in This Book......Page 23
Where to Go from Here......Page 24
Part I: The World of the Cell......Page 25
Cells and Viruses: Discovering the Inhabitants of the Microscopic World......Page 27
Sexual Reproduction: Shuffling the Genetic Deck for the Next Generation......Page 30
DNA Technology: Tackling the World’s Problems......Page 31
Admiring the Unity and Diversity of Cells......Page 33
Finding Common Ground: Structures in All Cells......Page 34
Your Body, Your Cells: Eukaryotic Cells......Page 38
Tiny but Mighty: Prokaryotic Cells......Page 51
Viruses: Hijackers of the Cellular World......Page 55
War on a Microcosmic Scale: Viruses of Bacteria......Page 58
I’ve Got a Cold: Viruses of Eukaryotes......Page 61
Part II: Molecules: The Stuff of Life......Page 69
Life Really Matters......Page 71
It’s Elemental!: Atoms That Make Up Living Things......Page 72
Let’s Bond: How Atoms Are Attracted to Each Other......Page 78
Blue Planet: The Ocean Inside Your Cells......Page 88
Chain, Chain, Chain: Building and Breaking Polymers......Page 92
CH2O: Structure of Carbohydrates......Page 95
Sticky and Sweet: Functions of Carbohydrates......Page 100
Get into Shape: Levels of Protein Structure......Page 103
Jacks of All Trades: The Many Functions of Proteins......Page 110
Get ’Er Done: Enzymes Make Things Happen......Page 111
Gatekeepers: Membrane Proteins......Page 114
I’m in Charge: DNA-Binding Proteins......Page 116
It’s Puzzling: Structure of Nucleic Acids......Page 119
Making DNA and RNA......Page 123
Breaking the Code: The Function of DNA and RNA......Page 126
Hydrocarbons: Structure of Lipids......Page 129
You Say Fat Like It’s a Bad Thing: Functions of Lipids......Page 135
Part III: The Working Cell......Page 137
Shipping and Receiving: Transport Across Membranes......Page 139
Chatting through Cellular Connections......Page 144
Sending and Receiving Signals......Page 147
Revving Up Your Metabolism......Page 153
Stayin’ Alive: Cellular Work and the Laws of Thermodynamics......Page 155
One Step at a Time: Metabolic Pathways......Page 164
Cellular Respiration: An Overview......Page 173
Gimme a Break: Glycolysis......Page 178
The Wheel of Fire: Krebs Cycle......Page 184
Taking It to the Bank: Chemiosmosis and Oxidative Phosphorylation......Page 189
Breaking Down Complex Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Fats......Page 195
It’s a Two-Way Street: Connections Between Metabolic Pathways......Page 198
Photosynthesis: An Overview......Page 203
Shine on Me: The Light Reactions......Page 210
The Circle of Life: Calvin Cycle......Page 214
Got Food? Photosynthesis in the Real World......Page 216
Reproducing the Cell......Page 219
Drifting Apart: Binary Fission......Page 220
Red Light, Green Light: The Cell Cycle......Page 221
The Dance of the Chromosomes: Mitosis......Page 223
Breaking Up Is Hard to Do: Cytokinesis......Page 225
Keeping It Under Control......Page 226
Part IV: Genetics: From One Generation to the Next......Page 227
Let’s Talk About Sex, Baby: Reproduction......Page 229
Homologous Chromosomes......Page 231
Going Separate Ways: Meiosis......Page 233
Shuffling the Genetic Deck: Crossing Over......Page 236
Why Two Divisions Are Better Than One......Page 237
It Was All a Mistake: Nondisjunction......Page 238
Pass the Peas, Please: Mendel and Segregation of Single Gene Traits......Page 241
I Can Go My Own Way: Independent Assortment......Page 254
It’s News to Mendel: Inheritance Beyond Simple Dominance......Page 259
Almost Inseparable: Linked Genes......Page 265
Mama’s Boy: Sex-Linked Inheritance......Page 268
Part V: Molecular Genetics: Reading the Book of Life......Page 273
DNA Replication: An Overview......Page 275
Everybody Lend a Hand: Enzymes Involved in DNA Replication......Page 276
It Takes a Village: Events at the Replication Fork......Page 277
Keeping It Together: Leading and Lagging Strands......Page 282
File It Under Genes: The Blueprints for RNA and Proteins......Page 285
Make a Copy, Please: Transcription......Page 286
Finishing Touches: RNA Processing in Eukaryotes......Page 290
Making a Protein: Translation......Page 291
Don’t Drink and Drive: Mutation......Page 300
Controlling the Situation: Gene Regulation and Information Flow......Page 303
I Can Be Flexible: Gene Expression in Bacteria......Page 306
The Master Plan: Gene Expression in Eukaryotes......Page 313
Part VI: Tools of Molecular Biology: Harnessing the Power of DNA......Page 321
Piecing It Together: Recombinant DNA Technology......Page 323
Changing the Plan: Using Molecular Biology to Solve Problems......Page 336
I Read the Whole Thing: Sequencing Genomes......Page 343
We Have a Lot in Common: Comparative Genomics......Page 347
What’s Your Function?: Functional Genomics......Page 349
Reaping the Rewards: Pharmacogenomics......Page 351
I’ve Got a System: Systems Biology......Page 352
Part VII: The Part of Tens......Page 355
The Cell Theory......Page 357
The First Law of Thermodynamics......Page 358
The Second Law of Thermodynamics......Page 359
The Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection......Page 360
The Law of Conservation of Matter......Page 361
Nucleic Acids Pair in Antiparallel Strands......Page 362
Central Dogma......Page 363
Protein Shape Is Essential to Their Function......Page 364
Law of Segregation......Page 365
Law of Independent Assortment......Page 366
Keep Your Mind Alive During Lecture......Page 367
Be Active, Not Passive......Page 368
Get Creative with Memory Tricks......Page 369
Remember the Supporting Material......Page 370
Test Yourself Often......Page 371
Get Help Sooner Rather Than Later......Page 372
Index......Page 373