Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the Meaning of Life |
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Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the Meaning of Life
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by Nick Lane
Sales Rank: 59256
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List Price: $17.95
$12.21
At Amazon
on 6-20-2008.
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Features
Cover Type: Paperback with 368 pages
Published by: Oxford University Press, USA; New Ed edition December 11, 2006
Written in: English
ISBN 10 Number: 0199205647
ISBN 13 Number: 978-0199205646
Book Dimensions:
7.6 x 5 x 1.3 inches
Weighs: 11.4 ounces
Product Review
`Review from previous edition The books was written for anyone interested in some of the most profound questions of twenty-first century science. The central proposals of 'Power, Sex, Suicide' are clearly and forcefully propounded This is a new take on why we are here. Do, please, read this book.' John F. Allen, Nature
`I defy anyone (who doesn't know about mitochondria in detail already) to read this book and not come out amazed by the incredible subtlty, complexity and downright unlikeliness of the mechanisms of biological consideration. This book opens up the secrets with an obvious delight from Lane that the readers are likely to share. Recommended.' Popular Science Review
`One of the most interesting stories modern biology has to tell' Steven Rose, The Guardian
`Nick Lane's awesome new book bracingly and convincingly revisionist Explains life's workings, fabric and inner logic with a previously unapproachable coherence.' Oliver Morton, Prospect Magazine
`Full of startling insights into the nature and evolution of life as we know it.' The Economist, Books of the Year 2005
`A good tale. This is a "popular science" book, aimed at the non-specialist with the admirable goal of making the topic more accessible.' John Alcolado, bmj.com
`Full of startling insights into the nature and evolution of life as we know it.' Economist Best Books of the Year, 2005
`This is an especially interesting and worthwhile science bookLane's next book is eagerly awaited.' London Book Review
Product Description
If it weren't for mitochondria, scientists argue, we'd all still be single-celled bacteria. Indeed, these tiny structures inside our cells are important beyond imagining. Without mitochondria, we would have no cell suicide, no sculpting of embryonic shape, no sexes, no menopause, no aging.
In this fascinating and thought-provoking book, Nick Lane brings together the latest research in this exciting field to show how our growing insight into mitochondria has shed light on how complex life evolved, why sex arose (why don't we just bud?), and why we age and die. These findings are of
fundamental importance, both in understanding life on Earth, but also in controlling our own illnesses, and delaying our degeneration and death. Readers learn that two billion years ago, mitochondria were probably bacteria living independent lives and that their capture within greater cells was a
turning point in the evolution of life, enabling the development of complex organisms. Lane describes how mitochondria have their own DNA and that its genes mutate much faster than those in the nucleus. This high mutation rate lies behind our aging and certain congenital diseases. The latest
research suggests that mitochondria play a key role in degenerative diseases such as cancer. We also discover that mitochondrial DNA is passed down almost exclusively via the female line. That's why it has been used by some researchers to trace human ancestry daughter-to-mother, to "Mitochondrial
Eve," giving us vital information about our evolutionary history.
Written by Nick Lane, a rising star in popular science, Power, Sex, Suicide is the first book for general readers on the nature and function of these tiny, yet fascinating structures.
Reader Reviews
This review is from: Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the Meaning of Life (Hardcover)
After the origin of life, the next big step on the way to us was the origin of eukaryotes. These are all the organisms - including people, trees, mushrooms, and slime molds - who package most of our DNA into chromosomes in cell nuclei. Mitochondria, the "powerhouses" of eukaryotes, are descended from bacteria which took to living in a very close relationship with another type of one-celled organism; in fact they came to live inside the other. Nick Lane argues that this merger must have preceded the formation of the nuclear membrane. Hence "Penultimate Roots Trip". Lane starts with a brief section on the origin of life, in order to present necessary information about how organisms get usable energy. This strongly supports his claim that something like a mitochondrion is necessary for life to become more complex than bacteria. After that he describes how formerly free-living bacteria could have evolved into the vastly stripped-down mitochondria. Then he builds up a picture of how that partnership led to the complexities of modern organisms. And I really do mean "builds". Each chapter draws on material from earlier chapters, and the picture becomes more complex as you go on. Fortunately, there are frequent recaps of the material you're about to need. Marvelously, he manages to tell this story in mostly plain English. A little bit of technical language is unavoidable, but I am confident that it will not be a problem for anyone who wasn't already scared off by the word "mitochondrion" in the subtitle. In addition to power, sex, and suicide, the book also discusses aging. Lane presents his ideas on why current attempts to slow aging don't seem to be working and gives some suggestions for research he finds more promising. This is the culmination of the book and I hope it provokes a lot of thought in readers at all levels of technical knowledge. [Original review 14 Dec 2005; "powerhouse"added 25 Jan 2006.]
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Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the Meaning of Life
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Updated on 6-20-2008.
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