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| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: What is Life? Addy Pross, 2012-09-27 Pross examines these issues from a chemical perspective, providing a new understanding of how the sciences of chemistry and biology relate to one another. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: What is Life? , 2014-01 Seventy years ago, Erwin Schrödinger posed a profound question: 'What is life, and how did it emerge from non-life?' Scientists have puzzled over it ever since. Addy Pross uses insights from the new field of systems chemistry to show how chemistry can become biology, and that Darwinian evolution is the expression of a deeper physical principle. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: What is Life? Addy Pross, 2012-09-27 Seventy years ago, Erwin Schrödinger posed a profound question: 'What is life, and how did it emerge from non-life?' This problem has puzzled biologists and physical scientists ever since. Living things are hugely complex and have unique properties, such as self-maintenance and apparently purposeful behaviour which we do not see in inert matter. So how does chemistry give rise to biology? What could have led the first replicating molecules up such a path? Now, developments in the emerging field of 'systems chemistry' are unlocking the problem. Addy Pross shows how the different kind of stability that operates among replicating molecules results in a tendency for chemical systems to become more complex and acquire the properties of life. Strikingly, he demonstrates that Darwinian evolution is the biological expression of a deeper, well-defined chemical concept: the whole story from replicating molecules to complex life is one continuous process governed by an underlying physical principle. The gulf between biology and the physical sciences is finally becoming bridged. This new edition includes an Epilogue describing developments in the concepts of fundamental forms of stability discussed in the book, and their profound implications. Oxford Landmark Science books are 'must-read' classics of modern science writing which have crystallized big ideas, and shaped the way we think. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: What is Life? the Physical Aspect of the Living Cell & Mind and Matter Erwin Schrödinger, 1967 |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: The Emergence of Life Pier Luigi Luisi, 2006-07-13 The origin of life from inanimate matter has been the focus of much research for decades, both experimentally and philosophically. Luisi takes the reader through the consecutive stages from prebiotic chemistry to synthetic biology, uniquely combining both approaches. This book presents a systematic course discussing the successive stages of self-organisation, emergence, self-replication, autopoiesis, synthetic compartments and construction of cellular models, in order to demonstrate the spontaneous increase in complexity from inanimate matter to the first cellular life forms. A chapter is dedicated to each of these steps, using a number of synthetic and biological examples. With end-of-chapter review questions to aid reader comprehension, this book will appeal to graduate students and academics researching the origin of life and related areas such as evolutionary biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, biophysics and natural sciences. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: A New History of Life Peter Ward, Joe Kirschvink, 2015-04-07 The history of life on Earth is, in some form or another, known to us all--or so we think. A New History of Life offers a provocative new account, based on the latest scientific research, of how life on our planet evolved--the first major new synthesis for general readers in two decades. Charles Darwin's theories, first published more than 150 years ago, form the backbone of how we understand the history of the Earth. In reality, the currently accepted history of life on Earth is so flawed, so out of date, that it's past time we need a 'New History of Life.' In their latest book, Joe Kirschvink and Peter Ward will show that many of our most cherished beliefs about the evolution of life are wrong. Gathering and analyzing years of discoveries and research not yet widely known to the public, A New History of Life proposes a different origin of species than the one Darwin proposed, one which includes eight-foot-long centipedes, a frozen “snowball Earth”, and the seeds for life originating on Mars. Drawing on their years of experience in paleontology, biology, chemistry, and astrobiology, experts Ward and Kirschvink paint a picture of the origins life on Earth that are at once too fabulous to imagine and too familiar to dismiss--and looking forward, A New History of Life brilliantly assembles insights from some of the latest scientific research to understand how life on Earth can and might evolve far into the future. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: Life's Ratchet Peter M Hoffmann, 2012-10-30 Life is an enduring mystery. Yet, science tells us that living beings are merely sophisticated structures of lifeless molecules. If this view is correct, where do the seemingly purposeful motions of cells and organisms originate? In Life's Ratchet, physicist Peter M. Hoffmann locates the answer to this age-old question at the nanoscale. Below the calm, ordered exterior of a living organism lies microscopic chaos, or what Hoffmann calls the molecular storm -- specialized molecules immersed in a whirlwind of colliding water molecules. Our cells are filled with molecular machines, which, like tiny ratchets, transform random motion into ordered activity, and create the purpose that is the hallmark of life. Tiny electrical motors turn electrical voltage into motion, nanoscale factories custom-build other molecular machines, and mechanical machines twist, untwist, separate and package strands of DNA. The cell is like a city -- an unfathomable, complex collection of molecular workers working together to create something greater than themselves. Life, Hoffman argues, emerges from the random motions of atoms filtered through these sophisticated structures of our evolved machinery. We are agglomerations of interacting nanoscale machines more amazing than anything in science fiction. Rather than relying on some mysterious life force to drive them -- as people believed for centuries -- life's ratchets harness instead the second law of thermodynamics and the disorder of the molecular storm. Grounded in Hoffmann's own cutting-edge research, Life's Ratchet reveals the incredible findings of modern nanotechnology to tell the story of how the noisy world of atoms gives rise to life itself. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: What is Life? Paul Nurse, 2020-09-03 Life is all around us, abundant and diverse, it is extraordinary. But what does it actually mean to be alive? Nobel prize-winner Paul Nurse has spent his career revealing how living cells work. In this book, he takes up the challenge of defining life in a way that every reader can understand. It is a shared journey of discovery; step by step he illuminates five great ideas that underpin biology. He traces the roots of his own curiosity and knowledge to reveal how science works, both now and in the past. Using his personal experiences, in and out of the lab, he shares with us the challenges, the lucky breaks, and the thrilling eureka moments of discovery.To survive the challenges that face the human race today - from climate change, to pandemics, loss of biodiversity and food security - it is vital that we all understand what life is. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: The Origins of Life John Maynard Smith, Eörs Szathmáry, 2000 Presents, for the general readership, the novel picture of evolution proposed in the 1995 book, The major transitions in evolution. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: Cosmic Biology Louis Neal Irwin, Dirk Schulze-Makuch, 2010-12-08 In Cosmic Biology, Louis Irwin and Dirk Schulze-Makuch guide readers through the range of planetary habitats found in our Solar System and those likely to be found throughout the universe. Based on our current knowledge of chemistry, energy, and evolutionary tendencies, the authors envision a variety of possible life forms. These range from the familiar species found on Earth to increasingly exotic examples possible under the different conditions of other planets and their satellites. Discussions of the great variety of life forms that could evolve in these diverse environments have become particularly relevant in recent years with the discovery of around 300 exoplanets in orbit around other stars and the possibilities for the existence of life in these planetary systems. The book also posits a taxonomic classification of the various forms of life that might be found, including speculation on the relative abundance of different forms and the generic fate of living systems. The fate and future of life on Earth will also be considered. The closing passages address the Fermi Paradox, and conclude with philosophical reflections on the possible place of Homo sapiens in the potentially vast stream of life across the galaxies. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: The Mechanism of Life Stéphane Leduc, 2021-04-25 In The Mechanism of Life, St√©phane Leduc presents a pioneering exploration of biological processes through the lens of science and philosophy. Written in the early 20th century, Leduc's work combines meticulous scientific observation with a poetic prose style, crafting an intricate tapestry that interweaves biology, mechanics, and metaphysics. He examines the fundamental principles of life, utilizing metaphors that draw parallels between living organisms and machinery, inviting readers to consider the inner workings of biological systems as harmonious yet complex 'mechanisms.' This book reflects the burgeoning interest in the intersection of life sciences and emerging theories of complexity during a pivotal time in scientific history, suggesting that the understanding of life entails more than empirical observation; it demands philosophical inquiry as well. St√©phane Leduc, a French biologist and philosopher, was at the forefront of the life sciences during an era marked by rapid scientific advancement. His interdisciplinary background allowed him not only to challenge the prevailing mechanistic views of biology but also to advocate for a holistic understanding of life. Leduc's experiences in research and his keen interest in the philosophical implications of biological phenomena shaped his writing in The Mechanism of Life, enabling him to blend science with profound philosophical inquiries about existence. This thought-provoking work is a must-read for anyone interested in the philosophies underpinning biology, as well as those engaged in the broader debates on the nature of life itself. Leduc's exploration invites readers to reflect on the intricate connections between life forms, their environments, and the mechanistic interpretations that have historically defined scientific inquiry. A compelling read for scholars and curious minds alike, this book challenges us to think deeply about the biological and philosophical dimensions of life. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: Childhood Disrupted Donna Jackson Nakazawa, 2016-07-26 An examination of the link between Adverse Childhood Events (ACE's) and adult illnesses. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: Improbable Destinies Jonathan B. Losos, 2017-08-08 A major new book overturning our assumptions about how evolution works Earth’s natural history is full of fascinating instances of convergence: phenomena like eyes and wings and tree-climbing lizards that have evolved independently, multiple times. But evolutionary biologists also point out many examples of contingency, cases where the tiniest change—a random mutation or an ancient butterfly sneeze—caused evolution to take a completely different course. What role does each force really play in the constantly changing natural world? Are the plants and animals that exist today, and we humans ourselves, inevitabilities or evolutionary flukes? And what does that say about life on other planets? Jonathan Losos reveals what the latest breakthroughs in evolutionary biology can tell us about one of the greatest ongoing debates in science. He takes us around the globe to meet the researchers who are solving the deepest mysteries of life on Earth through their work in experimental evolutionary science. Losos himself is one of the leaders in this exciting new field, and he illustrates how experiments with guppies, fruit flies, bacteria, foxes, and field mice, along with his own work with anole lizards on Caribbean islands, are rewinding the tape of life to reveal just how rapid and predictable evolution can be. Improbable Destinies will change the way we think and talk about evolution. Losos's insights into natural selection and evolutionary change have far-reaching applications for protecting ecosystems, securing our food supply, and fighting off harmful viruses and bacteria. This compelling narrative offers a new understanding of ourselves and our role in the natural world and the cosmos. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: Molecules That Changed the World K. C. Nicolaou, Tamsyn Montagnon, 2008-03-17 K.C. Nicolaou - Winner of the Nemitsas Prize 2014 in Chemistry Here, the best-selling author and renowned researcher, K. C. Nicolaou, presents around 40 natural products that all have an enormous impact on our everyday life. Printed in full color throughout with a host of pictures, this book is written in the author's very enjoyable and distinct style, such that each chapter is full of interesting and entertaining information on the facts, stories and people behind the scenes. Molecules covered span the healthy and useful, as well as the much-needed and extremely toxic, including Aspirin, urea, camphor, morphine, strychnine, penicillin, vitamin B12, Taxol, Brevetoxin and quinine. A veritable pleasure to read. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: What is Life? Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht, Robert B. Laughlin, 2011 In this volume, four leading American scientists and humanists unfold the controversial potential of Schrödinger's thought. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: 'Nature and the Greeks' and 'Science and Humanism' Erwin Schrödinger, 2014-11-06 Nobel laureate Erwin Schrödinger was one of the most distinguished scientists of the twentieth century; his lectures on the history and philosophy of science are legendary. 'Nature and the Greeks' and 'Science and Humanism' makes available for the first time in many years the texts of two of Schrödinger's most famous lecture series. 'Nature and the Greeks' offers a comprehensive historical account of the twentieth-century scientific world picture, tracing modern science back to the earliest stages of Western philosophic thought. 'Science and Humanism' addresses some of the most fundamental questions of the century: what is the value of scientific research? And how do the achievements of modern science affect the relationship between material and spiritual matters? A foreword by Roger Penrose sets the lectures in a contemporary context, and affirms they are as relevant today as when they were first published. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: Life Evolving Christian de Duve, 2002-10-17 In just a half century, humanity has made an astounding leap in its understanding of life. Now, one of the giants of biological science, Christian de Duve, discusses what we've learned in this half century, ranging from the tiniest cells to the future of our species and of life itself. With wide-ranging erudition, De Duve takes us on a dazzling tour of the biological world, beginning with the invisible workings of the cell, the area in which he won his Nobel Prize. He describes how the first cells may have arisen and suggests that they may have been like the organisms that exist today near deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Contrary to many scientists, he argues that life was bound to arise and that it probably only took millennia--maybe tens of thousands of years--to move from rough building blocks to the first organisms possessing the basic properties of life. With equal authority, De Duve examines topics such as the evolution of humans, the origins of consciousness, the development of language, the birth of science, and the origin of emotion, morality, altruism, and love. He concludes with his conjectures on the future of humanity--for instance, we may evolve, perhaps via genetic engineering, into a new species--and he shares his personal thoughts about God and immortality. In Life Evolving, one of our most eminent scientists sums up what he has learned about the nature of life and our place in the universe. An extraordinarily wise and humane volume, it will fascinate readers curious about the world around them and about the impact of science on philosophy and religion. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: Assembling Life David W. Deamer, 2019 Explores the possibilities of how life began on Earth four billion years ago |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: Concepts of Biology Samantha Fowler, Rebecca Roush, James Wise, 2023-05-12 Black & white print. Concepts of Biology is designed for the typical introductory biology course for nonmajors, covering standard scope and sequence requirements. The text includes interesting applications and conveys the major themes of biology, with content that is meaningful and easy to understand. The book is designed to demonstrate biology concepts and to promote scientific literacy. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: What is Life? Erwin Schrödinger, 1992-01-31 Nobel laureate Erwin Schrödinger's What is Life?, one of the great science classics of the twentieth century appears here together with Mind and Matter. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: Every Life Is on Fire Jeremy England, 2020-09-15 A preeminent physicist unveils a field-defining theory of the origins and purpose of life. Why are we alive? Most things in the universe aren't. And everything that is alive traces back to things that, puzzlingly, weren't. For centuries, the scientific question of life's origins has confounded us. But in Every Life Is on Fire, physicist Jeremy England argues that the answer has been under our noses the whole time, deep within the laws of thermodynamics. England explains how, counterintuitively, the very same forces that tend to tear things apart assembled the first living systems. But how life began isn't just a scientific question. We ask it because we want to know what it really means to be alive. So England, an ordained rabbi, uses his theory to examine how, if at all, science helps us find purpose in a vast and mysterious universe. In the tradition of Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning, Every Life Is on Fire is a profound testament to how something can come from nothing. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: First Life David Deamer, 2011-06-01 This pathbreaking book explores how life can begin, taking us from cosmic clouds of stardust, to volcanoes on Earth, to the modern chemistry laboratory. Seeking to understand life’s connection to the stars, David Deamer introduces astrobiology, a new scientific discipline that studies the origin and evolution of life on Earth and relates it to the birth and death of stars, planet formation, interfaces between minerals, water, and atmosphere, and the physics and chemistry of carbon compounds. Deamer argues that life began as systems of molecules that assembled into membrane-bound packages. These in turn provided an essential compartment in which more complex molecules assumed new functions required for the origin of life and the beginning of evolution. Deamer takes us from the vivid and unpromising chaos of the Earth four billion years ago up to the present and his own laboratory, where he contemplates the prospects for generating synthetic life. Engaging and accessible, First Life describes the scientific story of astrobiology while presenting a fascinating hypothesis to explain the origin of life. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: The Way of the Cell Franklin M. Harold, 2001-06-21 What is life? Fifty years after physicist Erwin Schrodinger posed this question in his celebrated and inspiring book, the answer remains elusive. In The Way of the Cell, one of the world's most respected microbiologists draws on his wide knowledge of contemporary science to provide fresh insight into this intriguing and all-important question. What is the relationship of living things to the inanimate realm of chemistry and physics? How do lifeless but special chemicals come together to form those intricate dynamic ensembles that we recognize as life? To shed light on these questions, Franklin Harold focuses here on microorganisms--in particular, the supremely well-researched bacterium E. coli--because the cell is the simplest level of organization that manifests all the features of the phenomenon of life. Harold shows that as simple as they appear when compared to ourselves, every cell displays a dynamic pattern in space and time, orders of magnitude richer than its elements. It integrates the writhings and couplings of billions of molecules into a coherent whole, draws matter and energy into itself, constructs and reproduces its own order, and persists in this manner for numberless generations while continuously adapting to a changing world. A cell constitutes a unitary whole, a unit of life, and in this volume one of the leading authorities on the cell gives us a vivid picture of what goes on within this minute precinct. The result is a richly detailed, meticulously crafted account of what modern science can tell us about life as well as one scientist's personal attempt to wring understanding from the tide of knowledge. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: The Rainbow and the Worm Mae-Wan Ho, 2008 This highly unusual book began as a serious inquiry into Schrdinger's question, ?What is life??, and as a celebration of life itself. It takes the reader on a voyage of discovery through many areas of contemporary physics, from non-equilibrium thermodynamics and quantum optics to liquid crystals and fractals, all necessary for illuminating the problem of life. In the process, the reader is treated to a rare and exquisite view of the organism, gaining novel insights not only into the physics, but also into ?the poetry and meaning of being alive.?This much-enlarged third edition includes new findings on the central role of biological water in organizing living processes; it also completes the author's novel theory of the organism and its applications in ecology, physiology and brain science. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: The Origin of Life Aleksandr Ivanovich Oparin, 2003 This classic of biochemistry offered the first detailed exposition of the theory that living tissue was preceded upon Earth by a long and gradual evolution of nitrogen and carbon compounds. Easily the most scholarly authority on the question...it will be a landmark for discussion for a long time to come. — New York Times. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: The Revolutionary Origins of Life and Death Pierre M. Durand, 2020-12-09 The question of why an individual would actively kill itself has long been an evolutionary mystery. Pierre M. Durand’s ambitious book answers this question through close inspection of life and death in the earliest cellular life. As Durand shows us, cell death is a fascinating lens through which to examine the interconnectedness, in evolutionary terms, of life and death. It is a truism to note that one does not exist without the other, but just how does this play out in evolutionary history? These two processes have been studied from philosophical, theoretical, experimental, and genomic angles, but no one has yet integrated the information from these various disciplines. In this work, Durand synthesizes cellular studies of life and death looking at the origin of life and the evolutionary significance of programmed cellular death. The exciting and unexpected outcome of Durand’s analysis is the realization that life and death exhibit features of coevolution. The evolution of more complex cellular life depended on the coadaptation between traits that promote life and those that promote death. In an ironic twist, it becomes clear that, in many circumstances, programmed cell death is essential for sustaining life. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: Molecular Biology of the Cell , 2002 |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: The Years of Rice and Salt Kim Stanley Robinson, 2003-06-03 WINNER OF THE LOCUS AWARD • The bestselling author of the Mars trilogy boldly reimagines the past seven hundred years in this “exceptional and engrossing” (New York Post) saga, constructing a world vastly different from the one we know. . . “A thoughtful, magisterial alternate history from one of science fiction’s most important writers.”—The New York Times Book Review It is the fourteenth century and one of the most apocalyptic events in human history is set to occur—the coming of the Black Death. History teaches us that a third of Europe’s population was destroyed. But what if the plague had killed 99 percent of the population instead? How would the world have changed? The Years of Rice and Salt is a look at the history that could have been—one that stretches across centuries, sees dynasties and nations rise and crumble, and spans horrible famine and magnificent innovation. Through the eyes of soldiers and kings, explorers and philosophers, inventors and exiles, renowned storyteller Kim Stanley Robinson navigates a world where Buddhism and Islam are the most influential and practiced religions, while Christianity is a mere historical footnote. Probing the most profound questions as only he can, Robinson shines his extraordinary light on the place of religion, culture, power—and even love—in this bold new world. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: Ross & Wilson Anatomy and Physiology in Health and Illness Anne Waugh, Allison Grant, 2018-07-12 The new edition of the hugely successful Ross and Wilson Anatomy & Physiology in Health and Illness continues to bring its readers the core essentials of human biology presented in a clear and straightforward manner. Fully updated throughout, the book now comes with enhanced learning features including helpful revision questions and an all new art programme to help make learning even easier. The 13th edition retains its popular website, which contains a wide range of 'critical thinking' exercises as well as new animations, an audio-glossary, the unique Body Spectrum© online colouring and self-test program, and helpful weblinks. Ross and Wilson Anatomy & Physiology in Health and Illness will be of particular help to readers new to the subject area, those returning to study after a period of absence, and for anyone whose first language isn't English. - Latest edition of the world's most popular textbook on basic human anatomy and physiology with over 1.5 million copies sold worldwide - Clear, no nonsense writing style helps make learning easy - Accompanying website contains animations, audio-glossary, case studies and other self-assessment material, the unique Body Spectrum© online colouring and self-test software, and helpful weblinks - Includes basic pathology and pathophysiology of important diseases and disorders - Contains helpful learning features such as Learning Outcomes boxes, colour coding and design icons together with a stunning illustration and photography collection - Contains clear explanations of common prefixes, suffixes and roots, with helpful examples from the text, plus a glossary and an appendix of normal biological values. - Particularly valuable for students who are completely new to the subject, or returning to study after a period of absence, and for anyone whose first language is not English - All new illustration programme brings the book right up-to-date for today's student - Helpful 'Spot Check' questions at the end of each topic to monitor progress - Fully updated throughout with the latest information on common and/or life threatening diseases and disorders - Review and Revise end-of-chapter exercises assist with reader understanding and recall - Over 120 animations – many of them newly created – help clarify underlying scientific and physiological principles and make learning fun |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: The Search for Life's Origins National Research Council, Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences, Space Studies Board, Committee on Planetary Biology and Chemical Evolution, 1990-02-01 The field of planetary biology and chemical evolution draws together experts in astronomy, paleobiology, biochemistry, and space science who work together to understand the evolution of living systems. This field has made exciting discoveries that shed light on how organic compounds came together to form self-replicating molecules-the origin of life. This volume updates that progress and offers recommendations on research programs-including an ambitious effort centered on Mars-to advance the field over the next 10 to 15 years. The book presents a wide range of data and research results on these and other issues: The biogenic elements and their interaction in the interstellar clouds and in solar nebulae. Early planetary environments and the conditions that lead to the origin of life. The evolution of cellular and multicellular life. The search for life outside the solar system. This volume will become required reading for anyone involved in the search for life's beginnings-including exobiologists, geoscientists, planetary scientists, and U.S. space and science policymakers. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: Carbohydrate Chemistry, Biology and Medical Applications Hari G. Garg, Mary K. Cowman, Charles A. Hales, 2011-09-06 The finding by Emil Fischer that glucose and fructose on treatment with phenylhydrazine gave the identical osazone led him to the elucidation of stereochemistry of carbohydrates. Since then, progress in the field of carbohydrates has been amazing with the unraveling their basic structure, biosynthesis, immunology, functions, and clinical uses, for pure carbohydrates and for protein-linked carbohydrates (glycoproteins and proteoglycans). The chapters in Carbohydrate Chemistry, Biology and Medical Applications present a logical sequence leading from the chemistry and biochemistry of carbohydrates, followed by their role in various pathological conditions, to carbohydrates as potential therapeutic and diagnostic agents. This book offers a detailed panoramic review of the chemistry and biology of carbohydrates for chemists, biologists and health professionals. Each chapter is authored by contributors expert in the particular area of research. - Explains how carbohydrates are important to life - Details the chemistry, biology and medical aspects of carbohydrates - Interdisciplinary and international team of authors |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: The Dance of Life Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz, Roger Highfield, 2020-02-27 'Quite simply the best book about science and life that I have ever read' - Alice Roberts How does life begin? What drives a newly fertilized egg to keep dividing and growing until it becomes 40 trillion cells, a greater number than stars in the galaxy? How do these cells know how to make a human, from lips to heart to toes? How does your body build itself? Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz was pregnant at 42 when a routine genetic test came back with that dreaded word: abnormal. A quarter of sampled cells contained abnormalities and she was warned her baby had an increased risk of being miscarried or born with birth defects. Six months later she gave birth to a healthy baby boy and her research on mice embryos went on to prove that – as she had suspected – the embryo has an amazing and previously unknown ability to correct abnormal cells at an early stage of its development. The Dance of Life will take you inside the incredible world of life just as it begins and reveal the wonder of the earliest and most profound moments in how we become human. Through Magda’s trailblazing research as a professor at Cambridge – where she has doubled the survival time of human embryos in the laboratory, and made the first artificial embryo-like structures from stem cells – you’ll discover how early life is programmed to repair and organise itself, what this means for the future of pregnancy, and how we might one day solve IVF disorders, prevent miscarriages and learn more about the dance of life as it starts to take shape. The Dance of Life is a moving celebration of the balletic beauty of life’s beginnings. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: The Chemistry of Evolution R.J.P Williams, J.J.R Fraústo da Silva, 2005-12-17 Conventionally, evolution has always been described in terms of species. The Chemistry of Evolution takes a novel, not to say revolutionary, approach and examines the evolution of chemicals and the use and degradation of energy, coupled to the environment, as the drive behind it. The authors address the major changes of life from bacteria to man in a systematic and unavoidable sequence, reclassifying organisms as chemotypes. Written by the authors of the bestseller The Biological Chemistry of the Elements - The Inorganic Chemistry of Life, the clarity and precision of The Chemistry of Evolution plainly demonstrate that life is totally interactive with the environment. This exciting theory makes this work an essential addition to the academic and public library.* Provides a novel analysis of evolution in chemical terms* Stresses Systems Biology * Examines the connection between life and the environment, starting with the 'big bang' theory* Reorientates the chemistry of life by emphasising the need to analyse the functions of 20 chemical elements in all organisms |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: Principles of Biology Lisa Bartee, Walter Shiner, Catherine Creech, 2017 The Principles of Biology sequence (BI 211, 212 and 213) introduces biology as a scientific discipline for students planning to major in biology and other science disciplines. Laboratories and classroom activities introduce techniques used to study biological processes and provide opportunities for students to develop their ability to conduct research. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: Creation Adam Rutherford, 2014 Recent breakthroughs in the science of life are solving the great mystery of its origin while giving us the power to design its future. Presented here back-to-back, these two gripping narratives reveal the full story of creation. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: The Principles of Life Tibor Ganti, 2003-09-18 Beginning with a new essay, Levels of Life and Death, Tibor G nti develops three general arguments about the nature of life. In The Nature of the Living State, Professor G nti answers Francis Crick's puzzles about life itself, offering a set of reflections on the parameters of the problems to be solved in origins of life research and, more broadly, in the search for principles governing the living state in general. The Principle of Life describes in accessible language G nti's chief insight about the organization of living systems-his theory of the chemoton, or chemical automaton. The simplest chemoton model of the living state consists of three chemically coupled subsystems: an autocatalytic metabolism, a genetic molecule and a membrane. G nti offers a fresh approach to the ancient problem of life criteria, articulating a basic philosophy of the units of life applicable to the deepest theoretical considerations of genetics, chemical synthesis, evolutionary biology and the requirements of an exact theoretical biology. New essays by E rs Szathm ry and James Griesemer on the biological and philosophical significance of G nti's work of thirty years indicate not only the enduring theoretical significance, but also the continuing relevance and heuristic power of G nti's insights. New endnotes by Szathm ry and Griesemer bring this legacy into dialogue with current thought in biology and philosophy. G nti's chemoton model reveals the fundamental importance of chemistry for biology and philosophy. G nti's technical innovation - cycle stoichiometry - at once captures the fundamental fact that biological systems are organized in cycles and at the same time offers a way to understand what it is to think chemically. Perhaps most fundamentally, G nti's chemoton model avoids dualistic thinking enforced by the dichotomies of modern biology: germ and soma, gene and character, genotype and phenotype. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: Theoretical and Physical Principles of Organic Reactivity Addy Pross, 1995-09-25 This approach to the general problem of organic reactivity combines classical organic chemistry with new theoretical ideas developed by the author. The text contains a non-mathematical description of the curve crossing model, expressed in the language of qualitative valence bond theory. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: Life's Edge: The Search for What It Means to Be Alive Carl Zimmer, 2022-09-13 This book is not just about life, but about discovery itself. It is about error and hubris, but also about wonder and the reach of science. And it is bookended with the ultimate question: How do we define the thing that defines us? - Siddhartha Mukherjee, author of The Gene We all assume we know what life is, but the more scientists learn about the living world – from protocells to brains, from zygotes to pandemic viruses – the harder they find it is to locate the edges of life, where it begins and ends. What exactly does it mean to be alive? Is a virus alive? Is a foetus? Carl Zimmer investigates one of the biggest questions of all: What is life? The answer seems obvious until you try to seriously answer it. Is the apple sitting on your kitchen counter alive, or is only the apple tree it came from deserving of the word? If we can’t answer that question here on earth, how will we know when and if we discover alien life on other worlds? The question hangs over some of society’s most charged conflicts – whether a fertilized egg is a living person, for example, and when we ought to declare a person legally dead. Life’s Edge is an utterly fascinating investigation by one of the most celebrated science writers of our time. Zimmer journeys through the strange experiments that have attempted to recreate life. Literally hundreds of definitions of what that should look like now exist, but none has yet emerged as an obvious winner. Lists of what living things have in common do not add up to a theory of life. It’s never clear why some items on the list are essential and others not. Coronaviruses have altered the course of history, and yet many scientists maintain they are not alive. Chemists are creating droplets that can swarm, sense their environment, and multiply. Have they made life in the lab? Whether he is handling pythons in Alabama or searching for hibernating bats in the Adirondacks, Zimmer revels in astounding examples of life at its most bizarre. He tries his own hand at evolving life in a test tube with unnerving results. Charting the obsession with Dr Frankenstein’s monster and how Coleridge came to believe the whole universe was alive, Zimmer leads us all the way into the labs and minds of researchers working on engineering life from the ground up. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: Women in Chemistry Mary Wissinger, 2021-01-07 Jump into the awesomeness of chemistry! Learn alongside inspirational women chemists whose innovations changed the world. Discover the power of curiosity and resilience through a conversation between a spunky young protagonist, asking questions about the world around her, and a scientifically astute narrator, whose answers are both accurate and understandable to young minds. Women in Chemistry is the perfect place for children to start their own journeys of discovery and wonder. |
| what is life how chemistry becomes biology: The Origin of Life Paul Davies, 2006-09-28 The origins of life remains one of the great unsolved mysteries of science. Growing evidence suggests that the first organisms lived deep underground, in environments previously thought to be uninhabitable, and that microbes carried inside rocks have travelled between Earth and Mars. But the question remains: how can life spring into being from non-living chemicals? THE FIFTH MIRACLE reveals the remarkable new theories and discoveries that seem set to transform our understanding of life's role in the unfolding drama of the cosmos. |
What 20th Century Life Was Like - LIFE
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Explore 1960s within the LIFE photography vault, one of the most prestigious & privately held archives …
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Explore History within the LIFE photography vault, one of the most prestigious & privately held archives …
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Here are a few selections from LIFE’s new special issue 100 Photographs: The Most Important Pictures Ever and the Stories Behind Them
What 20th Century Life Was Like - LIFE
See how fashion, family life, sports, holiday celebrations, media, and other elements of pop culture have changed through the decades.
The Most Iconic Photographs of All Time - LIFE
Experience LIFE's visual record of the 20th century by exploring the most iconic photographs from one of the most famous private photo collections in the world.
1960s Photo Archives - LIFE
Explore 1960s within the LIFE photography vault, one of the most prestigious & privately held archives from the US & around the World.
History Photo Archives - LIFE
Explore History within the LIFE photography vault, one of the most prestigious & privately held archives from the US & around the World.
The 100 Most Important Photos Ever - LIFE
Here are a few selections from LIFE’s new special issue 100 Photographs: The Most Important Pictures Ever and the Stories Behind Them
What Fun Looked Like in Brussels, 1945. - LIFE
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See photographs and read stories about global icons - the actors, athletes, politicians, and community members that make our world come to life.
