Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the Meaning of LifeIf 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 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. |
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Contents
Clandestine Rulers of the World | 1 |
The Origin of the Eukaryotic Cell | 19 |
Proton Power and the Origin of Life | 65 |
The Foundations of Complexity | 105 |
Size and the Ramp of Ascending Complexity | 149 |
The Troubled Birth of the Individual | 189 |
Human PreHistory and the Nature of Gender | 227 |
Why Mitochondria Kill us in the End | 267 |
Epilogue | 312 |
Glossary | 322 |
327 | |
347 | |
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Power, Sex, Suicide : Mitochondria and the meaning of life: Mitochondria and ... Nick Lane No preview available - 2005 |