Product Description

The new text has been carefully geared to introductory students, without any sacrifice to scientific rigour. The book's conceptual approach, in which the essential facts are presented in their biological context, is ideal for engaging and motivating students new to molecular cell biology. The book is written especially for undergraduates in biological sciences, but its content can be easily understood and absorbed by advanced high-school students who need a basic introduction to the essential topics in modern biology. Here are some of the highlights of the coverage: a chapter on proteins take students step-by-step from the basic construction of protein molecules to the construction of the protein machines that drive cellular processes; coverage of genetic variation and recombinant DNA technology offers students an easy-to-understand introduction to the techniques at the frontiers of biological research; the text is enlivened and enriched throughout with examples of practical applications of the basic biological principles presented; explanations of cell biological processes also show at the molecular level how cancers can arise when the processes go out of control. The book also features: fully up-to-date chapters on intracellular membrane traffic, the cytoskeleton, the cell cycle and signal transduction which provide a state-of-the-art perspective on these cutting-edge fields at an introductory level; problems and answers complement the text and stimulate the student's curiosity; quick questions within each chapter enable students to instantly review what they have just read; end-of-chapter self-tests of more challenging questions let students gauge their grasp of the material and whet their appetite for more information; easy-to-understand panels illuminate the principles of microscopy, the composition of biological macromolecules, the basis of hydrophobicity, the glycolytic pathway, principles of genetics, and many more topics; full-colour art work and photographs and electron micrographs enliven the text; and a detailed glossary helps students master the specialized vocabulary of modern biology.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #94336 in Books
• Published on: 1997-07-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 630 pages

Customer Reviews

A beautiful story, superbly told - get this book!
I am interested in policy issues surrounding biotechnology (GMOs, gene patenting, etc.) and I decided to deepen my understanding of the underlying science. I was also tired of not being able to get even part of the way through articles in "Nature" and "Science". I browsed a number of introductory texts and picked this because it looked readable and for the pretty pictures. I have now read it and recommend it without any reservation (although, as a non-specialist, I cannot say anything about its accuracy). The descriptions are at just the right level - clear, complete, but without an overload of jargon or details. The style is brisk and direct, which is amazing for a book with so many authors. The illustrations and photographs are very helpful. The authors respect their material: they let the wonderful story of the inner workings of the cell tell itself, without constantly telling the reader how wonderful and important it is.

This book has a valuable content for First year Biology
I've had this book for a while now, and although I do agree that the content of this book is a tad basic for the first year Medical Student. It helped me no-end during my basic medical sciences prior to Medicine.. The Book is really suitable for those studying first year General Biology, where the course objective is to gain a broad and semi-simple knowledge of Cellular Biology. I do recommend this book for those first year students who would like to do some additional reading on Cellular Biology. It's detail although basic does indeed enhance the understanding of concepts later taught and decribed in lectures and seminars.
Conclusion: Well thought out book suitable for first year General Biology students, where painfully intimate knowledge of Molecular & Cell Biology is not required.

fantastic for 1st year biochemists
I found this to be an excellent introduction - I find most biochemistry books a turn off because of the complexity and the lack of interesting illustrations. This book is however direct and to the point and covers 90% of the information you need for the 1st year. I recommend getting this book and using your university library if a more intense understanding is required. If you find a book boring you won't want to read it - this one offers information with minimum fuss - essential!