Rene Fester Kratz - Molecular & Cell Biology for Dummies

Molecular & Cell Biology For Dummies, 2nd Edition

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Copyright 2020 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2020904255

ISBN 978-1-119-62040-2 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-62042-6 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-62043-3 (ebk)

1. Chapter 17

1. Chapter 1
2. Chapter 2
3. Chapter 3
4. Chapter 4
5. Chapter 5
6. Chapter 6
7. Chapter 7
8. Chapter 8
9. Chapter 9
10. Chapter 10
11. Chapter 11
12. Chapter 12
13. Chapter 13
14. Chapter 14
15. Chapter 15
16. Chapter 16
17. Chapter 17
18. Chapter 18
19. Chapter 19
20. Chapter 20

Molecular and cell biology isnt just something that happens in a lab; it reaches out and touches your life in many ways, seen and unseen. Genetically modified organisms, designer cancer drugs, forensic science, and even home pregnancy tests are all applications of the science and techniques of molecular and cell biology. Gaining an understanding of molecular and cell biology can help you make informed decisions about your lifestyle and health.

Understanding cells and how they function is fundamental to all other fields of biology, including medicine. All living things are made of cells, and scientists can trace every response, every function of larger organisms back to the structure and function of cells. Genetic diseases are a dramatic example of how important one cell type, one protein, and one gene can be to an organism. Exploring this connection between genes, proteins, and cellular function is at the heart of molecular and cell biology.

As you take your own journey into the inner space of the cell, I hope this book will act as your guidebook, pointing out landmarks and signposts, and translating the sometimes complicated language of the local inhabitants!

Molecular & Cell Biology For Dummies, 2nd Edition is an overview of the fundamentals of molecular and cell biology thats been updated with recent advances in the science. My goal is to explain each topic in a clear and straightforward fashion, keeping scientific jargon to a minimum. I want this book to be understandable by anyone who picks it up, even if they dont have a science background. To help you understand what is sometimes a complex science, I share every analogy, funny story, and memory trick that Ive gathered in my 20 years of teaching this subject. These types of gimmicks help my students wrap their brains around the fundamental principles of molecular and cell biology, and I hope these strategies will help you, too.

Molecular & Cell Biology For Dummies, 2nd Edition emphasizes the main concepts and fundamental processes that are at the heart of molecular and cell biology. When I had to make a choice between getting the main idea across or including every molecular detail of a process, I chose the main idea. I think that once you understand the main concept or the big events of a process, you can later add in details fairly easily. However, if you try to tackle a complicated process and every little detail at the same time, you can hit information overload and not really understand anything at all. My emphasis on main ideas and events will make the subject of molecular and cell biology easier, but that doesnt mean the topic will be easy. The world of the cell is complex and busy with detailed processes, so understanding molecular and cell biology is a challenge for most people. I hope that this book will help you succeed in that challenge.

As I wrote this book, I tried to imagine who you might be and what you may need in order to understand molecular and cellular biology. Heres who I pictured:

• Youre a student in a molecular and cell biology class who is having trouble understanding everything and keeping up with the pace of the class. For you, I present the topics in a straightforward way with an emphasis on the most important concepts and processes. By reading this book before you go to lecture, you may have an easier time understanding what your professor is talking about.