Main description:

Essential Cell Biology provides a readily accessible introduction to the central concepts of cell biology, and its lively, clear writing and exceptional illustrations make it the ideal textbook for a first course in both cell and molecular biology. The text and figures are easy-to-follow, accurate, clear, and engaging for the introductory student. Molecular detail has been kept to a minimum in order to provide the reader with a cohesive conceptual framework for the basic science that underlies our current understanding of all of biology, including the biomedical sciences. The Fourth Edition has been thoroughly revised, and covers the latest developments in this fast-moving field, yet retains the academic level and length of the previous edition. The book is accompanied by a rich package of online student and instructor resources, including over 130 narrated movies, an expanded and updated Question Bank, and new enhanced assessments for students.

Contents:

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Cells: The Fundamental Units of Life 2. Chemical Components of Cells 3. Energy, Catalysis, and Biosynthesis 4. Protein Structure and Function 5. DNA and Chromosomes 6. DNA Replication, Repair, and Recombination 7. From DNA to Protein: How Cells Read the Genome 8. Control of Gene Expression 9. How Genes and Genomes Evolve 10. Modern Recombinant DNA Technology 11. Membrane Structure 12. Transport Across Cell Membranes 13. How Cells Obtain Energy from Food 14. Energy Generation in Mitochondria and Chloroplasts 15. Intracellular Compartments and Protein Transport 16. Cell Signaling 17. Cytoskeleton 18. The Cell Division Cycle 19. Sexual Reproduction and the Power of Genetics 20. Cellular Communities: Tissues, Stem Cells, and Cancer