Book Description

Molecular Biology of the Cell is the classic in-depth text reference in cell biology. By extracting the fundamental concepts from this enormous and ever-growing field, the authors tell the story of cell biology, and create a coherent framework through which non-expert readers may approach the subject. Written in clear and concise language, and beautifully illustrated, the book is enjoyable to read, and it provides a clear sense of the excitement of modern biology. Molecular Biology of the Cell sets forth the current understanding of cell biology (completely updated as of Autumn 2001), and it explores the intriguing implications and possibilities of the great deal that remains unknown.
The hallmark features of previous editions continue in the Fourth Edition. The book is designed with a clean and open, single-column layout. The art program maintains a completely consistent format and style, and includes over 1,600 photographs, electron micrographs, and original drawings by the authors. Clear and concise concept headings introduce each section. Every chapter contains extensive references. Most important, every chapter has been subjected to a rigorous, collaborative revision process where, in addition to incorporating comments from expert reviewers, each co-author reads and reviews the other authors' prose. The result is a truly integrated work with a single authorial voice. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

The best Cell Biology text, but...
This book is the main undergraduate cell biology text required, and rightly so. However, although it browses all of the sub-fields within the gigantic field of cell biology, it overemphasizes some fields and neglects others. The shortcomings of this text are a classic example of how experts in one field assume that related material will be covered in a related text, and when that invariably doesn't happen, everyone points fingers at each other and nothing changes.

The main shortcoming I am talking about is the field of Signal Transduction. This text very briefly gives a few pathways, and assumes that other texts dealing with Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Immunology, and Physiology/Pharmacology will take up the slack. Nothing could be further from the truth! Most undergraduate Biochemistry texts do give several dozen pathways, but these almost never continue on to gene transcription, a critical part of signal transduction. Molecular Biology texts like Genes VI only give examples of a membrane-to-DNA pathway, and the Immunology texts only give immune-related pathways. Signal transduction is by far the most important aspect of modern cell biology, and yet it is the most neglected sub-field in the texts! This needs to be corrected.

Molecular Biology of the Cell
Molecular Biology of the Cell is one of the best surveys available on the status of current information about cellular biology. The authors skillfully accomplish the difficult task of combining detail with readability while conveying the excitement of this dynamic field. Clear, concise, and colorful illustrations assist in this task and the book is a fine collection of splendidly dramatic photos of "molecular biology of the cell" in action. They covered an enormous amount of material with a style that is simple enough for a college-level biology student to follow with enough detail and references to be of use to an experienced research scientist. Bravo for a job well-done!

Wow!
Taking an online course in Molecular Cell Biology. This is the text.

This is an incredible book. Well organized, very up to date. It is not a trivial book by any means. I recomend that during the first pass on reading an assignment - that you do NOT have a pen at your side, just read it. It is an incredible read. The hard part is the shear amount of information in 1300 pages.

It will take me a while to plow through this text and the course, but I think it will be worth it in the end. The book is full of surprizes, at appropriate times information on evolution or medicines are thrown in. This is not a book for the timid.

Good for beginners
A very good textbook for learning the basics of mol bio. Most of the explantions are well written and easy to understand. From here you can jump into review articles if you want to go into greater detail.

"Fat Albert" still tops
"Fat Albert," as we used to affectionately call this book in undergrad, was yet another of those books teachers told us would be "a good shelf reference book." It was the main textbook for three of my classes so I reluctantly bought it. Now, five years later, and in my second year of dental school I still find myself relying on this book to clarify topics covered in classes ranging from Pharmacology to Physiology, and from Biochemistry to Immunology. In addition, Fat Albert is my go-to book for my research in a microbiology lab.
It was, and still is the most engaging and useful of any textbook I have ever bought. ... Read more

Book Description

Essential Cell Biology, Second Edition contains basic, core knowledge about how cells work. It has a proven track record in providing students with a conceptual and accessible grounding in cell biology. The text and figures have been prepared to be easy-to-follow, accurate, clear and engaging for the introductory student. Each section follows logically from the previous one, telling a story, rather than being a collection of facts. Questions integrated throughout each chapter encourage the reader to pause, think about what they have read, and attempt to apply the new knowledge in ways that test their understanding. Based on user feedback, the Second Edition now offers increased coverage of genetics and more experimental background. It is completely up-to-date. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

A MUST HAVE FOR ANY EDUCATED PERSON
A gem of a book. It puts at the hands of lay people the wonders of molecular biology. The best way of spending $65 I can think of.

The text is a most refined product distilled by an all-star team of leading scientists. Oriented towards the lay person or the would be specialist, it is simple, unpretentious, sometimes even funny, but always powerfully explanatory. The diagrams are exceptionally clear (a must for explaining such complex subjects) and the photographs are astounding. Love for their subject and passion for teaching are present all along. And mysticism is always around the corner...

If you have ever wondered things like "What are exactly chromosomes?", "How do exactly enzymes work in the cell?", or "How the hell does all this machinery work at a purely chemical level ?" and you are not quite satisfied with popular science books, this one is for you. It will answer these questions and much, much more.

An enjoyable, deeply satisfying tour the force through the molecular level of all living organisms.

Don't miss it!

A lively and clear introduction to cell biology
I read this book during the summer prior to me senior year in high school, and literally could not put it down. I read the whole work cover-to-cover in a week.

Going in, my background in biology was an introductory cell biology course and my background in chemistry was an introductory chemistry class. That I had little formal training in the sciences was irrelevant when reading this; it explains all the concepts so clearly that I think even a person with no background in science at all could understand it. The diagrams and photos are well-done and highly pertinent.

This is not to say that this book is only for non-scientists. Indeed, I even used knowledge gleaned from this fantastic book to teach my teachers a thing or two. Perhaps the section on muscle contraction is the best written of all - no other book I have ever seen comes close to this in clarity, and this section was one that I recommended to my Anatomy and Physiology teacher for clarification about a few concepts.

I am soon to be a sophomore in college, and this book continues to inspire me on my path to be a professor (I study chemistry with an emphasis on chemical biology). This book was invaluable even in a rigorous microbiology course, not to mention other introductory courses.

In summary, I rarely leave home for extended periods without this text (literally). If there is ONE BOOK that you should buy for studying cellular and molecular biology, let it be this one (or, if you are so inclined, its larger brother, Molecular Biology of the Cell).

A great help for a 1st year Med Student
"Essential Cell Biology" by Bruce Alberts literally saved my 1st semester. The course went hard and the lectures were long and boring. And then - I opened the Essential, started reading, and suddenly things got clear for me. I got an A on the test, and now I know my Cell Biology well - all thanks to this book. Strongly recommended!!!

A textbook that inspires you to think
This book contains essential stuff enough for medical students, although not enough for biochemistry or biology students. But this book is still useful because whenever you read the book, you will be inspired to that particular field. It is written not as tedious and complex as those "big" textbooks. Easy to read. Interesting. I highly recommend this textbook.

But if you are looking for every detail in molecular biology, this book is not satisfactory.

A fairly useful introduction to cell biology
This is a beautifully presented book. My students like it enormously, because of the conversational style, the illustrations, and the overall readibility -and this is perhaps the highest aim a textbook can aspire to achieve.

However, I find that the authors have gone too far in their attempt to abridge and simplify their previous opus -Molecular Biology of the Cell (MBOC): some topics are insufficiently or superficially discussed. Also, the style is slightly verbose at times. Finally, I think that the book could benefit from some reorganization.

The following examples illustrate my point.

*Osmosis is given a very brief mention.(p 382).
*The repulsion for anything mathematic continues the tradition started by MBOC. The Nernst equation, is given just a little box in page 393. The Donnan effect doesn't even have a walk-on part.
*The discussion of action potential contains the usual story of the voltage gated K+ channels, when these channels are not found in myelinated mammalian neurons.
*Myelin itself is not even mentioned.
*The discussion on G protein-linked receptors -a key topic- is very superficial.
*Membrane potential is introduced in a rather convoluted fashion. Furthermore, the concept is used several times before it is finally explained.
*Certain sections may leave the reader confused. For example p53 is described as a gene regulatory protein which arrests the cycle when DNA damage occurs (p 580). But when tumor suppressor genes are discussed, only retinoblastoma is given as an example, which would tend to convey the mistaken idea that p53 is not a tumor suppressor gene. ... Read more

Book Description

The World of the Cell combines the most readable book and effective learning package available for beginning readers in cell biology. With its hallmark emphasis on cell biology, the book guides readers through the basics of cell structure, function, and mechanisms.The World of the Cell continues the tradition of previous editions widely praised for covering some of the most difficult topics, including bioenergetics, metabolism, enzyme kinetics, thermodynamics, membrane transport, cell signaling, regulatory mechanisms, transcription and translation, signal transduction, and DNA replication and recombintion.For instructors and students, or anyone interested in cell or molecular biology. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Excruciatingly detailed and esoteric at times
This book is a decent text; however, I found it to be excruciatingly detailed at times and also quite a bit esoteric. The book goes in to so much detail, that it is usually hard to find a suitable and understandable explanation for basic concepts. It is better, probably, for higher level biology classes.

very useful,excellent
This book is very good for students who major biology.I don't read all yet, but I love this book.

Amazingly good book on cell biology and chemistry.
I am in awe of the usability of this book. The subject matter is not trivial, but is presented in a very logical, step-by-step sequence. Illustrations are in color and strongly reinforce the text. I was able to learn the material without the benefit of attending a class on the subject. Bravo to the Authors and the Publisher, Benjamin Cummings. ... Read more

Book Description

The long-awaited new edition of James D. Watson's classic text, Molecular Biology of the Gene, has been thoroughly revised and is published to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Watson and Crick's paper on the structure of the DNA double-helix. Twenty-one concise chapters, co-authored by five highly respected molecular biologists, provide current, authoritative coverage of a fast-changing discipline, giving both historical and basic chemical context. Divided into four parts: Genetics and Chemistry, Central Dogma, Regulation, and Methods.For college instructors, students, and anyone interested in molecular biology and genetics. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A descent book for beginners
Before making any critics about this book I should stress upon the fact that the authors well deserve a four star rating for this most readable book, both for the writing style and for the contents. Almost everything written is clear, concise and well presented. The captions are of high quality and if you ever buy this book feel sure that you are not wasting your money! I am referring in particular to chapter 16: Genetics of Bacteria and Bacteriophages which in reality is quite tricky but here presented with simple words. You may not have to read it more than once for you will understand it right from the first lecture. For in-depth study though you might need something more advanced!
However I did not really appreciate the way the fluctuation test of S.Luria and M.Delbruk was presented nor was the following work of J.Cairns and B.Hall in chapter 14: Gene mutation, DNA repair and Transposable elements. There seems to lack the true essence of it. Furthermore the existence of mutational hotspots is limited to a subsection only of chapter 14 and a few lines on the work of S.Benzer. Even B.Lewin in Genes VII gives a better treatment of mutational hotspots. Finally I would have expected a chapter on Mutations to talk about mutator mutations as possible ways to increase or decrease the spontaneous mutation rate but no such references were made.
Despite these few things, if you love genetics or need an introductory course be sure that this book is meant for you!

I was taught by the proffesor who wrote the book
Yup, and the professor gave out many problems in addition to supplementary problems. The book was an easy read but in order to do well in this course you simply need a mind for genetics. This is probably the best book I've seen.

I am very pleased with my purchase:timely, great condition!
I recieved the book in one day and it was in great condition!

OK, but could have been better
I used this book in an intro genetics course. Now I can't say if it was the professor or the book that made me really dislike the subject, but I think that if it was a really good book I would have come out with a least a little understanding on what genetics is about; I didn't. Something was not right; genetics is supposed to be a booming field, interesting, and cutting edge in terms of research. I did not get this picture from reading this book. Now I must say that the book was easy to read in the sense that they don't try and pack too much material on one page, there are nice illustrations and color photograhs etc. The problem I had with it was that it didn't really explain how to do those complicated genetics problems, those ones where you'd have to predict the percentages of progeny that were pink, spotted, and had one ear if the parents had linked recessive genes on chromosome 17.25 (you get the gist) These were the kinds of problems that we had all year and I just never understood. The professor couldn't explain them, neither could the book, neither could my friends. All in all, genetics was a bad experience for me and this book did not make it any better. I am sure that there are many better texts out there, but I have just been so turned away from genetics that I haven't bothered to look.

I loved this book.
I used this textbook in as an undergraduate student at Trenton State College. Not only did I find the course incredibly fascinating, the text book was a great complement to the material. I found it to be readable and by no means did it resemble a research paper as one reviewer commented. On a personal note, Dr. Klug, the author of the book, was infact my professor. I imagine that this may have influenced my appreciation of the text but in any case I enjoyed the book and course immensely. Also, for the reviewer who suspected that Dr. Klug was some snobby PhD, he was one of the best professors I had during my college career! ... Read more

Book Description

The unique feature of this book's first edition was the presentation of a unified approach to the molecular biology of prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The success of this approach, and its continuation, is the result of a long string of discoveries showing similarities in solutions to biological problems that often extend across many or even all species.A six-part organization covers genes, proteins, gene expression, DNA, the nucleus, and cells.For individuals in the science community interested in genetics. ... Read more

Book Description

A complete, clinically oriented overview of basic medical microbiology, this book provides a taxonomic approach to organism presentation, using a pathogen-oriented sequence that provides an understanding of the microbe in its setting regardless of the site of infection.Its comprehensive coverage is specifically designed to be accessible to students with limited backgrounds in science. ... Read more

Book Description

Following the completion of the Human Genome Project the content and organization of the third edition of Human Molecular Genetics (HMG) has been thoroughly revised.

PART ONE (CHAPTERS 1-7) covers basic material on DNA structure and function, chromosomes, cells and development, pedigree analysis and the basic techniques used in the laboratory.

PART TWO (CHAPTERS 8-12) discusses the various genome sequencing projects and the insights they provide into the organization, expression, variation and evolution of our genome.

PART THREE (CHAPTERS 13-18) focuses on mapping, identifying and diagnosing the genetic causes of mendelian and complex diseases and cancer.

PART FOUR (CHAPTERS (19-21) looks at the wider horizons of functional genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics, animal models and therapy.

There are new chapters on cells and development and on functional genomics.The sections on complex diseases have been completely rewritten and reorganized, as has the chapter on Genome Projects. Other changes include a new section on molecular phylogenetics (Chapter 12) and the introduction of ‘Ethics Boxes’ to discuss some of the implications of the new knowledge. Virtually every page has been revised and updated to take account of the stunning developments of the past four years since the publication of the last edition of Human Molecular Genetics. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

The book to read for an in-depth background
This book is a very complete overview of molecular biology as applied to human genetics. As someone interested in bioinformatics and computational biology, I read it to get a background in the biology/genetics behind these fields. That being said, I was glad I made the choice of this book as the authors do a fine job of explaining the relevant concepts and biological processes in genetics. In the light of the recent draft of the human genome, this edition of the book is especially timely. That being said, there is a lot of material covered, and to digest all of the terms and processes outlined takes a fair amount of time. The discussion on functional genomics and the post-genome sequencing era was particularly interesting. More could be said on gene sequencing validation as it applies to gene therapies and drug discovery. The most fascinating chapter was the one on genetic manipulation of animals as this is where genetic engineering has had its successful proving ground. Even though this is a science text, a discussion on the ethics of human genetic engineering would be appropriate, given some of the current attitudes about it. My opinion is that these technologies should move ahead with diligence; humankind cannot afford not to do so.

I would highly recommend this book to those who have the time to read through it, as it offers the necessary concepts needed to understand this fascinating area.

This is a good book in studying human genetics
This is a good book in studying genetics referring human molecular genetics. I can examine myself with it.Whwn you finish reading Molecular biology of the CELL, you can understand genetics. So, this book and the book,Human Molecular genetics, are very helpful in studying genetics.

An excellent text! For undergrad and grad students.
Very comprehensive reading. It sure gives the reader a thorough explanation of the concept. Each chapter provides clear, yet detailed illustrations. Further explanations are given on several key concepts by including "highlights" for a particular topic. Although this book tackles more general knowledge on human genetics, it sure is highly recommended to students or professionals starting to learn Human Genetics.

Excellent for the working student!
Being a graduate student in human genetics I was looking long and hard for a comprehensive text on how and why experiment are done in the lab, and the scientific basis for these experiments. This book is the closest one I have seen that accomplishes all these goals. It is a little light on the theoretical side of genetics (e.g. Mendelian etc); however, there are many other texts out there that can substitute for this flaw, but only a few that do what this one does. I recommend this book for students who are familiar with genetics but need to understand the practical side to it.

a good book, but...
This book is enough simple. Chapters regarding the POSITIONAL CLONING, the HYBRIDIZATION, the IMPRINTING and the GENETICAL MAPPAGE are really clear and they represent a big aid for students in the comprehension of these procedures which could be very difficult. But... chapters about GENETICAL DISEAES are too much treated than chapters regarding FORMAL GENETICS, moreover FISICAL MAPPAGE chapter is too detailled in pratical explanation, while the real mappege's concept is not focalized.To conclude a good book, but ... cheers ALESSIO & FEDERICO ... Read more

Book Description

Now fully updated and revised, the new Fourth Edition of Cell and Molecular Biology not only offers you and your students all of the latest research, it also gives students the tools they need to understand the science behind cell biology and ultimately succeed in your course. This text is ideal for sophomore/junior-level courses in cell biology offered out of biology or molecular and cell biology departments.
Cell and Molecular Biology provides an alternative for faculty looking for a text that concentrates on core concepts without sacrificing coverage of experimental evidence. Karp explores core concepts in considerable depth, and presents experimental detail when it helps to explain and reinforce the concept being explained. This edition also continues to offer an exceedingly clear presentation and excellent art program, both of which have received high praise in prior editions. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Concise story of cell biology
Another introductory book in the biology of the cell. I would say that the book is divided into mainly two sections, Cell structure and DANA, DANA replications etc. Second part takes almost two thirds of the book. I would prefer to read other Gene books when it comes to that point but for the cell structure, it is not bad. Some colored pictures, computer animations makes it easy to visualize things. Sections called "experimental pathways" scattered throughout the text takes you into current issues related to the subject. They are also quite sophisticated issues rather than practical problems. I think this book requires considerable guidance when read alone. I could not call this book as self sufficient or easy to read one compared to books by Alberts or Baltimore.

He's got it all here in a nutshell
All biology, biochemistry, and premed students will find this text an indispensible source of information for anything there is to know about cells. This is one text that can't possibly be read and fully understood overnight; just take a little bit at a time at any convenient moment and it will all come together in your mind before you know it!

THIS BOOK IS GREAT BUT NEEDS SOME IMPROVEMENT
I think that this book is simply great ,but it needs some improvement such as mentioning more about the diseases in the((HUMAN PERSPECTIVE))part.In addition,it should have more of the realastic figures about diseases.

Basil Numan((MEDICINE STUDENT 1ST YEAR)).

Biología molecular y celular de Geral Karp
I want to know about this book in spanish, it is posible, price and cost of send me.

Thanks you very much ... Read more

Reviews (36)

Fairly up to date and great teaching tool
As you can imagine, no text book is a must read, but it certainly is a must own for any student of cell biology or biological scientists, from undergraduate, graduate, medical student, to the graduated faculty member. A useful text with great figures and an excellent accompanying CD.

Needs Improvement
I agree with an earlier reviewer that the book is a good reference and the overwhelming details contained in it make it difficult to get the basic fundamentals. The authors need to trim it down and focus more on fundamental principles. I feel at times the book is somewhat convoluted and hard to follow. This is sometimes the case with books that have multiple authors.

Another reviewer pointed out the over abundance of yeast molecular biology contained in he book. I again agree with this person. I realize yeast is where we learned a lot about eukaryotic molecular biology. But I wish the book focused less on yeast and more mammalian cell biology. People using this book are likely to be looking at careers in biomedical research or medicine. I think more mammalian biology would be more beneficial.

Why do all these textbooks have to have a CD to run the price of the book up ?

Too many authors undermine coherence
This text is excellent in the coverage of its subject matter, but, like typical texts and journal articles written by a myriad of authors, it lacks coherence. Thus, separating the wheat from the chaff is tedious. The book, if well written, could be much shorter and more readable than it currently is.

Scicchitano undermines Lodish's brilliance
I have read snippets of this book as Scicchitano was my professor of molecular cell biology at NYU, therefore I'm naturally curious. He was quite well-spoken about the basics behind the subject - even, at times, verbose - yet he elevated that lucid core knowledge of the subject to such a great pomp that I cannot dissociate my experience of his fluff from this publication. Forgive me Harvey Lodish, but you would have done better not to collaberate with him, and you did do better by indeed discluding him from your molecular cell biology textbooks. (In class, David's jealousy at Dr. Lodish's superior intellect was obvious, as he took time out of every class to slam Lodish's molec cell 4th edition)

Excellent
This book gave me a real appreciation for cell biology! I love the figures and micrographs. I've had to read a lot of other books and this is hands-down my favorite bio book yet. ... Read more

Book Description

Human Evolutionary Genetics (HEG) is a groundbreaking text which for the first time brings together molecular genetics and genomics to the study of the origins and movements of human populations.

Starting with an overview of molecular genomics for the non-specialist (which can be a useful review for those with a more genetic background), the book shows how data from the post-genomic era can be used to examine human origins and the human colonization of the planet, richly illustrated with genetic trees and global maps.

For the first time in a textbook, the authors outline how genetic data and the understanding of our origins which emerges, can be applied to contemporary population analyses, including genealogies, forensics and medicine.

Drawing its material from a range of disciplines, this text is an invaluable resource for courses in:

• Human Evolution

• Human Variation

• Biological Anthropology

• Physical Anthropology

• Human Population Genetics ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Essential reading
Clearly laid out like one of the classic undergraduate textbooks (e.g. Genes VII, Albers et al.), this is the only up-to-date introduction in the field.

The authors make great efforts to link advances in genetics to other fields (e.g. linguistics, anthropology), as well as to organise chapters around key issues such as the spread of agriculture, offering space to key authors in these associated fields. Bibliographic/website sources are also well documented.

Evidently, coverage is broad rather than deep, but if you need some basic background (e.g. I wanted to understand how Y-chromosome sequence data illuminated prehistoric migrations but needed some basic information on microsatellites) before proceeding to original papers, then this is the book for you. ... Read more

Book Description

Molecular Driving Forces is an introductory statistical thermodynamics text that describes the principles and forces that drive chemical and biological processes. It shows how the complex behaviors of molecules can result from a few simple physical processes, and a central theme is how simple models can give surprisingly accurate insights into the workings of the molecular world.

Written in a clear and reader-friendly style, the book gives an excellent introduction to the subject for novices. It should be useful to those who want to develop their understanding of this important field, seeing how physical principles can be applied to the study of modern problems in the chemical, biological, and materials sciences. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Want to understand the physics if life? Need to read this!
The topic of this book, the physical chemistry of molecules, especially those relevant to biology, is one of the most challenging courses to a college student in chemist. But these authors have tried to make it easy for you - and they succeed. They used figures, pictures and analogies to help you to understand some of the most sophisticated concepts in science. For example entropy. The authors are leading researchers in the field and they brought a unique perspective to the subject; the writing is very lucid. ... Read more

Book Description

Because molecular and cellular biology is such an exciting and rapidly moving area of science, teaching it at the undergraduate level is a rewarding, yet challenging, task. The Cell: A Molecular Approach meets this challenge by providing students with not only the most current information, but also with an introduction to the experimental nature of contemporary research. Designed for use in introductory cell biology courses, The Cell presents current comprehensive science in a readable and cohesive text that students can master in the course of one semester.

The new Third Edition of The Cell retains the organization, themes, and special features of earlier editions, but is updated to reflect scientific advances since publication of the Second Edition in 2000, including:

* progress that has been made in genome sequencing
* advances in understanding transcriptional regulation and mRNA processing
* the use of DNA microarrays in global studies of gene expression and cancer diagnostics
* advances in nuclear transport and protein trafficking
* progress in understanding the regulation of programmed cell death
* potential medical applications of embryonic stem cells
* the development of oncogene-targeted cancer treatments

SPECIAL FEATURES OF THE CELL

With a clear focus on cell biology as an integrative theme, topics such as developmental biology, plant biology, the immune system, the nervous system, and muscle physiology are covered in their broader biological context.

"Key Experiment" boxes in each chapter describe seminal experiments in modern cell biology, showing the details and background to give students a sense of doing science.

"Molecular Medicine" boxes relate basic science to clinical practice or potential and show the excitement of molecular discovery and solutions to disease.

Chapter summaries are organized in outline form corresponding to the major sections and subsections of each chapter. This section-by-section format is coupled with a list of the key terms introduced in each section, providing a succinct but comprehensive review of the material.

The full-color art program is both pedagogically and scientifically outstanding.

In addition, each chapter includes: a brief chapter outline, bold-faced key terms (also defined in the glossary), and chapter-end questions (15 per chapter) with answers in the back of the book. The deliberate and cumulative result of this pedagogy is a book that students can master. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

cell biology book
fast shipping, recieved book just as described, good as new!
i'd do business with seller again thanks.

The cooper cell
This book contained very usefull text information especially for whom undertaking cell biology. It as also recommended by Lecturers in Victoria University of Technology, in Australia. It provides excellent details of cell functions and related items in both the general view and the molecular view. The older version is also a very good source, but I think it is a bit out dated. I would recommend this text to whom is studying cell biology.

New! Second Edition of Cooper text is available!
The field of cell biology is so vast and changing so rapidly that teaching it can be a daunting prospect. The First Edition of The Cell: A Molecular Approach, published in 1997, offered the perfect solution for teachers and their students--current, comprehensive science combined with the readability and cohesiveness of a single-authored text. Designed for one-semester introductory cell biology courses, this book enabled students to master the material in the entire book, not simply to sample a small fraction from a much larger text. The new Second Edition of The Cell retains the organization, themes, and special features of the original, but it has been completely updated in major areas of scientific progress, including: genome analysis; chromatin and transcription; nuclear transport; protein sorting and trafficking; signal transduction; the cell cycle; and programmed cell death.

The new Second Edition was published June 16, 2000.

Excellent basic book
I teach cellular biolgy in senior hihg school, and I found in this book an excellent tool, were my students can find the basic information that they need. The CD is also a great idea, because the students can see some proceses in motion.

Excellent introductory book
I am an engineer by training and I am interested in appling biological principles to solving engineering problems (I am also the author of a book entitled Intelligent Systems for Engineering: A Knowledge-based Approach). Prof. Cooper's book is an amazingly well written book. Anyone can easily understand the concepts presented. My only advice to the author is to make the CD-ROM more interactive and if possible add narration. Congratuations on writing such an excellent book. ... Read more

Book Description

In the genome era, the analysis of gene expression has become a critical requirement in many laboratories. But there has been no comprehensive source of strategic, conceptual, and technical information to guide this often complex task. Transcriptional Regulation in Eukaryotes answers that need. Written by two experienced investigators, Michael Carey and Stephen Smale at the UCLA School of Medicine, and based in part on the Gene Expression course taught at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, this book directly addresses all the concerns of a laboratory studying the regulation of a newly isolated gene and the biochemistry of a new transcription factor.

Chapter 1 reviews the state-of-the-art in the RNA polymerase II transcription field;

Chapters 2–10 are a systematic guide to the investigation of regulatory mechanisms for newly identified genes;

Chapters 11–15 discuss approaches for synthesizing recombinant transcription factors, analyzing their binding, and deciphering their mode of action.

Transcriptional Regulation in Eukaryotes reveals not only what to do but why, and how to plan properly for success. This approach is ideal for graduate students, physician-scientists, postdocs, and others entering the field, but is also valuable for established investigators undertaking in-depth studies in specific systems. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

a great reference for transcription lab work!
I purchased this book for my lab and I cannot praise it highly enough.The only problem is that grad students and postdocs keep stealing it from my office and I'm always having to go out and hunt it down on someone's bench!When introducing a new technique to your lab, it is a good idea to read the chapater on that technique before you pick up your pipet.The descriptions of methodology and the degree of detail are first rate. I hope that Carey and Smale bring out a new edition soon that covers the new innovations in the transcription field from the five years since their current edition was published.

Lori Bernstein
Assistant Professor
Texas A & M University

Good Book for the beginner and expert....
There are so many method for experiment regarding transcriptional regulations. In this book, you may find brief purpose, background knowledge and technical guide for the allmost experiment about transcriptionalregulations. ... Read more

Book Description

Making the theory of population genetics relevant to readers, this book explains the related mathematics with a logical organization.It presents the quantitative aspects of population genetics, and employs examples of human genetics, medical evolution, human evolution, and endangered species.For an introduction to, and understanding of, population genetics. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews of the Second Edition

"In this book, Andy Baxevanis and Francis Ouellette . . . have undertaken the difficult task of organizing the knowledge in this field in a logical progression and presenting it in a digestible form. And they have done an excellent job. This fine text will make a major impact on biological research and, in turn, on progress in biomedicine. We are all in their debt."
--Eric Lander, from the Foreword to the Second Edition

"The editors and the chapter authors of this book are to be applauded for providing biologists with lucid and comprehensive descriptions of essential topics in bioinformatics. This book is easy to read, highly informative, and certainly timely. It is most highly recommended for students and for established investigators alike, for anyone who needs to know how to access and use the information derived in and from genomic sequencing projects."
--Trends in Genetics

"It is an excellent general bioinformatics text and reference, perhaps even the best currently available . . . Congratulations to the authors, editors, and publisher for producing a weighty, authoritative, readable, and attractive book."
--Briefings in Bioinformatics

"This book, written by the top scientists in the field of bioinformatics, is the perfect choice for every molecular biology laboratory."
--The Quarterly Review of Biology

This fully revised version of a world-renowned bestseller provides readers with a practical guide covering the full scope of key concepts in bioinformatics, from databases to predictive and comparative algorithms. Using relevant biological examples, the book provides background on and strategies for using many of the most powerful and commonly used computational approaches for biological discovery. This Third Edition reinforces key concepts that have stood the test of time while making the reader aware of new and important developments in this fast-moving field. With a new full-color and enlarged page design, Bioinformatics, Third Edition offers the most readable, up-to-date, and thorough introduction to the field for biologists.

This new edition features:

• New chapters on genomic databases, predictive methods using RNA sequences, sequence polymorphisms, protein structure prediction, intermolecular interactions, and proteomic approaches for protein identification
• Detailed worked examples illustrating the strategic use of the concepts presented in each chapter, along with a collection of expanded,more rigorous problem sets suitable for classroom use
• Special topic boxes and appendices highlighting experimental strategies and advanced concepts
• Annotated reference lists, comprehensive lists of relevant Web resources, and an extensive glossary of commonly used terms in bioinformatics, genomics, and proteomics

Reviews (13)

Great book, easy to follow, expert authors
Five stars, a great place for people like me (trained as a biochemist) to start in a field that I know is going to be more and more important as to how I do my work in the future. I've been able to use basic things like BLAST more effectively, and finally understand that there are other ways to look at sequence besides BLAST and how to apply those tools to my own sequences. I really like the Entrez chapter, since Entrez does so much more than I ever realized it could do! I haven't ventured into the advanced territory yet (like microarrays), but at least I understand what I'm hearing in seminars now and what all those red and green spots actually represent.

I read the review by "a reader in Cambridge, MA", and don't understand what their beef is with this title. The authors have tried (and have succeeded) in pointing the readers to the best PUBLIC DOMAIN software out there, augmenting documentation that's generally lacking. Have you ever tried finding good docs on the NCBI Web site? Well, these two editors got them for you. UNIX-centric? I can't speak for the first edition, but check out the second edition and see that there's tons of Netscape screen dumps demonstrating the tools and making things as easy as possible for the reader. I originally bought this because of the reviews published in Science and Cell and a slew of other journals, all favorable, so the "reader in Cambridge" seems out of step with all of the published journal reviews of the book. Everyone's entitled to their opinion, but I just wanted to point this out for a sense of balance here, especially since my own experience was so different.

Somewhat more than an out-of-date catalog of tools
The book is a collection of chapters by different authors addressing software tools for various problems: database search, multiple sequence alignment, gene prediction, protein structure prediction, etc. A big flaw is that all of the authors assume a different level of prior background and have rather different emphases.

I'd have to agree with the other reviewer that Chapters 1 & 17, which constitute 10% of the book, are wasted paper. No one in 2001 (when the book was published), let alone 2004, needs Chapter 1's lengthy explanation of what e-mail and web browsers are. And the perl program at the anticlimax of Chapter 17 was ... anticlimactic.

The book is to a great extent a catalog of available software tools. With the exception of the chapters on multiple alignment and phylogeny, the emphasis is on not on how the tools work but how to operate them -- to the of saying "at this URL there is a web page where you can either paste in your sequence or upload a file". The idea of invoking a program through a Unix command line is more than once presented as a truly daunting prospect. The authors generally do a good job of emphasizing that the programs are the beginning of analysis and not the end; the results must always be viewed somewhat skeptically with an expert eye.

If you're coming at the book as a biologist, you will probably find it to be a useful catalog of software, though undoubtedly dated by now. If you're coming at it from the informatics side, you're going to need some background... a book like Dwyer's, Setubal and Meidanis's, or Mount's will get you up to speed on the algorithm aspects of the field with simplified versions of many of the big problems. Then you can look at this book to find good pointers to the ways the real-world versions have been addressed.

The book was published three years ago and, being to a large extent an index of the work of others, is necessarily no longer up to date in a fast-moving field. It needs a revision and, in the meantime, it would make more sense to snag a used copy than to pay full price for a new book.

A survey tor tool users
Like any survey, it seems to touch the major features only. And, as others have pointed out, the tools change but the book doesn't.

I think this is a good, brief introduction to the wide variety of bioinformatic tools and databases on the internet. It describes the major features of each, and the kinds of results that each tool is good for. After that, the serious user will go to the sources of each tool or database, to learn more about the specifics as of the moment. No book can hope to keep up with the weekly enhancements at the major repositories.

I emphasize that this is for tools users, not tool makers. It addresses the working scientists who already know their subjects and their needs. This skips over the algorithms in favor of higher level descriptions, and skips over many of the biological reasons for the tools described. Better-informed tool users get better answers from the tools, true. At some point, though, the biologists want to skip the theory, skip the introduction to subjects in which they're experts, and get on with their science. I don't think this book was ever meant for people - and I'm one - who want full details of the algorithms.

I agree, the book treats its many subjects in a shallow way. I think that is by intent, since the book's real goal is breadth and its target is a reader who knows the basic science. It's a bit off the center of my interests, but I've found it helpful.

Bioinformatic for the beginner...
I guess that everybody interrested by this kind of book knows already a little about bioinformatic and wants to improve his bioinformatician skill. So forget about this book:
This is really a well-documented introduction to all the methods currently used by every biologist or biology student, such as Blast, Clustal, multiple alignement or use of web-interface for submiting sequence.
So get it if you need a clear introduction to the field, but if you already know a little bit about bioinfo, immediately choose a more detailed book.

Poorly organized overpriced book
Although the book is presented as an introduction to the topic, its organization assumes that the reader has already been working in the area. Two of the chapters (1 and 17) are a waste of space. The first chapter presents a (useless) introduction to internet, while chapter 17 attempts (and fails to do so) to explain Perl in the context of bioinformatics. For the same money you can find far better books in the market. The good thing is that I only borrowed the book :) ... Read more

Reviews (50)

Molecular Biology - medical students need backup
Molecular Biology of the Cell is written in a straightforward easy-to-read manner. The book is especially well up-to-date on many ascpects and, to my delight, connective tissue components are given enough space. This is your book if you're interested in molecular biology. A drawback from the point of view of a medical student is the lack of integration of metabolism to the organ level, let alone human body. Molecular Biology of the Cell sticks to its header by consistently leaving out topics such as - insulin regulation of blood glucose - ketone bodies - fasting (and ketone bodies) - CYP enzyme family (cytochrome P450) - pentose phosphate pathway/hexose monophosphate shunt/glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase - purine catabolism/xanthine oxidase/uric acid/gout

Clearly, if backed up with a texbook of biochemistry or physiology covering metabolism on a higher level, Molecular Biology of the Cell is an excellent choice, even for medical students.

Best intro molecular/cell text out there.
Well, considering that this book got me through a full year of molecular and cell biology as an undergraduate, I'm pretty fond of the book. Especially considering that the second half of the year was taught by two people who had never taught a class in their lives before. Reason for the five stars is that this is an INTRODUCTORY level textbook written about 7 years ago. Even considering that, it's thorough enough and comprehensive enough for an entire year. I wasn't expecting work done last year to be included and I wasn't expecting that it would delve into the intricate details of photosynthetic reaction centers or the latest in optical methods in single molecule dynamics. If you want that kind of detail, go to the journals or specialized texts. However, for those undergraduates undertaking a full year of MCB, I can't recommend this text highly enough. And if you're looking for prokaryotic information, I'd go pick up a copy of Prescott, Harley, and Klein's "Microbiology."

A perfect introduction to the subject
I will say that I had no trouble in reading and understanding this book. All subjects are nicely elaborated and picturized with detailed schematics or with electron microscopy pictures. Scanning electron pictures are the best but very minimal.All basic concepts are covered structure of cell, protein synthesis, DANA , cell structures,nerve cells, atp, etc. You may want to skip better books when it comes to biochemistry or developmental biology but this book gives smooth introduction all subjects and than you make your direction. Compared to book written by Karp, I prefer this one for wider coverage but Karp has some sections called "experimental pathways" that open your vision to latest developments.

May be catagorised: "Antique"
Ounce apon a time in the beginning of the 90's there was a great book: "Molecular Biology of the Cell". However, this very book missed the oppportunity to keep up with exponentiall growth of knowledge accumulated in this field. Indeed it lacks the fundamental information needed by every cell biology student and may only satisfy the needs of a AP biology class at High School.

an outstanding book but somewhat outdated
This book is the most comprehensive book of cell biology I have ever read. I think it is still better than Lodish's Molecular Cell Biology, even the 4th edition of the latter is updated. It helped me greatly in my preparation for GRE Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology Test (I received a score of 750, 98%). However, 7 years have passed since this edition and many progresses in cell biology have been made in these years and a new edition is needed. It is said on Medscape Bookstore that the 4th edition of Molecular Biology of the Cell is due to be published in 2002-04 and now I am waiting for it. ... Read more

Book Description

Biology is in the midst of a era yielding many significant discoveries and promising many more. Unique to this era is the exponential growth in the size of information-packed databases. Inspired by a pressing need to analyze that data, Introduction to Computational Biology explores a new area of expertise that emerged from this fertile field- the combination of biological and information sciences. This introduction describes the mathematical structure of biological data, especially from sequences and chromosomes. After a brief survey of molecular biology, it studies restriction maps of DNA, rough landmark maps of the underlying sequences, and clones and clone maps. It examines problems associated with reading DNA sequences and comparing sequences to finding common patterns. The author then considers that statistics of pattern counts in sequences, RNA secondary structure, and the inference of evolutionary history of related sequences.Introduction to Computational Biology exposes the reader to the fascinating structure of biological data and explains how to treat related combinatorial and statistical problems. Written to describe mathematical formulation and development, this book helps set the stage for even more, truly interdisciplinary work in biology. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A modern classic
The first name people learn in bioinformatics is the Smith-Waterman algorithm. Some people never learn anything else. This is by that Waterman. Although written in 1995, it still has some of the best discussion I've seen on the topics it addresses.

The first few chapters deal with the "digest problem," reconstructing a DNA or protein sequence from the fragment sizes of enzyme digests. The technique is not used as much now as it was then, but it's always good to know the background of modern techniques.

The digest problem doesn't stand alone, though. It introduces concepts - islands, anchors, etc. - that still matter. The problems in reconstructing molecules from digests yield the same kinds of intermediate results and the same ambiguities that arise in modern sequencing. As Waterman advances the discussion, shotgun sequencing appears as a logical extension, at least mathematically, of digest assembly.

Sequence assembly involve end matching, perhaps in the presence of sequencing errors. That introduces the topic for which Waterman's name is famous, approximate string matching. The next few chapter progress through dynamic programming and multiple alignments. The logical connections between the techniques shown are so tight that chapter boundaries are almost artificial. It was a real pleasure to see the computational and practical relationships laid out.

The final topics, RNA structure and phylogenetic trees, lack the continuity that characterized the first dozen chapters. The RNA structure may be the weakest chapter in the book, but still a very competent introduction.

Throughout, Waterman emphasizes mathematical rigor without insisting on uninformative theorems. Every topic is presented in rich detail, with special attention to scoring and background models. Perhaps there are newer discussions of some topics. I don't know of any clearer discussions, though. Best, I think, is how Waterman prepares the reader to ask all the right questions in any future discussion: what are the elements of the computation, how can elements be recombined, how good is a result, and how does the result stand out from the statistical background.

The final chapter is what a bibliography should be. It doesn't just list authors, titles, and dates of publication. It actually discusses the contribution that each source made to this book. Rather than leave the reader to wander aimlessly among obscure titles, Waterman shows which sources are most informative on which topics. I wish more authors took the time for such commentary.

This is a book worth having. It covers topics that I haven't seen elsewhere, and shows how many different topics relate to each other. It is rigorous without giving distracting detail. Most of all, it keeps the biology in sight of all calculations. Some authors seem to forget that anything exists but the arithmetic; Waterman puts the math clearly in the service of its subject. I enjoyed it immensely, and look forward to applying its content in my own research.

Packed full of good information
This book gives a good survey of the different techniques employed by computational biologists. After a brief review of molecular biology in Chapter 1, the author treats the mathematical modeling of restriction maps in Chapter 2 using graph theory. His presentation is somewhat hurried, but he does give references and gives the reader three exercises at the end of the chapter. Multiple maps are treated in Chapter 3, wherein the author first makes use of probability theory, via the Kingman subadditive ergodic theorem. The proof is omitted but the author does a good job of explaining its use in studying the double digest problem (DDP). The best part of this chapter is the author's explanation of the difficulties of using Kingman's results for solving the DDP, and goes on to discuss multiple solutions of the DDP. Graph theory is again used in the discussion. This sets up the discussion in Chapter 4, which outlines algorithms for the DDP. The author gives a very compact introduction to P- and NP-complete problems in the theory of computation, then proves that DDP is NP-complete. The author does a good job of discussing subsequent approximate methods used for the DDP, such as simulated annealing. Markov chains are introduced in the book here for the first time, but due to the shortness of the presentation, the reader should do outside reading as a back-up. The author does a great job of explaining the difficulties if measurement error is introduced in the DDP at the end of the chapter. Cloning is discussed in Chapter 5, with tools from probability theory used to deal with partial digest libraries. The chapter is really short though, and the working the problems at the end of the chapter is essential for the understanding the results of this chapter. The author switches gears in the next chapter, wherein physical maps are discussed. The discussion is fairly detailed and interesting. Sequencing is discussed in the next two chapters, and the treatment is very good. Hashing is introduced here, and psedocode is given throughout. The very important method of dynamic programming is outlined in Chapter 9, which is beautifully written, and again pseudocode abounds throughout. Genetic mapping is left out though, but the this, the longest chapter of the book, is a detailed introduction to this area. The results in this chapter are used to study multiple sequence alignment in Chapter 10, wherein hidden Markov models are introduced for the first time. The discussion of these models is very curt, but there are other books and notes available if the reader needs further guidance. The best chapter of the book follows, which discusses probability and statistics for sequence alignment. The theory of large deviations is brought in, and the author does an excellent job of discussing this important, and powerful theory. The reader's level of mathematical sophistication is assumed to be a lot greater than the rest of the book in this chapter. Knowledge of measure theory and martingales are assumed here. The author uses the very powerful tool of relative entropy, so indispensable in other applications of probability. The problem set at the end of the chapter is challenging but working them through is definitely worth the time involved. The next chapter also uses some heavy guns from probability theory to study sequence patterns. The author returns to matter of a more empirical nature in Chapter 13, which deals with RNA secondary structures. The reader with a background in simple combinatorial theory should find the reading straightforward and informative. Continuous-time Markov chains are introduced in the next chapter to study trees and sequences. The treatment here is rather hurried, so again the reader should work the exercises at the end of the chapter. The book ends with a discussion of the literature and references. All in all a very nice book, worth the price, and worth spending time reading. The only minus might be the total omission of actual source code, but that really was not the intent of the book. Readers with a strong mathematical background will like the book, as well as anyone interested in going into the area of computational biology. ... Read more

Book Description

Extensively revised and updated throughout, with seven entirelynew chapters and the insights of 31 new contributors, the Third Editionreflects the explosive growth of information in the dynamic field ofimmunology. Coverage includes recent groundbreaking discoveries onmolecular events that regulate the immune response, antigen processingand presentation, cytokines, and immune responses to infectiousagents.Six chapters in the Third Edition focus on completely newtopics--immunoglobulin class switching; somatic mutation and affinitymaturation; immunosuppression; and immunity to viruses, intracellularbacteria, and extracellular bacteria. Antigen processing andpresentation, which were only touched on in the previous edition, arenow described in detail in a separate chapter. Coverage of the role ofspecific cytokines in the immune response has been greatly expanded.Chapters on HIV infection, primary immunodeficiency diseases, allergyand hypersensitivity, and immunoparasitology have been rewritten by newcontributors who are preeminent authorities on these diseases. Allchapters include updated references. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

excellent
the next best t