Cells to Civilizations (eBook)

The Principles of Change That Shape Life

Enrico Coen (Autor)

eBook Download: PDF | EPUB

2012
Princeton University Press (Verlag)
978-1-4008-4165-3 (ISBN)

Infos

Enrico Coen is a plant molecular geneticist based at the John Innes Centre in Norwich, United Kingdom. He is the author of The Art of Genes, a fellow of the Royal Society, and a foreign associate of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. His awards include the Linnean Gold Medal and the Royal Society Darwin Medal.

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The science of change from cells to cultureCells to Civilizations is the first unified account of how life transforms itself-from the production of bacteria to the emergence of complex civilizations. What are the connections between evolving microbes, an egg that develops into an infant, and a child who learns to walk and talk? Award-winning scientist Enrico Coen synthesizes the growth of living systems and creative processes, and he reveals that the four great life transformations-evolution, development, learning, and human culture-while typically understood separately, actually all revolve around shared core principles and manifest the same fundamental recipe. Coen blends provocative discussion, the latest scientific research, and colorful examples to demonstrate the links between these critical stages in the history of life.Coen tells a story rich with genes, embryos, neurons, and fascinating discoveries. He examines the development of the zebra, the adaptations of seaweed, the cave paintings of Lascaux, and the formulations of Alan Turing. He explores how dogs make predictions, how weeds tell the time of day, and how our brains distinguish a Modigliani from a Rembrandt. Locating commonalities in important findings, Coen gives readers a deeper understanding of key transformations and provides a bold portrait for how science both frames and is framed by human culture.A compelling investigation into the relationships between our biological past and cultural progress, Cells to Civilizations presents a remarkable story of living change.

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 27.5.2012
• Zusatzinfo: 20 color illus. 81 halftones. 9 line illus.
• Verlagsort: Princeton
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Natur / Technik
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Biologie ► Evolution
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Biologie ► Genetik / Molekularbiologie
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Biologie ► Zellbiologie
• Themenwelt: Technik
• Schlagworte: Action potential • Adaptation • Amino acid • anatomy • Bacteria • Behavior • Bicoid (gene) • Biology • Carbon dioxide • cell division • cell membrane • cell signaling • cell type • cellular differentiation • Central Asia • chemical synapse • Chlamydomonas • chromosome • Classical Conditioning • Cognition • Critical reading • Cytoplasm • diagram • ecosystem • Elaboration • Embryo • Eric Kandel • Escherichia coli • Evolution • experimental psychology • Explanation • eye movement • Eye Tracking • Fertilisation • Flagellum • Fusiform face area • Ganglion • Gene • genetic drift • genetic variation • George M. Stratton • Habituation • Hair Cell • Human Brain • Illustration • Indication (medicine) • ingredient • Inhibitory postsynaptic potential • insect • interaction • interdependence • Jerzy Konorski • Lactose • learning • Leon Kamin • Microorganism • Mimosa pudica • Molecule • Multicellular organism • Mutation • Natural selection • nervous system • Neuroblast • Neuron • Neurotransmitter • Nucleic acid sequence • organism • photosynthesis • Prediction • Probability • prosopagnosia • Protein • quantum mechanics • Read Montague • Recipe • Reflex • Regulation of gene expression • Reinforcement • Reproduction • Reproductive success • result • retina • Rubisco • Saccade • Scientist • Sea slug • Sense • Sensory system • sexual reproduction • Stephen Jay Gould • Stimulation • temporal difference learning • theory • Torsten Wiesel • Trade-off • Uncertainty • Unicellular organism • Venus Flytrap • Visual Field • Wilder Penfield
• ISBN-10: 1-4008-4165-8 / 1400841658
• ISBN-13: 978-1-4008-4165-3 / 9781400841653