The Miracle of the Living Cell. An Ideal Guide from Atoms to Genetics

Life surrounds us everywhere — diverse and amazing. Life is unlike anything else and never ceases to amaze us. But what does it truly mean to be alive? How is a living cell structured? How did life begin and what is the nature of the relationships that unite all life on our planet? Nobel laureate Sir Paul Nurse in the field of medicine and physiology has devoted many years to exploring these fundamental problems — from the origin of life to evolution. In the book «The Miracle of the Living Cell», he, following in the footsteps of Darwin, Dawkins, Hawking, and Attenborough, explains the nature of life itself in a form that will be understandable to every reader. In this remarkable journey, we will find ourselves in the laboratory of a modern researcher, learn the history of biology and its key concepts, and begin to better understand the nature of life, the processes of evolution, genetics, and much more. «We have a special responsibility for life on this planet, created as it is by our relatives, both close and distant. We need to treat it well and take care of it. And to do that, we need to understand it» (Sir Paul Nurse). Previously, the book was published in the series «Scientific Interest» under the title «What is Life? Understanding Biology in Five Simple Steps».