{"product_id":"power-sex-suicide-mitochondria-and-the-meaning-of-life-paperback","title":"Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the Meaning of Life - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eNick Lane\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMitochondria are tiny structures located inside our cells that carry out the essential task of producing energy for the cell. They are found in all complex living things, and in that sense, they are fundamental for driving complex life on the planet. But there is much more to them than that. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMitochondria have their own DNA, with their own small collection of genes, separate from those in the cell nucleus. It is thought that they were once bacteria living independent lives. Their enslavement within the larger cell was a turning point in the evolution of life, enabling the development of complex organisms and, closely related, the origin of two sexes. Unlike the DNA in the nucleus, mitochondrial DNA is passed down exclusively (or almost exclusively) via the female line. That's why it has been used by some researchers to trace human ancestry daughter-to-mother, to 'Mitochondrial Eve'. Mitochondria give us important information about our evolutionary history. And that's not all. Mitochondrial genes mutate much faster than those in the nucleus because of the free radicals produced in their energy-generating role. This high mutation rate lies behind our ageing and certain congenital diseases. The latest research suggests that mitochondria play a key role in degenerative diseases\u003cbr\u003esuch as cancer, through their involvement in precipitating cell suicide. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMitochondria, then, are pivotal in power, sex, and suicide. In this fascinating and thought-provoking book, Nick Lane brings together the latest research findings in this exciting field to show how our growing understanding of mitochondria is shedding light on how complex life evolved, why sex arose (why don't we just bud?), and why we age and die. This understanding is of fundamental importance, both in understanding how we and all other complex life came to be, but also in order to be able to control our own illnesses, and delay our degeneration and death. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eOxford Landmark Science books are 'must-read' classics of modern science writing which have crystallized big ideas, and shaped the way we think.\u003cbr\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNick Lane, \u003cem\u003eProfessor of Evolutionary Biochemistry, University College London\u003c\/em\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eNick Lane is a British biochemist and writer. He was awarded the first Provost's Venture Research Prize in the Department of Genetics, Evolution, and Environment at University College London, where he is now Professor of Evolutionary Biochemistry. Professor Lane's research deals with evolutionary biochemistry and bioenergetics, focusing on the origin of life and the evolution of complex cells. He was a founding member of the UCL Consortium for Mitochondrial Research, and is leading the UCL Research Frontiers Origins of Life programme. He was awarded the 2011 BMC Research Award for Genetics, Genomics, Bioinformatics and Evolution, and the 2015 Biochemical Society Award for his sustained and diverse contribution to the molecular life sciences and the public understanding of science. His books include \u003cem\u003eOxygen: The Molecule that Made the World\u003c\/em\u003e (OUP, 2002; 2016). \u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 560\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.6 x 7.7 x 5.1 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e December 25, 2018\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51753978265888,"sku":"9780198831907","price":18.34,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/4cd78059457d21c6e3c1f74609f6f287.webp?v=1780030785","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/power-sex-suicide-mitochondria-and-the-meaning-of-life-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}