Download or read book From One Cell A Journey into Life s Origins and the Future of Medicine written by Ben Stanger and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2023-08-08 with total page 447 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Inside the quest to unlock the mysteries of development—and find the key to transforming our future. Each of us began life as a single cell. From this humble origin, we embarked on a risky journey fraught with opportunities for disaster. Yet, amazingly, we reached our destination intact, emerging as dazzlingly complex, exquisitely engineered assemblages of trillions of cells. This metamorphosis constitutes one of nature’s most spectacular yet commonplace magic tricks—and one of its most coveted secrets. In From One Cell, physician and researcher Ben Stanger offers a breathtaking glimpse into what scientists are discovering about how life and the body take shape, and how these revelations stand to revolutionize medicine and the future of human health. In vivid prose, Stanger leads readers on a gripping odyssey retracing this universal, yet unremembered, rite of passage. Through the eyes of the scientists unraveling development’s riddles in experiments as painstaking as they are inventive, we confront fascinating puzzles: how does the plethora of different tissues that compose our bodies arise from a single source? How do cells know what they are meant to become—skin or bone, blood or muscle—when all carry the same set of genetic instructions? Once a cell starts developing down one path, can it change its mind, or is its destiny irrevocably sealed? As Stanger shows us, the answers to these questions may at last empower us to solve some of our most persistently confounding medical challenges, from cancer to cognitive decline to degenerative disease. Recognizing tumors as evil doppelgangers of the embryo points the way toward new, more targeted cancer therapies. Learning how cells choose their identities and find their way in space could unlock lifesaving breakthroughs in regenerative medicine. The possibilities are extraordinary. Popular science at its best, From One Cell celebrates the power and beauty of understanding our collective beginnings.
Download or read book The Secret Language of Cells written by Jon Lieff and published by BenBella Books. This book was released on 2020-09-22 with total page 325 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Your cells are talking about you. Right now, both your inner and outer worlds are abuzz with chatter among living cells of every possible kind—from those in your body and brain to those in the environment around you. From electrical alerts to chemical codes, the greatest secret of modern biology, hiding in plain sight, is that all of life's activity boils down to one thing: conversation. While cells are commonly considered the building block of living things, it is actually the communication between cells that brings us to life, controlling our bodies and brains, determining whether we are healthy or sick, and directly influencing how we think, feel, and behave. In The Secret Language of Cells, doctor and neuroscientist Jon Lieff lets us listen in on these conversations, and reveals their significance for everything from mental health to cancer. He explains the surprising science of how very different cells—bacteria and brain cells, blood cells and viruses—all speak the same language. This overarching principle has been long overlooked because scientific journals use impenetrable jargon that makes it hard to be understood across disciplines, much less by the general public. Lieff presents a fascinating and accessible look into cellular communication science—a groundbreaking and comprehensive exploration of this biological phenomenon. In these pages, discover the intriguing lives of cells as they ask questions, get answers, give feedback, gather information, call for each other, and make complex decisions. During infections, immune T-cells tell brain cells that we should "feel sick" and lie down. Cancer cells warn their community about immune and microbe attacks. Gut cells talk with microbes to determine which are friends and which are enemies, and microbes talk with each other and with much more complicated human cells in ways that determine which medicines work and which will fail. With applications for immunity, chronic pain, weight loss, depression, cancer treatment, and virtually every aspect of health and biology, cellular communication is revolutionizing our understanding not just of disease, but of life itself. The Secret Language of Cells is required reading for anyone interested in following the conversation.
Download or read book The Dance of Life written by Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz and published by Random House. This book was released on 2020-02-27 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Quite simply the best book about science and life that I have ever read' - Alice Roberts How does life begin? What drives a newly fertilized egg to keep dividing and growing until it becomes 40 trillion cells, a greater number than stars in the galaxy? How do these cells know how to make a human, from lips to heart to toes? How does your body build itself? Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz was pregnant at 42 when a routine genetic test came back with that dreaded word: abnormal. A quarter of sampled cells contained abnormalities and she was warned her baby had an increased risk of being miscarried or born with birth defects. Six months later she gave birth to a healthy baby boy and her research on mice embryos went on to prove that – as she had suspected – the embryo has an amazing and previously unknown ability to correct abnormal cells at an early stage of its development. The Dance of Life will take you inside the incredible world of life just as it begins and reveal the wonder of the earliest and most profound moments in how we become human. Through Magda’s trailblazing research as a professor at Cambridge – where she has doubled the survival time of human embryos in the laboratory, and made the first artificial embryo-like structures from stem cells – you’ll discover how early life is programmed to repair and organise itself, what this means for the future of pregnancy, and how we might one day solve IVF disorders, prevent miscarriages and learn more about the dance of life as it starts to take shape. The Dance of Life is a moving celebration of the balletic beauty of life’s beginnings.
Download or read book The Song of the Cell written by Siddhartha Mukherjee and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2022-10-25 with total page 496 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner of the 2023 PROSE Award for Excellence in Biological and Life Sciences and the 2023 Chautauqua Prize! Named a New York Times Notable Book and a Best Book of the Year by The Economist, Oprah Daily, BookPage, Book Riot, the New York Public Library, and more! In The Song of the Cell, the extraordinary author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning The Emperor of All Maladies and the #1 New York Times bestseller The Gene “blends cutting-edge research, impeccable scholarship, intrepid reporting, and gorgeous prose into an encyclopedic study that reads like a literary page-turner” (Oprah Daily). Mukherjee begins this magnificent story in the late 1600s, when a distinguished English polymath, Robert Hooke, and an eccentric Dutch cloth-merchant, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek looked down their handmade microscopes. What they saw introduced a radical concept that swept through biology and medicine, touching virtually every aspect of the two sciences, and altering both forever. It was the fact that complex living organisms are assemblages of tiny, self-contained, self-regulating units. Our organs, our physiology, our selves—hearts, blood, brains—are built from these compartments. Hooke christened them “cells.” The discovery of cells—and the reframing of the human body as a cellular ecosystem—announced the birth of a new kind of medicine based on the therapeutic manipulations of cells. A hip fracture, a cardiac arrest, Alzheimer’s dementia, AIDS, pneumonia, lung cancer, kidney failure, arthritis, COVID pneumonia—all could be reconceived as the results of cells, or systems of cells, functioning abnormally. And all could be perceived as loci of cellular therapies. Filled with writing so vivid, lucid, and suspenseful that complex science becomes thrilling, The Song of the Cell tells the story of how scientists discovered cells, began to understand them, and are now using that knowledge to create new humans. Told in six parts, and laced with Mukherjee’s own experience as a researcher, a doctor, and a prolific reader, The Song of the Cell is both panoramic and intimate—a masterpiece on what it means to be human. “In an account both lyrical and capacious, Mukherjee takes us through an evolution of human understanding: from the seventeenth-century discovery that humans are made up of cells to our cutting-edge technologies for manipulating and deploying cells for therapeutic purposes” (The New Yorker).
Download or read book Freezing Fertility written by Lucy van de Wiel and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 2020-12-15 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Analyzes how the possibility of egg freezing changes what it means to be fertile and to age in the 21st century Welcomed as liberation and dismissed as exploitation, egg freezing (oocyte cryopreservation) has rapidly become one of the most widely-discussed and influential new reproductive technologies of this century. In Freezing Fertility, Lucy van de Wiel takes us inside the world of fertility preservation—with its egg freezing parties, contested age limits, proactive anticipations and equity investments—and shows how the popularization of egg freezing has profound consequences for the way in which female fertility and reproductive aging are understood, commercialized and politicized. Beyond an individual reproductive choice for people who may want to have children later in life, Freezing Fertility explores how the rise of egg freezing also reveals broader cultural, political and economic negotiations about reproductive politics, gender inequities, age normativities and the financialization of healthcare. Van de Wiel investigates these issues by analyzing a wide range of sources—varying from sparkly online platforms to heart-breaking court cases and intimate autobiographical accounts—that are emblematic of each stage of the egg freezing procedure. By following the egg’s journey, Freezing Fertility examines how contemporary egg freezing practices both reflect broader social, regulatory and economic power asymmetries and repoliticize fertility and aging in ways that affect the public at large. In doing so, the book explores how the possibility of egg freezing shifts our relation to the beginning and end of life.
Download or read book Stem Cells Made Easy written by Jon Adams and published by Green Mountain Computing. This book was released on with total page 141 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Stem Cells Made Easy,' a comprehensive guide designed to navigate you through the fascinating world of stem cells from A to Z. This book is tailored to illuminate one of science's most profound topics using a tapestry of deep analogies and vivid examples, making complex concepts not only palpable but also engaging. From the basics of what stem cells are to the intricate details of how they can be used in medicine and research, 'Stem Cells Made Easy' peels back the layers of scientific jargon to reveal the core principles at play in regenerative biology. We'll embark on a journey exploring how these cellular marvels hold the key to unlocking new medical treatments and understanding human development. You can expect to gain a solid foundation in stem cell knowledge, enriched with relatable analogies that lend clarity to advanced subjects. Each chapter is a building block, leading you confidently through the intricacies of stem cell types, their natural behaviors, and the cutting-edge techniques for manipulating them in the lab. This book is a bridge between lay interest and professional-level comprehension, providing insights into the latest scientific findings while remaining rooted in everyday language and imagery. Whether you're a student, an educator, a healthcare professional, or a curious mind driven by the wonders of biology, 'Stem Cells Made Easy' promises a captivating and educational experience that will not only educate but inspire. Contents: 1. The Stem Cell Universe (Pg 6): Dive into the vast world of stem cells and understand their fundamental role in biology and medicine. 2. The Lifecycle of a Stem Cell (Pg 17): Explore the journey of a stem cell from its origin to its various stages of development and differentiation. 3. The Blueprint of Life (Pg 28): Uncover the genetic blueprints that govern stem cell behavior and potential. 4. Regeneration and Healing (Pg 40): Learn how stem cells contribute to the body's ability to regenerate tissues and heal injuries. 5. Stem Cells in Research (Pg 51): Delve into the cutting-edge research utilizing stem cells to advance scientific knowledge and medical treatments. 6. Ethical Considerations (Pg 62): Navigate the complex ethical landscape surrounding stem cell research and its applications. 7. Stem Cells and Modern Medicine (Pg 76): Discover how stem cells are revolutionizing modern medicine and the treatment of various diseases. 8. Future Horizons (Pg 89): Look ahead at the promising future of stem cell technology and its potential to transform healthcare. 9. The Layman's Laboratory (Pg 102): Gain practical insights into how stem cell research can be understood and appreciated by non-specialists. Embark on an enlightening journey with 'Stem Cells Made Easy,' and unlock the mysteries of these remarkable cells that hold the keys to the future of medicine and human health.
Download or read book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks written by Rebecca Skloot and published by Crown. This book was released on 2010-02-02 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “The story of modern medicine and bioethics—and, indeed, race relations—is refracted beautifully, and movingly.”—Entertainment Weekly NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE FROM HBO® STARRING OPRAH WINFREY AND ROSE BYRNE • ONE OF THE “MOST INFLUENTIAL” (CNN), “DEFINING” (LITHUB), AND “BEST” (THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER) BOOKS OF THE DECADE • ONE OF ESSENCE’S 50 MOST IMPACTFUL BLACK BOOKS OF THE PAST 50 YEARS • WINNER OF THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE HEARTLAND PRIZE FOR NONFICTION NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review • Entertainment Weekly • O: The Oprah Magazine • NPR • Financial Times • New York • Independent (U.K.) • Times (U.K.) • Publishers Weekly • Library Journal • Kirkus Reviews • Booklist • Globe and Mail Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells—taken without her knowledge—became one of the most important tools in medicine: The first “immortal” human cells grown in culture, which are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bomb’s effects; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions. Yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown, buried in an unmarked grave. Henrietta’s family did not learn of her “immortality” until more than twenty years after her death, when scientists investigating HeLa began using her husband and children in research without informed consent. And though the cells had launched a multimillion-dollar industry that sells human biological materials, her family never saw any of the profits. As Rebecca Skloot so brilliantly shows, the story of the Lacks family—past and present—is inextricably connected to the dark history of experimentation on African Americans, the birth of bioethics, and the legal battles over whether we control the stuff we are made of. Over the decade it took to uncover this story, Rebecca became enmeshed in the lives of the Lacks family—especially Henrietta’s daughter Deborah. Deborah was consumed with questions: Had scientists cloned her mother? Had they killed her to harvest her cells? And if her mother was so important to medicine, why couldn’t her children afford health insurance? Intimate in feeling, astonishing in scope, and impossible to put down, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks captures the beauty and drama of scientific discovery, as well as its human consequences.
Download or read book Unique Philosophy Book Cosmocellular Hypothesis A Journey from Meditation to Modern Medicine Volume 1 C written by Dr. Kamlesh N Patel and published by Dhruv Publication (Self Publication). This book was released on with total page 614 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Welcome to still-unwritten-phenomena showing Nonmolecularly-Molecular Cosmocellular-World. Read a special & unique book (Cosmocellular-Hypothesis). No one would have ever read it before. This same Cosmocellular-Message you had read before 30 billion years, and will also read after 30 billion years,.....How it's possible according to universal Ancient-Vedic-Law of the Time-Replication & Thermodynamics-Laws of the Modern-Science (Waves-physics)? Indeed, all kind of the plant-kingdoms & animal-kingdoms on the earth, had reproduced , are reproducing & will reproduce from their same species only. Thus, our ancestors were not apes, but they were same as we look today. ..... How according to such joint-theory of cosmocellular-ancestory (and waves- &-particles-physics) as well as cytocosmic-ancestory, ---- can trace back us to Vedic-belief or philosophical-belief (which strongly prevailed before Charles Darwin) about the evolution of life on the earth that each living-species evolved separately & that none had changed their forms? That means, how a man evolved from a man only ,not from the ape or other species. In other words, man has descended from man only , & rat from rat only; similarly a banyan tree from banyan-tree only, & mango-tree from mango-tree only etc.etc. ? In short, a babool or banyan tree never never gives mango-fruit. ....... www.cosmocellular.com
Download or read book A Journey into the Human Experience of Incurable Disease written by Malcolm de Roubaix and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2023-06-05 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Incurable disease is a natural phenomenon, inherent to the human condition. This book critically investigates the uniquely human experience of and response to illness and treatment, which affects the body, the mind, and the very core of human existence and identity. Uncertainties regarding the outcomes of laboratory and other investigations that aid in the diagnosis and assessment of disease exacerbate the apprehension inherent to the diagnosis of incurable disease. An excessively scientific approach may disregard the suffering patient. The book begins by analysing the nature, meaning and significance of hope in the context of disease, and goes on to reflect on the language of medicine and the role of emotion, ideology and politics in disease treatment and research. The epilogue reflects on healing as distinct from physical cures. Without hope, there is no future; without healing, no holistic recovery. The final chapters are devoted to the end-of-life period of this journey. This book is a revision, extension, and reconceptualization of the original Afrikaans publication Hoop, Heling en Harmonie: Dink Nuut Oor Siekte en Genesing, winner of the 2021 Andrew Murray Prize for Theological Publications.
Download or read book Creation written by Adam Rutherford and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2013-06-13 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is life? Humans have been asking this question for thousands of years. But as technology has advanced and our understanding of biology has deepened, the answer has evolved. For decades, scientists have been exploring the limits of nature by modifying and manipulating DNA, cells and whole organisms to create new ones that could never have existed on their own. In Creation, science writer Adam Rutherford explains how we are now radically exceeding the boundaries of evolution and engineering entirely novel creatures—from goats that produce spider silk in their milk to bacteria that excrete diesel to genetic circuits that identify and destroy cancer cells. As strange as some of these creations may sound, this new, synthetic biology is helping scientists develop radical solutions to some of the world’s most pressing crises—from food shortages to pandemic disease to climate change—and is paving the way for inventions once relegated to science fiction. Meanwhile, these advances are shedding new light on the biggest mystery of all—how did life begin? We know that every creature on Earth came from a single cell, sparked into existence four billion years ago. And as we come closer and closer to understanding the ancient root that connects all living things, we may finally be able to achieve a second genesis—the creation of new life where none existed before. Creation takes us on a journey four billion years in the making—from the very first cell to the ground-breaking biological inventions that will shape the future of our planet.
Download or read book The Story of Germ Life written by H. W. Conn and published by Good Press. This book was released on 2021-05-19 with total page 138 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Story of Germ Life" by H. W. Conn is a bacteriology book that begins with a discussion of the nature of bacteria. The book shows their position on the scale of plant and animal life. The middle chapters describe the functions of bacteria in the arts, dairy, and agriculture. The final chapters discuss the relation of bacteria to disease and the methods by which the new and growing science of preventive medicine combats and counteracts their dangerous powers.
Download or read book Cell written by Robin Cook and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2014-02-04 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A doctor's life gets turned upside by a dangerous new technology in this thought-provoking medical thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Robin Cook. George Wilson, M.D., a radiology resident in Los Angeles, is about to enter a profession on the brink of an enormous paradigm shift, foreshadowing a vastly different role for doctors everywhere. The smartphone is poised to take on a new role in medicine, no longer as a mere medical app but rather as a fully customizable personal physician capable of diagnosing and treating even better than the real thing. It is called iDoc. George’s initial collision with this incredible innovation is devastating. He awakens one morning to find his fiancée dead in bed alongside him, not long after she participated in an iDoc beta test. Then several of his patients die after undergoing imaging procedures. All of them had been part of the same beta test. Is it possible that iDoc is being subverted by hackers—and that the U.S. government is involved in a cover-up? Despite threats to both his career and his freedom, George relentlessly seeks the truth, knowing that if he’s right, the consequences could be lethal.
Download or read book The Emperor of All Maladies written by Siddhartha Mukherjee and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2011-08-09 with total page 624 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and a documentary from Ken Burns on PBS, this New York Times bestseller is “an extraordinary achievement” (The New Yorker)—a magnificent, profoundly humane “biography” of cancer—from its first documented appearances thousands of years ago through the epic battles in the twentieth century to cure, control, and conquer it to a radical new understanding of its essence. Physician, researcher, and award-winning science writer, Siddhartha Mukherjee examines cancer with a cellular biologist’s precision, a historian’s perspective, and a biographer’s passion. The result is an astonishingly lucid and eloquent chronicle of a disease humans have lived with—and perished from—for more than five thousand years. The story of cancer is a story of human ingenuity, resilience, and perseverance, but also of hubris, paternalism, and misperception. Mukherjee recounts centuries of discoveries, setbacks, victories, and deaths, told through the eyes of his predecessors and peers, training their wits against an infinitely resourceful adversary that, just three decades ago, was thought to be easily vanquished in an all-out “war against cancer.” The book reads like a literary thriller with cancer as the protagonist. Riveting, urgent, and surprising, The Emperor of All Maladies provides a fascinating glimpse into the future of cancer treatments. It is an illuminating book that provides hope and clarity to those seeking to demystify cancer.
Download or read book Regeneration from cells to limbs Past present and future written by Jennifer R Morgan and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2023-07-03 with total page 389 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Cells Are the New Cure written by Robin L. Smith and published by BenBella Books. This book was released on 2023-12-19 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The future of medicine is happening now. Revolutionary new science is providing cures that were considered science fiction just a few years ago—and not with pills, surgery, or radiation, but with human cells. Promising treatments now in extensive clinical trials could have dramatic impacts on cancer, autoimmune diseases, organ replacement, heart disease, and even aging itself. The key to these breakthroughs is the use of living cells as medicine instead of traditional drugs. Discover the advances that are alleviating the effects of strokes, Alzheimer's disease, and even allergies. Cells Are the New Cure takes you into the world of regenerative medicine, which enables doctors to repair injured and aging tissues and even create artificial body parts and organs in the lab. Cellular medicine experts Robin L. Smith, MD, and Max Gomez, PhD, outline the new technologies that make it possible to harness the immune system to fight cancer and reverse autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis. CRISPR, a new technology for targeted gene editing, promises to eradicate genetic diseases, allowing us to live longer lives—possibly even beyond age 100 in good health. Cells Are the New Cure takes you on a tour of the most exciting and cutting-edge developments in medicine. The content inside these pages could save your life or the life of someone you love.
Download or read book Voices of Historical and Contemporary Black American Pioneers written by Vernon L. Farmer and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2012-05-15 with total page 924 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The stories of black American professionals, both historic and contemporary, reveal the hardships and triumphs they faced in overcoming racism to succeed in their chosen fields. This extraordinary four-volume work is the first of its kind, a comprehensive exploration of the obstacles black men and women, both historic and contemporary, have faced and overcome to succeed in professional positions. Voices of Historical and Contemporary Black American Pioneers includes the life and career histories of black American pioneers, past and present, who have achieved extraordinary success in fields as varied as aviation and astronautics, education, social sciences, the humanities, the fine and performing arts, law and government, and medicine and science. The set covers well-known figures, but is also an invaluable source of information on lesser-known individuals whose accomplishments are no less admirable. Arranged by career category, each section of the work begins with a biographical narrative of early black pioneers in the field, followed by original interviews conducted by the editors or autobiographical narratives written by the subjects. In all, more than 150 scholars and professionals share inspiring insights into how they persevered to overcome racism and succeed in an often-hostile world.
Download or read book The First Cell written by Azra Raza and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2019-10-15 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With the fascinating scholarship of The Emperor of All Maladies and the deeply personal experience of When Breath Becomes Air, a world-class oncologist examines the current state of cancer and its devastating impact on the individuals it affects -- including herself. In The First Cell, Azra Raza offers a searing account of how both medicine and our society (mis)treats cancer, how we can do better, and why we must. A lyrical journey from hope to despair and back again, The First Cell explores cancer from every angle: medical, scientific, cultural, and personal. Indeed, Raza describes how she bore the terrible burden of being her own husband's oncologist as he succumbed to leukemia. Like When Breath Becomes Air, The First Cell is no ordinary book of medicine, but a book of wisdom and grace by an author who has devoted her life to making the unbearable easier to bear.
