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172nd out of 594 books
—
1,307 voters
Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the Meaning of Life
by
Nick Lane
If it weren't for mitochondria, scientists argue, we'd all still be single-celled bacteria. Indeed, these tiny structures inside our cells are important beyond imagining. Without mitochondria, we would have no cell suicide, no sculpting of embryonic shape, no sexes, no menopause, no aging.
In this fascinating and thought-provoking book, Nick Lane brings together the latest...more
In this fascinating and thought-provoking book, Nick Lane brings together the latest...more
Paperback, 354 pages
Published
December 1st 2006
by Oxford University Press, USA
(first published 2005)
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In high school I learned that mitochondria were the powerhouses of the cell. They were once a seperate entity that somehow came to live inside another. They still have their own DNA and genes, divide on their own, and manage their own interests.While all of this is technically correct, the truth is much more subtle and amazing.
They are our powerhouses. They are also the defining reason we have two sexes and not one/zero (or 28,000), and they exterminate damaged and unruly cells (hence the title)...more
They are our powerhouses. They are also the defining reason we have two sexes and not one/zero (or 28,000), and they exterminate damaged and unruly cells (hence the title)...more
[11/17/2012; edited 12/11/12]
This was a fascinating book. As a severe non-scientist, I sometimes had a little trouble wading through the detailed explanation of how cells work. I sometimes got frustrated with the level of detail, wanting to get the bigger picture. And sometimes he explained the same thing in several different ways, with different metaphors, and different approaches. But it was worth it.
I don't know the author's background, but I felt he was like a particularly committed teacher,...more
This was a fascinating book. As a severe non-scientist, I sometimes had a little trouble wading through the detailed explanation of how cells work. I sometimes got frustrated with the level of detail, wanting to get the bigger picture. And sometimes he explained the same thing in several different ways, with different metaphors, and different approaches. But it was worth it.
I don't know the author's background, but I felt he was like a particularly committed teacher,...more
Power, Sex, Suicide
Nick Lane
What Came First, the Chicken or the Egg?
I've been interested in biology and evolution since I was a kid so this book really fit the bill. The mystery of the mitochondria and complex life was one of the main themes of my high school biology class. British biochemist Nick Lane introduces the reader to theories on the origin of the eukaryotic cell, how sex split into two genders and why cells age and die. Lane's writing is clear and interesting as he addresses these comp...more
Nick Lane
What Came First, the Chicken or the Egg?
I've been interested in biology and evolution since I was a kid so this book really fit the bill. The mystery of the mitochondria and complex life was one of the main themes of my high school biology class. British biochemist Nick Lane introduces the reader to theories on the origin of the eukaryotic cell, how sex split into two genders and why cells age and die. Lane's writing is clear and interesting as he addresses these comp...more
This is an absolutely amazing book, one of the most informational things I've read in years. The down-side is that I found it difficult, intellectually, and I have a degree in the subject. I think if I didn't know microbiology, it would be overwhelming. But with that said, the book's focus is on the relationship between eukaryotic cells and their mitochondria. It covers two different scenarios in how archaeobacteria and bacteria may have merged to form eukaryotes (gradual symbiosis as a result o...more
-Despite being Science oriented, I disliked this book.
It taught me a lot, but it is just not what I wanted to learn.
There were verses on love, and why we make love, and why the mitochondria in every one allow people to cheat and ruin the truest wisdom of this world, but this book is ugly, and I didn't like it at all.
I couldn't finish it because that's that.
Yours truly and ever blossoming,
Taymara.
It taught me a lot, but it is just not what I wanted to learn.
There were verses on love, and why we make love, and why the mitochondria in every one allow people to cheat and ruin the truest wisdom of this world, but this book is ugly, and I didn't like it at all.
I couldn't finish it because that's that.
Yours truly and ever blossoming,
Taymara.
I bought this book as, after attending a lecture by Dr Nick Lane, I found myself strangely interested in Mitochondria and how they're way more important than they're supposed to be.
The book goes into a lot of depth and can be overwhelming and frustrating at times, if you don't quite understand it. But what makes up for it is the number of times the key ideas are gone over, and how everything is nicely summarised at key stages, before and after an important idea is introduced. This keeps you on...more
The book goes into a lot of depth and can be overwhelming and frustrating at times, if you don't quite understand it. But what makes up for it is the number of times the key ideas are gone over, and how everything is nicely summarised at key stages, before and after an important idea is introduced. This keeps you on...more
A book about endosymbiotic theory.
It was long suspected that eukaryotic cells were the result of a bacterial merger. However, the theory wasn't widely known until Lynn Marguilis's 1967 paper. The evidence that mitochondria come from bacterial ancestry includes:
-mitochondria posses their own genome
-antibiotics can affect translation in bacteria as well as mitochondria
-new mitochondria are formed via a process similar to binary fission.
-mitochondria have several enzymes and transport systems simi...more
It was long suspected that eukaryotic cells were the result of a bacterial merger. However, the theory wasn't widely known until Lynn Marguilis's 1967 paper. The evidence that mitochondria come from bacterial ancestry includes:
-mitochondria posses their own genome
-antibiotics can affect translation in bacteria as well as mitochondria
-new mitochondria are formed via a process similar to binary fission.
-mitochondria have several enzymes and transport systems simi...more
An extremely informative book about the role of mitochondria in evolution. The author explains complex concepts in terms that make them very understandable. I came away learning a vast amount about the function of mitochondria and in the process quite a few of the scientific factoids that float around the diet research world about antioxidants, exercise, and uncoupling started to make sense.
This isn't a one idea book, like so many science bestsellers. You'll have to read it slowly and carefully...more
This isn't a one idea book, like so many science bestsellers. You'll have to read it slowly and carefully...more
Mar 21, 2012
Steve Van Slyke
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Dedicated science readers
Recommended to Steve by:
Science & Inquiry Group
I am a non-scientist and I made it through it, but at times it was definitely a challenge (I should have applied myself much harder in Chemistry class). Furthermore, biology is not my first love within the field of science. Nevertheless, I found it to be a very worthwile and informative read. I like his style of writing. He poses a question and then answers it. The book is also well organized, rolling forward in a very logical sequence. One area of biology that I am particularly interested in is...more
I had no idea that mitochondria would be such an interesting subject! Or that the information I picked up from reading this book would be so useful. Seriously.
Nick Lane presents the history of scientists' understanding of the role of mitochondria over the past 50 or so years. You might be as surprised as I was to learn that we really knew very little until very recently.
If someone at a cocktail party asks you about apoptosis (programmed cell death) or why birds don't age but rats (and humans) do...more
Nick Lane presents the history of scientists' understanding of the role of mitochondria over the past 50 or so years. You might be as surprised as I was to learn that we really knew very little until very recently.
If someone at a cocktail party asks you about apoptosis (programmed cell death) or why birds don't age but rats (and humans) do...more
The reviews of Jafar and Tasha on this book are excellent, so I recommend reading them for very clear summaries about what the subject is. The book is written for a general reader who has some science education, but one must have a 12th grade reading level, not the usual 8th grade level most books aim for these days. The book literally fills in the blanks that are left out of science magazine articles on the cell. Along the way, as the processes of the cell are described, some bigger philosophic...more
This was an intriguing, excellent read. Even though I have never taken a college level biology class, the author effectively conveyed the theory (hypothesis?) of how multi-celled organisms evolved. The book, however, is much deeper, nuanced and informative than simply telling the reader how life evolved. Lane explains why it is that we age at a much faster rate than, for instance, birds. In fact our mitochondria are responsible for our aging and death. I plan on re-reading this when I get some f...more
This was heavy going, especially since I have always learnt bits mad pieces of biology in what I've read ratherntahnthrough formal education (even at school, I think). But it was well worth the effort. The most interesting part for me was the theories on how mitochondria came to be part of the cells they now inhabit, a story that starts with the inorganic origin of life and culminating in perhaps the only development of advanced, intelligent life in the universe (perhaps). From this the book the...more
I've always liked mitochondria ever since reading A Wind In The Door.
Power Sex Suicide is an incredibly dense but fascinating book that makes the fantasies of that fiction book seem tame. Nick Lane contends that mitochondria are responsible for all life more advanced that bacteria, for sex, for cell death, for aging and death. It is also the first time I've had to think about redox reactions since high school chemistry (fortunately, it wasn't as hard as it was back then). The scope of his claims...more
Power Sex Suicide is an incredibly dense but fascinating book that makes the fantasies of that fiction book seem tame. Nick Lane contends that mitochondria are responsible for all life more advanced that bacteria, for sex, for cell death, for aging and death. It is also the first time I've had to think about redox reactions since high school chemistry (fortunately, it wasn't as hard as it was back then). The scope of his claims...more
(4.0) Interesting exploration of the origin of life, especially eukaryotes
At times Lane seems to get a little too mitochondria-specific (e.g. claiming that many early miscarriages are due to incompatibility between nuclear and mitochondrial genes, arguing that sperm cells have few mitochondria because the mitochondria will be killed upon fertilization and not able to reproduce--but ALL male mitochondria will die...in fact the ONLY hope for a male's mitochondria to be passed on is through fertili...more
At times Lane seems to get a little too mitochondria-specific (e.g. claiming that many early miscarriages are due to incompatibility between nuclear and mitochondrial genes, arguing that sperm cells have few mitochondria because the mitochondria will be killed upon fertilization and not able to reproduce--but ALL male mitochondria will die...in fact the ONLY hope for a male's mitochondria to be passed on is through fertili...more
Flipping brilliant! Finally someone writes something decent and meaningful about Mitochondria. It's like five hundred unanswered small questions about how things work (or may have worked) on a basic level just clicked into place. Being that I also have a massive obsession with evolution and have always found this smaller scale to be a bit sticky this book really ticks all the boxes! Nick Lane really gets his audience. I read a lot of popular science, and I know a number of people who do likewise...more
This book was fascinating! It was just one interesting concept after another. Some science writers write to entertain, and some write to inform. Nick Lane is definitely writing to inform, and you don't see his "personality" in much of his writing, but it was so interesting that I didn't feel like any extra spunk was needed. Lane writes in a very comprehensive way. He also frequently summarizes and restates, which might drive some people crazy, but I liked that he continually reminded me of the m...more
Jun 21, 2012
Riku Sayuj
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Rohini Nair, Soumya Sayujya
Recommended to Riku by:
Jim
The subtitle of the book says “Mitochondria and the Meaning of Life” and the author tries very hard to match up to that high claim. The book promises to show us why mitochondria are the clandestine rulers of our world - the masters of power, sex, and suicide. In the end It does not quiet explain the meaning of life in the traditional terms but does put forward a very strong argument that life as we know it today owes a lot to those little symbiotes that inhabit every single cell in us. Yes, mito...more
This is a fabulous book, which I recommend to everybody with a strong interest in biology. Nick Lane is a working scientist, a biochemist, with a very impressive list of publications. His articles and books, written for the non-specialist, have won many awards.
The book focuses on the science, and is written almost like a detective story. Nick Lane continually asks "why" things happen the way they do. Sometimes he speculates on the answers, but he always clearly describes the logic he uses to ded...more
The book focuses on the science, and is written almost like a detective story. Nick Lane continually asks "why" things happen the way they do. Sometimes he speculates on the answers, but he always clearly describes the logic he uses to ded...more
This isn’t really an easy read unless you already have a good background in molecular biology. Nonetheless, it’s a very fascinating subject and the author tries painstakingly to make it easier for the reader to understand the subject. Ok, so here’s my simple summary:
Mitochondria: They used to be bacteria that lived independently. Then they formed a symbiotic relationship with another one-celled organism. The combination eventually evolved into eukaryotes (cells with nucleus). All complex life fo...more
Mitochondria: They used to be bacteria that lived independently. Then they formed a symbiotic relationship with another one-celled organism. The combination eventually evolved into eukaryotes (cells with nucleus). All complex life fo...more
This book was recommended to me by several AP Biology teachers as a good background to help prepare students for the AP Biology test and college. It's NOT a test-prep book. Instead, it delves into the mitochondria and the evolution of the eukaryotic cell. This is a key concept in biology, and this book uses lots of current research to explain evolutionary probabilities. It is a dense read - lots of complex big science words, however not as bad as a textbook. Perhaps not the best-seller for the m...more
This is a justifiably highly acclaimed book. It's scope and inner coherence is remarkable. We are oxygen fuelled, and much of life and death is explained as a battle to handle this corrosive fuel before it finally kills us. If only we could sprout wings like angels we would have the relative longevity of birds. But it's all there in the book. Who would have thought bioenergetics could be so interesting and pivotal to life's history.
For me, the workings of mitochondria (once a free living bacteria now living inside nucleated cells) is so fascinating. N. Lane’s books and articles have been a source of much enjoyment ever since I read this book. More than just an amazing story of symbiosis, these little powerhouses which carry their own DNA are so complex and interesting. I was lucky enough to have an ongoing correspondence with the author and learned so much. However if biology (especially molecular biology) is not your thin...more
I thought this book was approachable despite my complete ignorance on the subject. I found the analogies and diagrams helpful in visualizing the many processes of mitochondria and Mr. Lane presents information that kept me busy thinking for many nights. There were a few concepts that had gotten away from me however the bulk of information was crystal clear with plenty of history and process explained.
Amazing book, stuffed with information. I love a science book that tells me things I never even dreamed of, and this fit the bill. Everything - and I mean EVERYTHING - that you ever wanted to know about not just mitochondria, but the basics of the arrangement of the Tree of Life. Excellent read. Really fascinating.
You really need a general foundation of biology to be able to understand this book. I loved this book. I liked how he gave the evolution of the cell and how he told the stories of reseachers. This book has sparked my interest in the connection between cellular respiration and the theory of aging.
As seen in the
New York Times
.
Thanks to Stan Lemberg for calling this article to my attention.
Thanks to Stan Lemberg for calling this article to my attention.
May 18, 2013
Yasiru
marked it as to-read
Hopefully doesn't overlap too much with the excellent Sex and the Origins of Death.
A thoughtful and readable glimpse into the complex cellular powerhouse that runs all living organisms.
must have a background in biology or medicine to appreciate this excellent expose.
must have a background in biology or medicine to appreciate this excellent expose.
Fascinating book describing how complex life is probably impossible without mitochondria, and how mitochondria influenced the development of sexual reproduction, aging, multicellular life.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Science and Natur...: October 2012 - Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the Meaning of Life | 1 | 13 | Oct 06, 2012 01:55am | |
| Science and Inquiry: * March 2012: Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria | 51 | 102 | Mar 28, 2012 01:23pm |
Mar 14, 2012 08:57pm
Mar 14, 2012 10:28pm
Looking forward to furt...more
Mar 15, 2012 04:25am