Molecular and Cell Biology For Dummies

389 Pages·2009·7.76 MB·English

Molecular & Cell
Biology
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
by René Fester Kratz, PhD
Molecular & Cell Biology For Dummies®
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2009926359
ISBN: 978-0-470-43066-8
Manufactured in the United States of America
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About the Author
René Fester Kratz, PhD, grew up near the ocean in Rhode Island. From a
young age, she wanted to be a teacher (because she loved her teachers
at school) and a biologist (because her dad was one). She graduated from
Warwick Veterans Memorial High School and then went on to major in biol-
ogy at Boston University. As a freshman and sophomore at BU, René got
excited by subjects other than biology and even considered changing her
major. Then, she met and studied under Lynn Margulis, who reignited René’s
love of biology and introduced her to the world of microbes. René graduated
with a bachelor’s degree in Biology from BU and then went on to get a mas-
ter’s and a doctorate degree in botany from the University of Washington. At
UW, René studied reproductive onset in Acetabularia acetabulum, a marine
green alga that grows as single cells big enough to pick up with your fi ngers.
René currently teaches biology and general science classes at Everett
Community College in Everett, Washington. René spends most of her time
introducing students to the wonders of cells and microbes as she teaches
cellular biology and microbiology. René also has a strong interest in sci-
ence education and science literacy for everyone. As a member of the North
Cascades and Olympic Science Partnership, she helped create inquiry-
based science courses for future teachers that are based on research on
human learning. René loves teaching these courses because they make
science accessible for all kinds of people. In the summer, René enjoys work-
ing with K–12 teachers on the improvement of science education in the
public schools. René also enjoys writing about science and is the author of
Microbiology The Easy Way for Barron’s Educational Press.
René loves living in the Pacifi c Northwest because she is near the ocean and
her daffodils start blooming in February (when her family back East is still
shoveling snow). She doesn’t mind the rain and thinks the San Juan Islands
are one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Her husband, two sons, and
two very bad dogs help her remember what is truly important and her
“sisters” help keep her sane. René loves to scrapbook, quilt, stitch, and read.

Dedication
To my husband, Dan, and my sons, Hueston and Dashiel. You are the center
of my world.
To my mom, Annette. It may be corny, but you are the “wind beneath my wings.”
To my dad, James. I wanted to be a biologist because of you.
To Lynn: Thank you for inspiring a lifelong love of learning and microbes.
Author’s Acknowledgments
Thanks to Matt Wagner of Fresh Books, Inc., for helping me fi nd the oppor-
tunity to write this book. And thanks to all the great people at Wiley who
made it happen: my editor, Kelly Ewing, who was always helpful and upbeat;
the acquisitions editor, Stacy Kennedy, who helped get me started on the
project; Alicia South, who coordinated the art; and Barry Ludvik, my techni-
cal reviewer. Thanks also to Patrick Redmond, the project coordinator, and
those who worked on the art: Kitty Auble, Kathryn Born, Ana Carillo, Rhonda
David-Burroughs, Brooke Graczyk, Gary Hunt, Ashley Layfi eld, Shelley Lea,
Beth Morgan, Andew Recher, Heidi Richter, Simon Shak, Melissa K. Smith,
Alicia South, Ron Terry, Janet Wahlfeldt, and Tobin Wilkerson.
On the home front, thanks to my husband, Dan, for all his love and support.
To Hueston and Dashiel for once again being patient when Mommy was glued
to her computer. To my sister, Alyson, and my friend, Julie, for reading chap-
ters and sharing their nonscientist perspectives. To Staci, for helping me
walk off some stress. And a big thanks always to my mother, Annette, for just
being so supportive of everything I do.
Thanks to all my students at Everett Community College for your enthusiasm
and hard work. You have all inspired me to keep doing what I do. Thanks also
to my dean, Al Friedman, for letting me teach a reduced load for one quarter
so that I’d have more time to write.
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Cover Photos: © Colin Anderson/Brand X/
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Contents at a Glance
Introduction .................................................................... 1
Part I: The World of the Cell ............................................. 7
Chapter 1: Exploring the World of the Cell ...........................................................................9
Chapter 2: Take a Tour Inside the Cell ................................................................................15
Chapter 3: Dead or Alive: Viruses ........................................................................................37
Part II: Molecules: The Stuff of Life ................................ 51
Chapter 4: Better Living through Chemistry ......................................................................53
Chapter 5: Carbohydrates: How Sweet They Are ..............................................................77
Chapter 6: Proteins: Workers in the Cellular Factory .......................................................85
Chapter 7: DNA and RNA: Instructions for Life ................................................................101
Chapter 8: Lipids: Waterproof and Energy Rich ..............................................................111
Part III: The Working Cell ............................................ 119
Chapter 9: Hello, Neighbor: How Cells Communicate .....................................................121
Chapter 10: Metabolism: Transferring Energy and Matter .............................................135
Chapter 11: Cellular Respiration: Every Breath You Take ..............................................155
Chapter 12: Photosynthesis: Makin’ Food in the Kitchen of Life ...................................185
Chapter 13: Splitsville: The Cell Cycle and Cell Division ................................................201
Part IV: Genetics: From One Generation to the Next ....... 209
Chapter 14: Meiosis: Getting Ready for Baby ...................................................................211
Chapter 15: Mendelian Genetics: Talkin’ ’Bout the Generations ...................................223
Chapter 16: Expect the Unexpected: Non-Mendelian Patterns of Inheritance ............241
Part V: Molecular Genetics: Reading the Book of Life..... 255
Chapter 17: DNA Synthesis: Doubling Your Genetic Stuff ..............................................257
Chapter 18: Transcription and Translation: What’s in a Gene? .....................................267
Chapter 19: Control of Gene Expression: It’s How You Play Your Cards That Counts ....285
Part VI: Tools of Molecular Biology: Harnessing
the Power of DNA ........................................................ 303
Chapter 20: Recombinant DNA Technology: Power Tools at the Cellular Level .........305
Chapter 21: Genomics: The Big Picture ............................................................................325
Part VII: The Part of Tens ............................................. 337
Chapter 22: Ten Important Rules for Cells to Live By .....................................................339
Chapter 23: Ten Ways to Improve Your Grade ................................................................349
Index .......................................................................... 355
Table of Contents
Introduction ................................................................. 1
About This Book ..............................................................................................1
Conventions Used in This Book .....................................................................2
What You’re Not to Read ................................................................................2
Foolish Assumptions .......................................................................................3
How This Book Is Organized ..........................................................................3
Part I: The World of the Cell .................................................................4
Part II: Molecules: The Stuff of Life ......................................................4
Part III: The Working Cell ......................................................................4
Part IV: Genetics: From One Generation to the Next .........................4
Part V: Molecular Genetics: Reading the Book of Life .......................4
Part VI: Tools of Molecular Biology: Harnessing the Power
of DNA ..................................................................................................5
Part VII: The Part of Tens ......................................................................5
Icons Used in This Book .................................................................................5
Where to Go from Here ...................................................................................6
Part I: The World of the Cell .......................................... 7
Chapter 1: Exploring the World of the Cell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Cells and Viruses: Discovering the Inhabitants of the
Microscopic World ......................................................................................9
You: On the cellular level ....................................................................10
Them: Bacteria and viruses ................................................................11
The Life of a Cell: How Cells Get What They Need to Survive
and Reproduce ...........................................................................................12
Sexual Reproduction: Shuffl ing the Genetic Deck for the
Next Generation .........................................................................................12
DNA to Protein: Following the Instructions in the Genetic Code ............13
DNA Technology: Tackling the World’s Problems ....................................13
Chapter 2: Take a Tour Inside the Cell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Admiring the Unity and Diversity of Cells ..................................................15
Finding Common Ground: Structures in All Cells ......................................16
Customs: Plasma membrane ..............................................................17
A happenin’ place: The cytoplasm ....................................................18
The library: DNA-containing region ...................................................19
Workbenches: Ribosomes ..................................................................19
Your Body, Your Cells: Eukaryotic Cells ....................................................20
Home offi ce: The nucleus....................................................................22
Post offi ce: The endomembrane system ...........................................24