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Molecular Biology of the Cell
Molecular Biology of the Cell is the classic in-dept text reference in cell biology. By extracting the fundamental concepts from this enormous and ever-growing field, the authors tell the story of cell biology, and create a coherent framework through which non-expert readers may approach the subject. Written in clear and concise language, and beautifully illustrated, the book is enjoyable to read, and it provides a clear sense of the excitement of modern biology. Molecular Biology of the Cell sets forth the current understanding of cell biology (completely updated as of Autumn 2001), and it explores the intriguing implications and possibilities of the great deal that remains unknown. The hallmark features of previous editions continue in the Fourth Edition. The book is designed with a clean and open, single-column layout. The art program maintains a completely consistent format and style, and includes over 1,600 photographs, electron micrographs, and original drawings by the authors. Clear and concise concept headings introduce each section. Every chapter contains extensive references. Most important, every chapter has been subjected to a rigorous, collaborative revision process where, in addition to incorporating comments from expert reviewers, each co-author reads and reviews the other authors' prose. The result is a truly integrated work with a single authorial voice. Features : - Places the latest hot topics sensibly in context - including genomics, protein structure, array technology, stem cells and genetics diseases. - Incorporates and emphasises new genomic data. - All of molecular biology is brought together into one section (chapters 4-7) covering classically defined molecular biology and molecular genetics. - Two chapters deal exclusively with methods and contain information on the latest tools and techniques. - New chapters on "Pathogens, Infection, and Innate Immunity". - Cell Biology Interactive CD-ROM is packaged with every copy of the book. - Contains over 1,600 illustrations, electron micrographs and photographs, of which over 1,000 are originally conceived by the authors.
1616 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1983
About the author
Bruce Alberts
46 books35 followersBruce Michael Alberts (born April 14, 1938, in Chicago, Illinois) is an American biochemist and the Chancellor’s Leadership Chair in Biochemistry and Biophysics for Science and Education, emeritus at the University of California, San Francisco. He has done important work studying the protein complexes which enable chromosome replication when living cells divide. He is known as an original author of the "canonical, influential, and best-selling scientific textbook" Molecular Biology of the Cell, and as Editor-in-Chief of Science magazine.
Alberts was the president of the National Academy of Sciences from 1993 to 2005. He is known for his work in forming science public policy, and has served as United States Science Envoy to Pakistan and Indonesia. He has stated that "Science education should be about learning to think and solve problems like a scientist—insisting, for all citizens, that statements be evaluated using evidence and logic the way scientists evaluate statements." He is an Honorary Fellow of St Edmund's College, Cambridge.
Alberts was the president of the National Academy of Sciences from 1993 to 2005. He is known for his work in forming science public policy, and has served as United States Science Envoy to Pakistan and Indonesia. He has stated that "Science education should be about learning to think and solve problems like a scientist—insisting, for all citizens, that statements be evaluated using evidence and logic the way scientists evaluate statements." He is an Honorary Fellow of St Edmund's College, Cambridge.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews
March 4, 2016
Why read the bible if you could read this instead?
August 8, 2020
Great figures. My biggest problem with this text is that it is really heavy. I actually dropped it and broke two toes.
I should mention, the 3 stars is not due to the heaviness...the figures are great but I found the order of chapters a little awkward and the descriptions varied greatly. Some were easy for students to understand and some sent my students running to other books or to my office for help.
I should mention, the 3 stars is not due to the heaviness...the figures are great but I found the order of chapters a little awkward and the descriptions varied greatly. Some were easy for students to understand and some sent my students running to other books or to my office for help.
January 27, 2013
In my opinion, the most worthwhile book anyone can own. The culmination of thousands of lifetimes of work. Comprehensible and complete.
November 24, 2016
রিয়েল লাইফ হরর বুক!!!
কঠিন, দূর্বোধ্য, বিশাল বিশাল সেন্টেস যেটার শুরু কই আর শেষ কই বুঝা যায় না!!! বইটা পড়ে একবারে কিছু বুঝা যাবে এই আশা করা বোকামি, একটা বইকে যত ভাবে বোধের অগম্য করা যায় করেছে। -_-
কঠিন কঠিন শব্দ (মিনিমাম ৩ হাজার জি আর ই শব্দ আছে) । টপিক সব কাছাকাছি এক্সামে চায় এক জিনিস লিখে আসি আর আরেকটা, শুধুমাত্র টপিকে ঘোল খেয়ে ।সর্বোপরি আমার মত নিরীহ বিদ্যার্থীর পয়েন্ট কমানো ছাড়া কাজে লাগে না!!!
ইহা এমনি এক বই যেখান থেকে টিচাররাও প্রশ্ন প্যাচানোর চিন্তা করেন না!!!তাতেও উনিশ বিশ কিছু হয় না!!
আশা করি এই ইয়ারের প��� এই বই আর পড়তে হবে না
সেল সিগনালিং নামে অতিবাজে এক টপিক এইখান থেকে এই বার পড়তে হচ্ছে। পরীক্ষার আগের রাতে যে অনুভুতিটা কাজ করে তা হলে ইস যদি ব্যাটা গুলার মাথার চুল ছিড়ে দিয়ে আসতে পারতাম!!
আফসোস হইল এই বইকে ১/২ রেটিং দেবার মত দুঃসাহস নাই মাথায় যথেষ্ট পরিমান ঘিলু থাকলেই এই বই লিখা সম্ভব। যা অবস্থা সারাজীবন জেনেটিক ইঞ্জিনিয়ারিং এ পড়ে থাকলেও এই বইয়ের ১ পৃষ্ঠা লেখার ক্ষমতা নাই! তাই ৪রেটিং দিয়ে দিলাম। খুব সম্ভবত বায়োলজিক্যাল সাবজেক্টে (বিশেষত সেল কমিউনিকেশন, ডেভল্পমেন্টাল বায়োলজি, রিজেনারেশন বায়োলজি) এই বইটার কোন বিকল্প নাই তাই এর বদলে যে সোজা সাপ্টা কিছু পড়ব তার ও কোন উপায় নাই।
কঠিন, দূর্বোধ্য, বিশাল বিশাল সেন্টেস যেটার শুরু কই আর শেষ কই বুঝা যায় না!!! বইটা পড়ে একবারে কিছু বুঝা যাবে এই আশা করা বোকামি, একটা বইকে যত ভাবে বোধের অগম্য করা যায় করেছে। -_-
কঠিন কঠিন শব্দ (মিনিমাম ৩ হাজার জি আর ই শব্দ আছে) । টপিক সব কাছাকাছি এক্সামে চায় এক জিনিস লিখে আসি আর আরেকটা, শুধুমাত্র টপিকে ঘোল খেয়ে ।সর্বোপরি আমার মত নিরীহ বিদ্যার্থীর পয়েন্ট কমানো ছাড়া কাজে লাগে না!!!
ইহা এমনি এক বই যেখান থেকে টিচাররাও প্রশ্ন প্যাচানোর চিন্তা করেন না!!!তাতেও উনিশ বিশ কিছু হয় না!!
আশা করি এই ইয়ারের প��� এই বই আর পড়তে হবে না
সেল সিগনালিং নামে অতিবাজে এক টপিক এইখান থেকে এই বার পড়তে হচ্ছে। পরীক্ষার আগের রাতে যে অনুভুতিটা কাজ করে তা হলে ইস যদি ব্যাটা গুলার মাথার চুল ছিড়ে দিয়ে আসতে পারতাম!!
আফসোস হইল এই বইকে ১/২ রেটিং দেবার মত দুঃসাহস নাই মাথায় যথেষ্ট পরিমান ঘিলু থাকলেই এই বই লিখা সম্ভব। যা অবস্থা সারাজীবন জেনেটিক ইঞ্জিনিয়ারিং এ পড়ে থাকলেও এই বইয়ের ১ পৃষ্ঠা লেখার ক্ষমতা নাই! তাই ৪রেটিং দিয়ে দিলাম। খুব সম্ভবত বায়োলজিক্যাল সাবজেক্টে (বিশেষত সেল কমিউনিকেশন, ডেভল্পমেন্টাল বায়োলজি, রিজেনারেশন বায়োলজি) এই বইটার কোন বিকল্প নাই তাই এর বদলে যে সোজা সাপ্টা কিছু পড়ব তার ও কোন উপায় নাই।
July 27, 2010
This is both a fantastic introduction to cell biology and a wonderful resource - it's really a foundation text. The writing is lucid and the illustrations are wonderful. Also, there's enough introduction to higher level science to make it possible to read journals and not be utterly gobsmacked.
July 31, 2012
The most awesome science textbook I have ever read. I *loved* The Cell, and I loved my physics, and college biology books. This book actually changed me. It was worth studying to look at the world completely differently forever after.
August 7, 2016
Biology is the love of my life, so I loved the content even though I had to study for an exam from this book, which makes the reading experience a little more tedious. That takes me to my next point, as a student I found that I didn't really like the organization and the general structure of the chapters. That issue led to repetitive paragraphs and confusing sections which is not the best thing to happen when you're studying for a test because the key to properly understanding biology is the link there is between one function and the other and how all that is explained by things we can see at molecular level and I don't think this book gave much importance to those links.
Apart from that, the explenations were clear and I'm pretty sure I would have enjoyed it a lot more in other circumstances.
Apart from that, the explenations were clear and I'm pretty sure I would have enjoyed it a lot more in other circumstances.
February 19, 2014
By tagging this book as 'read' I am not implying that I read the whole mass of 1616 pages... :)I used it for chapters that were loosely explained in our lecture notes to enhance my understanding of the subject. The Cell is a great reference book with a surprisingly interesting narrative and super helpful pictures, diagrams, sketches etc. As a med student I also liked the fact that the topics were explained very generally at first before the authors delved into details, which spared me loads of time and self-pity. Anyway - a great tribute to cell biology and a must read (or at least check out) for science students!
August 10, 2018
The best textbook I've ever owned and read, still refer to it once in a while if I want to go back to basic concepts even though I'm reading journal review and articles on daily basis now. The illustrations area carefully curated.
May 13, 2007
Such a readable text is a joy and a rarity.
July 1, 2016
La biblia para todo biólogo!!!!!!!!!
May 22, 2020
Comprehensible, complete, great figures. Introduction to molecular biology for biomedical sciences.
August 17, 2008
The biology professor who recommended it to me summarized it as follows: "Whenever there's a cell biology issue where I want a 'Scientific American' level summary of current research, this the book I turn to." It is gorgeous.
The only downside is that this is not a textbook necessarily suitable for an evolutionary molecular biology course. Mutations are covered well, but not as well as (say) the DNA repair mechanism. Still, a very accessible textbook that written well enough to be read cover to cover.
The only downside is that this is not a textbook necessarily suitable for an evolutionary molecular biology course. Mutations are covered well, but not as well as (say) the DNA repair mechanism. Still, a very accessible textbook that written well enough to be read cover to cover.
March 30, 2009
I learned a lot from this book. I give it a 5 because it is a great paper weight. No, really; it's a tremendous resource, and books like this are about all I've read between 2000 and 2008.
June 24, 2023
Without a doubt, molecular biology in the twenty-first century figures as the crown jewel of the natural sciences – for we are beginning not only to understand the material constitution of our world and the operation of its basic physical laws, as exemplified in the large by celestial mechanics – paradigmatic of Newtonian science and in the small by atomic physics and quantum chemistry, but also to lift the veil of its greatest mystery, life itself. The amount that cell biologists have learned ever since the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA in 1953 by James Watson, Francis Crick and Rosalind Franklin is stupendous already, with no end in sight. We have cracked the genetic code and deciphered the functioning of most organelles, among other things. The bewildered student could scarcely do better than to refer to what is, at around 1,500 pages – the index alone occupies fifty pages –, a truly a monumental standby textbook written by a team of authors headed by Bruce Alberts, Molecular Biology of the Cell (W.W. Norton, first published in 1983 and now in its seventh edition).
The first part starts out with a review of cell biology, citing the universal features of every known cell and a description of their functioning in terms of free energy usage. The diversity of genomes is exemplified by the tree of life comprising bacteria, archaea and eucaryotes. Then a review of cellular chemistry and biosynthesis follows. As one could expect, a lot of time is spent on the structure of proteins and DNA. Just to single out a representative handful of topics that Alberts et al. treat exhaustively, there are enzymes and catalysis, metabolism and the citric acid cycle, the organization of the genetic code, its transcription and translation by the ribosome, DNA repair, packing of DNA into a condensed phase that enables it to fit inside the cell, gene regulation, cell reproduction, membranes and transport across them, chemiosmotic transduction in mitochondria, intracellular and extracellular signaling, vesicles and intracellular transport and the immune system.
A mere high-level listing of a sampling of subjects covered such as this cannot do justice to all the admirable features of Alberts’ text. In every case, the exposition of a process involves not just a summary of its purpose and how it functions, but names the individual molecular species that participate in it and outlines the mechanism by which they interact, where known, which is most often the case. Well designed schematic figures, diagrams, tables and photographs illustrate in pictures what is said in the text and considerably facilitate understanding. Confronted with such an overwhelming wealth of material, we can only call out a few characteristic and particularly striking points in the authors’ exposition:
1) How DNA polymerase binds to the double helix and copies the codons to a developing strand of messenger RNA. The actual procedure is far more complicated than this rapid verbal description suggests, since before the polymerase can do its work there need to be special proteins to open up the DNA helix ahead of the replication fork, cooperative protein binding is required to straighten out the DNA chain so that the polymerase can travel along it, and several proofreading mechanisms have to be in play in order to guarantee sufficient fidelity of replication. The binding of DNA polymerase is also regulated by several mechanisms of genetic control, which receive explanations in a fair amount of detail.
2) A step-by-step account of the operation of the ribosome whose fine-grained structure has recently been solved: how messenger RNA binds to the ribosome substrate and how the transfer RNA is brought into juxtaposition with it so that the right amino acid residue corresponding to the codon can be attached to the growing polypeptide chain. Not only can the process be spelled out in atomic-level detail, but there is some understanding of how error correction works to ensure high fidelity.
3) How photosynthesis occurs – collection of the infalling light inside the chloroplast, conversion of the photon’s energy into a resonant state of the chlorophyll and its transfer from the antenna complex to the reaction center, where a weak electron donor is promoted to a strong one.
As to format, every chapter starts out with a high-level introduction, then enters into a review of basic concepts followed by extensive treatments of every major aspect of the topic, illustrated by numerous diagrams and many side panels going into details. Keywords are printed in bold type when they first appear, the longer sections are broken in subsections with helpfully descriptive headings and end with a summary in bold italics. Appended to every chapter is an organized bibliography giving references by topic to the original literature. As to level, there is little if any mathematics and anyone capable of passing organic chemistry in college will find no difficulty in following the explanations. Though not strictly a prerequisite, a knowledge of modern chemistry at the level of Oxtoby’s Principles of Modern Chemistry (just reviewed by us here) would be most helpful to aid a full comprehension.
Amazing and thought-provoking, this text can heartily be recommended to any genuine lover of nature. The main impression one draws from this work will be that of layer upon layer of staggering complexity in the workings of the cell. Saddening to reflect that, probably, in the main it must be studied laboriously by hard-pressed undergraduates seeking to pass their examinations rather than pored over eagerly by contemplators of creation. For one must simply marvel at nature’s inventiveness:
The heavens declare the glory of God,
the vault of heaven proclaims his handiwork,
day discourses of it to day,
night to night hands on the knowledge.
(Psalm 19:1-2)
If perchance the psalmist were alive today, surely he would have to recompose his poem so as to highlight cell biology as well!
The first part starts out with a review of cell biology, citing the universal features of every known cell and a description of their functioning in terms of free energy usage. The diversity of genomes is exemplified by the tree of life comprising bacteria, archaea and eucaryotes. Then a review of cellular chemistry and biosynthesis follows. As one could expect, a lot of time is spent on the structure of proteins and DNA. Just to single out a representative handful of topics that Alberts et al. treat exhaustively, there are enzymes and catalysis, metabolism and the citric acid cycle, the organization of the genetic code, its transcription and translation by the ribosome, DNA repair, packing of DNA into a condensed phase that enables it to fit inside the cell, gene regulation, cell reproduction, membranes and transport across them, chemiosmotic transduction in mitochondria, intracellular and extracellular signaling, vesicles and intracellular transport and the immune system.
A mere high-level listing of a sampling of subjects covered such as this cannot do justice to all the admirable features of Alberts’ text. In every case, the exposition of a process involves not just a summary of its purpose and how it functions, but names the individual molecular species that participate in it and outlines the mechanism by which they interact, where known, which is most often the case. Well designed schematic figures, diagrams, tables and photographs illustrate in pictures what is said in the text and considerably facilitate understanding. Confronted with such an overwhelming wealth of material, we can only call out a few characteristic and particularly striking points in the authors’ exposition:
1) How DNA polymerase binds to the double helix and copies the codons to a developing strand of messenger RNA. The actual procedure is far more complicated than this rapid verbal description suggests, since before the polymerase can do its work there need to be special proteins to open up the DNA helix ahead of the replication fork, cooperative protein binding is required to straighten out the DNA chain so that the polymerase can travel along it, and several proofreading mechanisms have to be in play in order to guarantee sufficient fidelity of replication. The binding of DNA polymerase is also regulated by several mechanisms of genetic control, which receive explanations in a fair amount of detail.
2) A step-by-step account of the operation of the ribosome whose fine-grained structure has recently been solved: how messenger RNA binds to the ribosome substrate and how the transfer RNA is brought into juxtaposition with it so that the right amino acid residue corresponding to the codon can be attached to the growing polypeptide chain. Not only can the process be spelled out in atomic-level detail, but there is some understanding of how error correction works to ensure high fidelity.
3) How photosynthesis occurs – collection of the infalling light inside the chloroplast, conversion of the photon’s energy into a resonant state of the chlorophyll and its transfer from the antenna complex to the reaction center, where a weak electron donor is promoted to a strong one.
As to format, every chapter starts out with a high-level introduction, then enters into a review of basic concepts followed by extensive treatments of every major aspect of the topic, illustrated by numerous diagrams and many side panels going into details. Keywords are printed in bold type when they first appear, the longer sections are broken in subsections with helpfully descriptive headings and end with a summary in bold italics. Appended to every chapter is an organized bibliography giving references by topic to the original literature. As to level, there is little if any mathematics and anyone capable of passing organic chemistry in college will find no difficulty in following the explanations. Though not strictly a prerequisite, a knowledge of modern chemistry at the level of Oxtoby’s Principles of Modern Chemistry (just reviewed by us here) would be most helpful to aid a full comprehension.
Amazing and thought-provoking, this text can heartily be recommended to any genuine lover of nature. The main impression one draws from this work will be that of layer upon layer of staggering complexity in the workings of the cell. Saddening to reflect that, probably, in the main it must be studied laboriously by hard-pressed undergraduates seeking to pass their examinations rather than pored over eagerly by contemplators of creation. For one must simply marvel at nature’s inventiveness:
The heavens declare the glory of God,
the vault of heaven proclaims his handiwork,
day discourses of it to day,
night to night hands on the knowledge.
(Psalm 19:1-2)
If perchance the psalmist were alive today, surely he would have to recompose his poem so as to highlight cell biology as well!
February 17, 2012
Must read book for all undergraduate Cell Molecular Biology students. Very simple representation of fundamental concepts. It also contains good question bank. Good content, Simple Language, Clear and elaborated images, overall The Best.
April 1, 2014
It is a really nice book. Enable you to understand not so basic cell functions.
Want to read
January 12, 2015As recommended by Alan Kay to learn about systems
Read
November 24, 2021Celebrating that Marina Freijo joined GoodReads by remembering this "light" masterpiece
December 29, 2019
A great introduction to cell biology, very comprehensive and lucid. I use it to understand any aspect of cell biology and I would recommend it to anyone keen to acquire general knowledge in this very important science field.
I use it as a resource that I seek out when I am faced with some sort of problem but not as a whole-book-read.
I use it as a resource that I seek out when I am faced with some sort of problem but not as a whole-book-read.
July 1, 2019
It is the fantastic cellular book for scientist.........
December 29, 2019
Много увлекателна и прецизно написана книга. Албертс ме спечели с това, че не се впуска в протяжни и сложни плетеници от думи, без да изпада същевременно в смехотворно популяризаторски стил или да описва някаква концепция по погрешен начин (рисковете на свръхопростяването).
Забелязах, че докато я четях, в главата ми изникваха едни или други въпроси, на които Албертс отговаряше на следващите страници. Той не просто се стреми да ти "налее нещо в главата" (стандартна практика, за съжаление, при българските преподаватели по природни науки), но и да ти обясни как една идея се извежда. В 11 глава (може да варира в изданията) например има накратко описан път на извеждане на уравнението на Нернст, което се прилага в невронауките. В този смисъл книгата може да се чете и от хора с гимназиална подготовка, но ако знаете висша математика, вероятно ще може да осмислите и главите за това как да правите експерименти.
Ще е прекрасно един ден да я преведат и на български, защото наистина си заслужава да се прочете от повече хора...
Забелязах, че докато я четях, в главата ми изникваха едни или други въпроси, на които Албертс отговаряше на следващите страници. Той не просто се стреми да ти "налее нещо в главата" (стандартна практика, за съжаление, при българските преподаватели по природни науки), но и да ти обясни как една идея се извежда. В 11 глава (може да варира в изданията) например има накратко описан път на извеждане на уравнението на Нернст, което се прилага в невронауките. В този смисъл книгата може да се чете и от хора с гимназиална подготовка, но ако знаете висша математика, вероятно ще може да осмислите и главите за това как да правите експерименти.
Ще е прекрасно един ден да я преведат и на български, защото наистина си заслужава да се прочете от повече хора...
January 12, 2020
Některé pasáže se čtou tězče. Vše je napsáno jako 'pohádka' a ne jako učebnice. Občas je potřeba přečíst více různých kapitol pro detailní pochopení daného tématu. Neopakuje základy, staví už na lepších znalostech čtenáře.
June 6, 2018
encyclopedic, rather than emphasis on knowledge retention techniques like repeating fundamentals in boxes etc; obviously written by researchers; infodump; better accompanied by lecture notes; read 1/2-- did not finish
February 18, 2021
I reckon this book should be in any biologists bookcase. Mine is from 2007 and still holds up, even if some, now well documented, sections ends with "but this mechanism is not yet well understood".
And spoilers: The good guy dies in the end ;)
And spoilers: The good guy dies in the end ;)
August 24, 2011
What's not to like?
August 27, 2011
read end to end for my GBOs...lol
Read
May 10, 2020Medicina: biología molecular, 1er año.
August 7, 2016
I loved this book. It was one of the most comprehensive cell biology books that served as a great reference for the start of my biology career.
September 21, 2016
Good for the biceps
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