Instant Biology From Single Cells to Human Beings, and Beyond

by RENSBERGER, BOYCE

• ISBN13: 9780449907016
• ISBN10: 0449907015
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1996-02-13
• Publisher: Ballantine Books

Summary

Whether you're bewildered by the vast number of organisms inhabiting our planet or just crave a clear and comprehensive explanation of the endoplasmic reticulum,Instant Biologywill guide you through the science that brings the very act of living (and dying) to life. From an enlightening walk down the double helix stairway to a look at Darwin's evolutionary musings on the diversity of existence,Instant Biologylays bare the facts of life. But Boyce Rensberger goes beyond the birds and the bees to delight in the details that make science fun, like the stubborn micro-species of mite that insist on living in your eyelashes. WithInstant Biologyyou'll learn: Everything you always wanted to know about sex and the single cell. How the fuzzy pizza crust under the bed is diligently working its way to the top of the food chain. Which is larger: the interior surface of your lungs or a badminton court. How a species of soil and pond dwellers can dry out, shrivel up, then return from the dead.

Author Biography

<b>Boyce Rensberger</b> is the editor of "Horizon: The Learning Section," a monthly supplement to the <b>Washington Post</b>.  He previously has written for <b>The New York Times</b>, <b>Science 81-84</b> and "3-2-1 Contact," a PBS TV science program for children.  He has written three books, all of which explain science to the lay reader.

Table of Contents

Introduction	vii
The Diversity of Life: No Wonder the Chinese Have Such Varied Diets	1	(27)
Heredity: Why Humans Never Give Birth to Wombats	28	(31)
Cells: They're Tiny But-Stand Back!-They're Alive!	59	(42)
The Human Body: Examining Entrails for Their Own Sake	101	(37)
Cycles of Matter and Energy: It'll All Be Coming Around Again	138	(14)
The Interdependence of Life: We're All in This Together	152	(26)
Evolution: The Results Are Almost Miraculous	178	(39)
Index	217