Introduction Chapter 1. The major processes in the biological world
Cells as basic units of life
Important facts from chemistry and physics
Structure of DNA and inheritance of genetic information
RNA molecules Proteins
Genetic code From DNA to proteins
Concluding remarks
Chapter 2. Enzymes, conformational changes, energy, and molecular motors
Motion of macromolecules in water
Enzymes
Conformational flexibility of proteins and allosteric transitions
Energy in the cell life
Molecular motors
Energy transfer from food to ATP
Chapter 3. The cells
The lipid membrane
Membrane proteins
Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
The cell cycle
Chapter 4. Genome
Bacterial genome
Eukaryotic genome
Chromosomes
DNA sequencing
Genome editing
Chapter 5. Regulation of gene expression and protein activity
Regulation of transcription
Post-transcriptional changes of mRNAs
Suppression of gene expression by small noncoding RNA molecules
Chapter 6. DNA replication, its fidelity, mutations, and repair
Replication of the double helix
DNA damage and repair
Accumulation of mutations in individuals and populations
Chapter 7. Transmission of signals
The general principle
How receptors receive signal molecules
Intracellular signaling molecules
G-protein-coupled receptors
Signal transduction in neurons
Sensing smell
Chapter 8. Multicellular organisms and their development
Body tissues and connections between the cells
Development of multicellular organisms
Stem cells
Death of the cells
Chapter 9. Biological defense I. Protection from foreign nucleic acids
The restriction-modification system
CRISPR-cas system
RNA-induced silencing complexes
Chapter 10. Biological defense II. The immune system of vertebrates
The adaptive immune system
The innate immune system
Chapter 11. Pathogens
Viruses
Bacteria
Eukaryotic parasites
Chapter 12. Cancer
General features of cancer
Cancer-critical genes
External causes of cancers
Cures of cancer
Glossary
Index
