This beautifully illustrated and sophisticated molecular cell biology text is appropriate for undergraduates, graduate students and medical students. Clinical examples depict how basic cell biology explains human disease.

Focusing on the structure and function of the cell, this radically new approach to cell biology offers a comprehensive, full-color look at the subject and the latest developments in the field. It emphasises specific macromolecular interactions and their relation to cellular structure and function, and covers such areas as chemical building blocks, assembly, major organelles and components of the cell, cell cycle, cellular regulation, gene expression, viruses, energy interconversions, and more.

Features:

• The format of this book was developed by experts in cell biology and field-tested as the basis for a course taught at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine for over 20 years.
• Its concise discussions and relatively short length still cover the essential information found in larger texts, but with a more manageable, readable approach.
• Over 400 outstanding illustrations present concepts in clear diagrams and full-color drawings that show all structures from the molecular level through histology and gross anatomy drawn to-scale for the first time ever.
• Completely up-to-date scientific information incorporates the latest techniques and interpretation of data into the chapters

1 General principles of cellular organization 1
2 Molecular structures 19
3 Basic biophysical concepts 43
4 Macromolecular assembly 51
5 Research strategies 67
6 Membrane structure and dynamics 91
7 Membrane pumps 105
8 Membrane carriers 117
9 Membrane channels 125
10 Membrane physiology 149
11 Introduction to nuclear and chromosomal structure and function 177
12 Chromosome organization 181
13 DNA packaging in chromatin and chromosomes 197
14 Gene expression 215
15 Processing of eukaryotic RNAs 239
16 Nuclear structure and dynamics 259
17 Introduction to membrane compartments 277
18 Protein synthesis and folding in the cytoplasm 283
19 Post-translational targeting of proteins to organelles 297
20 Biosynthetic processes in the endoplasmic reticulum and golgi apparatus 311
21 Vesicular traffic from the endoplasmic reticulum through the golgi apparatus 327
22 Trans-golgi network and beyond 341
23 Endocytosis 355
24 Degradation of cellular components 369
25 Introduction to signaling pathways 383
26 Plasma membrane receptors 387
27 Protein hardware for signaling 401
28 Second messengers 423
29 Integration of signals 445
30 Cells of the extracellular matrix 473
31 Extracellular matrix molecules 485
32 Cellular adhesion 507
33 Intercellular junctions 525
34 Specialized connective tissues 535
35 Overview of the cytoskeleton and cellular motility 553
36 Actin and actin-binding proteins 557
37 Microtubules and microtubule-associated proteins 579
38 Intermediate filaments 595
39 Motor proteins 605
40 Intracellular motility 619
41 Cellular motility 633
42 Muscles 651
43 Introduction to the cell cycle 673
44 The G. phase and the regulation of cell proliferation 687
45 The S phase and DNA replication 697
46 The G. phase and control of entry into mitosis 713
47 Mitosis 725
48 Meiosis 749
49 Programmed cell death 767
App The centrosome 783