To Grasp the Essence of Life : A History of Molecular Biology

50 years of DNA double helix; what was before, and afterwards The present book, although written mainly for science students and research scientists, is also aimed at those readers who look at science, not for its own sake, but in search of a better understanding of our world in general. What were the fundamental questions asked by the early pioneers of molecular biology? What made them tick for decades, trying to elucidate the basic mechanisms of heredity and life itself? In each chapter, the development of a particular aspect of modern biology is described in a historical and logical context, not missing to take into account human aspects of the protagonists of the story. At the end of each chapter, there are some excursus with additional information, technical and otherwise, which can be read separately. The book is enriched with many illustrations, including facsimile reproductions from the original descriptions of key experiments. Front Matter....Pages i-xii Enzymes....Pages 1-22 Genes....Pages 23-43 One Gene — One Enzyme....Pages 44-55 Phages....Pages 56-77 The Double Helix....Pages 78-89 Double Helix: The Anticlimax....Pages 90-102 Avery? Hershey?....Pages 103-113 The Code Craze....Pages 114-131 Protein Synthesis in Vitro . How did It All Start?....Pages 132-139 The Code in Vitro ....Pages 140-153 Inside the Institut Pasteur — Part I Prophage and the Fertility Factor F....Pages 154-163 Inside the Institut Pasteur — Part II Interrupted Mating....Pages 164-172 Inside the Institut Pasteur — Part III the Fermentation of Lactose....Pages 173-181 Inside the Institut Pasteur — Part IV mRNA....Pages 182-190 The Operon....Pages 191-196 RNA Polymerase....Pages 197-202 The Coronation: DNA Replication....Pages 203-211 That was the Molecular Biology That was....Pages 212-216 R & M....Pages 217-226 Molecular Clones....Pages 227-235 Beyond Coli....Pages 236-257 Sequences....Pages 258-271 HUGO & ELSI....Pages 272-282 Outlook on the Twenty-First Century....Pages 283-286 Back Matter....Pages 287-332