Life from an RNA World
Life from an RNA World

Author: Michael Yarus

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 212

ISBN-13: 9780674050754

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A majority of evolutionary biologists believe that we now can envision our biological predecessors--not the first, but nearly the first, living beings on Earth. This book is about these vanished forebears. The era between the first rudimentary life on Earth and the appearance of more complex beings is called the RNA world. It is RNA (ribonucleic acid) long believed to be a mere biologic copier and messenger, that offers a glimpse into our ancient predecessors. To describe early RNA creatures, here called "ribocytes" or RNA cells, the author uses basics of molecular biology. He reviews our current understanding of the tree of life, examines the structure of RNA itself, explains the operation of the genetic code, and more. Courting controversy among those who question the role of ribocytes -- citing the chemical fragility of RNA and the uncertainty about the origin of an RNA synthetic apparatus -- he offers a vision of early life on Earth.

Opening Doors
Opening Doors

Author: Laura L. Mays Hoopes

Publisher:

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 161

ISBN-13: 9780359413966

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A dual biography of Joan Steitz and Jennifer Doudna, two women who combined successful home lives with successful careers in science.

RNA
RNA

Author: James E. Darnell

Publisher:

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781936113194

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RNA molecules could function as catalysts. --

The RNA World
The RNA World

Author: Raymond F. Gesteland

Publisher: CSHL Press

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 774

ISBN-13: 0879697393

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Recent studies on the activities of RNA in the cell have revolutionized our understanding of the many roles played by this molecule. The first two editions of The RNA World(1993, 1999) shed light on the pre–biotic era dominated by this versatile molecule, and provided an overview of the state of RNA research at the time. The new third edition of The RNA Worldupdates this perspective, describing the vast array of newly discovered roles for RNA in the modern world. The updated original chapters are supplemented with new chapters on RNA–protein complexes, snRNPs and snoRNPs, telomerase RNA, RNAi, microRNAs, noncoding RNA, and many other subjects. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the biology of nucleic acids and gene regulation and a valuable resource for teaching these concepts.

RNA
RNA

Author: D. Söll

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2001-12-03

Total Pages: 355

ISBN-13: 0080540627

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This publication summarizes the current status of our understanding of RNA, with particular emphasis on the chemistry of this key biological molecule. The various RNAs covered are messenger RNA, ribosomal RNA, transfer RNA and RNA enzymes (ribozymes). The different chapters detail biophysical and chemical methods to investigate RNA structure and function, the synthesis of native and modified RNAs and the latest advances in our understanding of the vast array of biological processes in which RNA is involved.

Evolution
Evolution

Author: Michael Ruse

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 2009-02-28

Total Pages: 1020

ISBN-13: 9780674031753

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Spanning evolutionary science from its inception to its latest findings, from discoveries and data to philosophy and history, this book is the most complete, authoritative, and inviting one-volume introduction to evolutionary biology available. Clear, informative, and comprehensive in scope, Evolution opens with a series of major essays dealing with the history and philosophy of evolutionary biology, with major empirical and theoretical questions in the science, from speciation to adaptation, from paleontology to evolutionary development (evo devo), and concluding with essays on the social and political significance of evolutionary biology today. A second encyclopedic section travels the spectrum of topics in evolution with concise, informative, and accessible entries on individuals from Aristotle and Linneaus to Louis Leakey and Jean Lamarck; from T. H. Huxley and E. O. Wilson to Joseph Felsenstein and Motoo Kimura; and on subjects from altruism and amphibians to evolutionary psychology and Piltdown Man to the Scopes trial and social Darwinism. Readers will find the latest word on the history and philosophy of evolution, the nuances of the science itself, and the intricate interplay among evolutionary study, religion, philosophy, and society. Appearing at the beginning of the Darwin Year of 2009—the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin and the 150th anniversary of the publication of the Origin of Species—this volume is a fitting tribute to the science Darwin set in motion.