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Nick Lane – Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the meaning of life (Second Edition)Quote:Mitochondria are tiny structures located inside our cells that carry out the essential task of producing energy for the cell. They are found in all complex living things, and in that sense, they are fundamental for driving complex life on the planet. But there is much more to them than that.Mitochondria have their own DNA, with their own small collection of genes, separate from those in the cell nucleus. It is thought that they were once bacteria living independent lives. Their enslavement within the larger cell was a turning point in the evolution of life, enabling the development of complex organisms and, closely related, the origin of two sexes. Unlike the DNA in the nucleus, mitochondrial DNA is passed down exclusively (or almost exclusively) via the female line. That’s why it has been used by some researchers to trace human ancestry daughter-to-mother, to ‘Mitochondrial Eve’. Mitochondria give us important information about our evolutionary history. And that’s not all. Mitochondrial genes mutate much faster than those in the nucleus because of the free radicals produced in their energy-generating role. This high mutation rate lies behind our ageing and certain congenital diseases. The latest research suggests that mitochondria play a key role in degenerative diseases such as cancer, through their involvement in precipitating cell suicide.Mitochondria, then, are pivotal in power, sex, and suicide. In this fascinating and thought-provoking book, Nick Lane brings together the latest research findings in this exciting field to show how our growing understanding of mitochondria is shedding light on how complex life evolved, why sex arose (why don’t we just bud?), and why we age and die. This understanding is of fundamental importance, both in understanding how we and all other complex life came to be, but also in order to be able to control our own illnesses, and delay our degeneration and death.Open for everyoneNumber of pages: 552Year of publication: 2018Url: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Sex-Suicide-Mitochondria-Landma…Amazon rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars (137 reviews)Amazon 5 star review wrote:I cannot exprese the gratitude I feel towards Nick Lane after reading this book. This is the best science book I’ve ever read in my life. (I’d like to study biology but don’t have the means to)Everything: The format the book is written (it’s divided in small sub chapters that you can read very quickly if you don’t have time, i.e. in the morning instead of a newspaper article), the way Lane explains concepts (I even learned basic biology ideas I was never able to grasp), the way he presents the ideas itself…Power, Sex, Suicide gives me the same sense of awe and admiration that Cosmos gave me the first time I saw it. I’d really wish Lane was as famous as Sagan in terms of popularizing science. He (Lane) even presents ideas he doesn’t agree with, which I really loved.I’m looking forward to buying Oxygen and of course as you can see now I’m a really huge, huge Lane’s fan.Amazon 5 star review wrote:This is simply a great book overflowing into various readership disciplines. It would be a great read for a biologist, educator, or someone simply interested in science. Lane, if feel, reaches several audiences immediately as bullet points make interesting mitochondrial information available for the general public – for example – when it is stated that 10% of an average humans body weight is comprised of mitochondria, but also gets into depth when addressing mtDNA and the functions of the mitochondria.I have a couple of books looking at the mitochondria, and organelle that is now under the microscope of the international community, and this book is one of the best for a non-specialist with deep interests in cell biology and a readable text. It is very detailed, but novel like.If you are looking for literature on the Mitochondria (or Cell Biology/Histology) it is hard to find better than this as a general easy and informative read.Dr Jack Kruse – Collection.May you find peace, health and prosperity,Aeon