eShop USA > Books > Exploring the Biomedical Revolution: A Look at the Work of Frontline Scientists and How They Are Changing Medicine (Howard Hughes Medical Institut)
Exploring the Biomedical Revolution: A Look at the Work of Frontline Scientists and How They Are Changing Medicine (Howard Hughes Medical Institut)
Our Price: $19.95 Prices subject to change.
Availability: Usually ships in 2 to 3 weeks
Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 610
EAN: 9780801863981
Edition: Bk&Acces
ISBN: 0801863988
Label: Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Manufacturer: Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 432
Publication Date: May 16, 2000
Publisher: Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Studio: Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Related Items: Featured Listmania!
Editorial Review:The twentieth century will be remembered as an era of great biomedical discoveries: the development of antibiotics and other lifesaving medications, new insights into the genetic code and the workings of the brain, refined techniques for cloning and organ transplantation. In 1953, when James Watson and Francis Crick identified the shape and composition of the DNA molecule, they transformed the science of genetics; today, with the aid of increasingly sophisticated computers and imaging devices, biomedical science continues to advance at a rapid pace. But many of these discoveries seem mysterious to members of the general public who have never heard of x-ray crystallography or are unfamiliar with the ways that genes and proteins direct the workings of the body. Now, from one of the world's most prestigious medical institutions, this clearly written and richly illustrated volume helps to unravel the mysteries, allowing general readers and students to explore biomedical research and to understand its impact on the fight against human disease.In his introduction, Philip Leder describes a revolution that "rumbles through every area of biomedicine -- immunology, brain chemistry, parasitology, developmental biology -- granting an intimacy with nature's workings, at a deep, molecular level, once unimaginable." Different sections of the book explore different questions: What can the study of fruit flies or worms tell us about our own genetic makeup? How does a cell "decide" to become male or female? How do our eyes perceive color and movement? How does our immune system work to fight disease, and what happens when the system malfunctions?Exploring the Biomedical Revolution tells the human stories behind the research. We see the scientists' excitement as they develop magnetic imagery to "spy" on the brain's activity. We see competition and cooperation among scientists who work to develop treatments for Lyme disease, sickle cell anemia, and AIDS. We see some creative problem-solving as one scientist inserts the gene for luciferase, a protein from fireflies, into a strain of tuberculosis -- thus producing lab samples that glow in the dark. Throughout, these stories also show the patients' perspective, detailing the symptoms of malaria or cystic fibrosis or showing how the treatment of hemophilia has changed over the years. Written by leading science writers as a part of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's public education mission, this inexpensive book stimulates our imagination with numerous illustrations -- a life-sized diagram of a human brain, a dramatically magnified picture of T-cells attacking a cancer cell, computer-generated depictions of the influenza virus. Several of the sections include fold-out charts, including a colorful yet disturbing montage of the different microbes that threaten our health, and a flow chart that shows how scientists work to battle genetic disease. And with the aid of a stereoscopic viewer (included), the book also provides some striking three-dimensional images -- the same computer-generated images that help scientists to understand complex biological structures. Book Sections:- Blazing a Genetic Trail - From Egg to Adult - Seeing, Hearing, and Smelling the World - Blood: Bearer of Life and Death - The Race against Lethal Microbes - Arousing the Fury of the Immune System - Finding the Critical Shapes
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating: - Gorgeous book -- well worth the price
This book is a visual delight! It has large, glossy pages replete with beautiful and fascinating photographs and diagrams supporting a variety of interesting articles. Considering the truly extraordinary presentation quality, the price is very reasonable. I suspect HHMI is deliberately asking a modest price in order to increase sales and therefore the number of people who might become interested in the topic -- they do other kinds of outreach to educate/motivate potential scientists. Kudos to ... Read More
Rating: - Absolutely wonderful book!
~This book is very well-written, composed of many short (c. 2 pg) articles on various subjects relating to biology/medicine, such as Sickle Cell disorder and Huntington's Disease. Not only are these articles very informative, they are interesting. ~On top of that, there are some really great pictures, including a pull-out poster of deadly microbes. ~The material covered in this book is fascinating, but it's not something that you think about every day (unless you're a biologist or you're really into ... Read More
Rating: - Focuses on explanations which are easy to understand
Exploring the Biomedical Revolution examines the work of frontline scientists and how they are changing the face of modern medicine, with chapters presenting articles on research enhanced by vivid color photos. Many titles on biomedicine are inaccessible to lay audiences; not so this book, which focuses on explanations which are easy to understand, yet with plenty of scientific detail added for those involved in health care. Highly recommended.
Related Categories:
| |
 |
