Cell and cell division

The book presents a generalized scientific notion about the conditions and prerequisites which have brought about the emergence of living matter, its formation, evolution and development in cellular structures, i.e. cells - the basic structural and functional biological units from which, via integration, multicellular organisms were developed.

Foreword
Preface
Origin and evolution of the cell

• The cell-life link
• Origin of life. Early ideas
• Formation of scientific concepts on the origin of life
• Attempts for abiogenic synthesis of organic compounds
• The "Panspermia" hypothesis
• Evolution of the cell
• Pre-cell evolution
• Can proteins self-reproduce
• Is the genetic code universal and invariable
• Metabolism
• Tracing life on the Earth
• Is there life in the universe

The cell - basic structural and functional biological system

• Discovery of the cell and the first notions of its essence and structure
• Cell theory
• Later concepts on the structural organization of the cell. Discovery of some its organelles
• Discovery of the discrete factors of heredity. The experiments of Gregor Mendel
• Monohybrid crossing
• Dihybrid crossing
• Intermediary inheritance of the features
• Polyhybrid crossing
• Discovery of nuclein and elucidation of the biological role of nucleic acids
• Chromosome theory of heredity and organization of the genome
• Modern concepts about the structure, functions and reproduction of the cells
• Proteins
• Nucleic acids
• The Watson - Crick model
• Some deviations from the Watson - Crick model
• Carbohydrates
• Structural organization of the cells and the cell organelles
• Cell wall and cell membrane
• Nucleus
• Cell center
• Endoplasmic reticulum
• Golgi Apparatus (complex)
• Mitochondria
• Chloroplasts
• Ribosomes
• Cytoskeleton
• Mutation changes - basic mechanism for augmentation of the gene fund and diversity of living organisms
• Prerequisites for generation of the idea of mutation changes
• Mutation theory
• Classification of the mutations
• Molecular bases and mechanisms of the eukaryotic cells
• Reparation processes
• Endosymbiotic organization of the eukaryotic cells
• Are the viruses cells

Cell division

• Biological essence and importance of the cell division
• Discovery and insight in the essence of the cell division
• The nucleus or the nuclear equivalent (nucleoid) - obligatory and irreplaceable organelle of each cell
• Modes and types of cell division
• Causes for starting or stopping of the cell division
• Biological aging and neoplasms
• Biological aging
• Neoplasms

From single cells to multicellular organisms. Cloning
Conclusion
References
Author index