This is a wonderful book. Frances Ashcroft has a rare gift for making difficult subjects accessible and fascinating (Bill Bryson)
Selected as one of the Ten Books to look out for in 2012 (New Scientist)
The more incredible the process, the more elegant Ashcroft's explanation...achieves the sort of rich simplicity most science writers can only dream about (Simon Ings Seven magazine, Daily Telegraph)
Lively, conversational prose - refreshingly accessible (Daily Telegraph)
Fascinating (Nature)
Compelling and very readable ... Do read this excellent book (Literary Review)
We are all familiar with the idea that machines are powered by electricity, but perhaps not so aware that this is also true for ourselves. The Spark of Life is a spectacular account of the body electric, showing how, from before conception to the last breath we draw, electrical signals in our cells are essential to everything we think and do. These signals are produced by some amazing proteins that sit at the forefront of current scientific research - the ion channels. They are found in every cell in Earth and they govern every aspect of our lives, from consciousness to sexual attraction, fighting infection, our ability to see and hear, and the beating of our hearts. Ion channels are truly the 'spark of life'.
Award-winning physiologist Frances Ashcroft weaves real-life stories with the latest scientific findings to explain the fundamental role of ion channels in our bodies. What happens when you have a heart attack? Why does an electric eel not shock itself? Can someone really die of fright? Why does Viagra turn the world blue? How do cocaine, LSD and morphine work? Why do chilli peppers taste hot? How do vampire bats sense their prey? Was Mary Shelley right when she inferred that electricity is the 'Spark of Life?
Frances Ashcroft explains all this and more with wit and clarity. She introduces a cast of extraordinary personalities whose work has charted the links between molecule and mind over the centuries. She recounts the scientific detective stories involved in the development of our ideas about animal electricity, and shows how these are intimately entwined with our understanding of electricity itself. And she describes how the latest advances have led to the identification, and in some cases the cure, of a new class of disease. Anyone who has ever wondered about what makes us human will find this book a revelation.
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Versand:
EUR 3,59
Innerhalb der USA
Anbieter: Powell's Bookstores Chicago, ABAA, Chicago, IL, USA
Zustand: Used - Very Good. Illustrated (illustrator). 2012. Hardcover. Cloth with dust jacket. Some minor shelf wear. Very Good. Artikel-Nr. SIN0004906
Anzahl: 1 verfügbar
Anbieter: Powell's Bookstores Chicago, ABAA, Chicago, IL, USA
Zustand: Used - Like New. Illustrated (illustrator). 2012. Hardcover. Fine. Dust Jacket is Fine. Artikel-Nr. BR18928
Anzahl: 8 verfügbar
Anbieter: WorldofBooks, Goring-By-Sea, WS, Vereinigtes Königreich
Paperback. Zustand: Good. Illustrated (illustrator). The book has been read but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact and the cover is intact. Some minor wear to the spine. Artikel-Nr. GOR006089904
Anzahl: 1 verfügbar
Anbieter: WorldofBooks, Goring-By-Sea, WS, Vereinigtes Königreich
Paperback. Zustand: Very Good. Illustrated (illustrator). The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Artikel-Nr. GOR004582881
Anzahl: 5 verfügbar
Anbieter: AHA-BUCH GmbH, Einbeck, Deutschland
Gebundene Ausgabe. Zustand: Gebraucht. Illustrated (illustrator). Gebraucht - Gut GU - Beschädigungen, Verschmutzungen, ungelesenes Mängelexemplar, Versand Büchersendung - We are all familiar with the idea that machines are powered by electricity, but perhaps not so aware that this is also true for ourselves. This book offers an account of the body electric, showing how, from before conception to the last breath we draw, electrical signals in our cells are essential to everything we think and do. Artikel-Nr. INF1000138839
Anzahl: 1 verfügbar