How we live and why we die : the secret lives of cells / Lewis Wolpert.

"First published in Great Britain in 2009 by Faber and Faber Limited."

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction: the miraculous cell -- Discovery: how science made plain the facts of life -- How We Live: how cells replicate, maintain order, evolve and die -- How We Function: how proteins determine the work of cells -- How Genes Work: how DNA encodes proteins -- How Our Cells Are Replaced: how stem cells self-replicate -- How We Become Human: how we develop from a single cell -- How We Reproduce: how meiosis works -- How We Move, Think and Feel: how nerve cells communicate -- How We Grow and Why We Age: how cells multiply, enlarge and decline -- How We Survive: how cells defend against bacteria and viruses -- How Cancer Strikes: how rogue cells form tumours -- How Diseases Are Caused: when cells behave abnormally -- The Origins of Life: the mystery of the first cell.