The Music of Life: Biology beyond genes

— —

Denis Noble (Emeritus Professor of Cardiovascular Physiology at the University of Oxford)

The Music of Life

Biology beyond genes

Denis Noble (Emeritus Professor of Cardiovascular Physiology at the University of Oxford)

$23.95

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Oxford University Press
14 May 2008

Philosophy; Physiology; Mathematics & Sciences; Popular science; Life sciences: general issues

What is Life?

Decades of research have resulted in the full mapping of the human genome - three billion pairs of code whose functions are only now being understood.

The gene's eye view of life, advocated by evolutionary biology, sees living bodies as mere vehicles for the replication of the genetic codes.

But for a physiologist, working with the living organism, the view is a very different one. Denis Noble is a world renowned physiologist, and sets out an alternative view to the question - one that becomes deeply significant in terms of the living, breathing organism. The genome is not life itself. Noble argues that far from genes building organisms, they should be seen as prisoners of the organism.

The view of life presented in this little, modern, post-genome project reflection on the nature of life, is that of the systems biologist: to understand what life is, we must view it at a variety of different levels, all interacting with each other in a complex web. It is that emergent web, full of feedback between levels, from the gene to the wider environment, that is life. It is a kind of music.

Including stories from Noble's own research experience, his work on the heartbeat, musical metaphors, and elements of linguistics and Chinese culture, this very personal and at times deeply lyrical book sets out thesystems biology view of life.

By: Denis Noble (Emeritus Professor of Cardiovascular Physiology at the University of Oxford)
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 196mm, Width: 129mm, Spine: 10mm
Weight: 124g
ISBN: 9780199228362
ISBN 10: 0199228361
Pages: 176
Publication Date: 14 May 2008
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

1: The CD of Life: the genome 2: The organ of 30,000 pipes 3: The Score: is it written down? 4: The Conductor: downward causation 5: The Rhythm Section: the heartbeat and other rhythms 6: The Orchestra: the organs and systems of the body 7: Modes and Keys: cellular harmony 8: The Composer: evolution 9: The Opera Theatre: the brain 10: Curtain Call: The artist disappears

Reviews for The Music of Life: Biology beyond genes

`Review from previous edition A beautifully written book... After the great successes of molecular biology, the time has come to re-assemble the organism. Denis Noble tells us why this needs to be done. He also tells us how we should go about it. Strongly recommended. ' Sir Patrick Bateson, F.R.S., Emeritus Professor of Ethology, Cambridge `highly evocative essay' Steven Poole, The Guardian