The Language of Life: How Cells Communicate in Health and Disease

Science News, June 11, 2005

THE LANGUAGE OF LIFE: How Cells Communicate in Health and Disease

DEBRA NIEHOFF

Cells within a human body function much as the ideal human society does, each member working for the survival of the whole. The key to this harmony is communication. Niehoff explores the various methods by which cells communicate on topics ranging from growing into an embryo to committing suicide for the good of the human body. Scientists have discovered the signaling pathways that orchestrate such changes. When these pathways become disrupted--often by mutation--birth defects and diseases such as cancer and diabetes occur. Niehoff clearly defines the acronym-laden and inscrutable jargon of cell biologists. She explains the cellular functions underlying how the body reacts to stress, why dieting is so difficult, and how memories are formed in the brain. By learning how cells signal each other, scientists are developing drugs and other treatments that can be introduced when the signaling goes awry. Joseph Henry Press. 2005, 260 p., b&w illus., hardcover, $27.95.