Inside the Cell

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences offers this online science education booklet. Booklet is a bit of a misnomer. Granted, Inside the Cell is shorter than many of the other materials featured on The Free Textbook List, but it is more like a short biology textbook than a guide. It’s written by three former science professionals turned science writers who work for the Institute – Alisa Machalek (biochemistry graduate degree and advanced training in science writing), Alison Davis (Ph.D. in pharmacology and freelance writer) and Kirstie Saltsman (Ph.D. cell biology).

Biology students can learn about the parts of a cell, how they function, what they do, how they multiply and why they die. The authors filled the text with bright, vivid images and a narrative that is suitable for both high school and college students, i.e. enough explanation for younger students and enough meat for more advanced ones.

Table of Contents for Inside the Cell Biology Textbook

PREFACE: THE MICROSCOPIC METROPOLIS INSIDE YOU
CHAPTER 1: AN OWNER’S GUIDE TO THE CELL
Nucleus: The Cell’s Brain
Cell Membrane: Specialist in Containing and Communicating
Endoplasmic Reticulum: Protein Clothier and Lipid Factory
Golgi: Finishing, Packaging, and Mailing Centers
Lysosomes: Recycling Centers and Garbage Trucks
Mitochondria: Cellular Power Plants
Cytoskeleton: The Cell’s Skeleton…and More
The Tour Ends Here
Cool Tools for Studying Cells
Science Schisms
CHAPTER 2: CELLS 101: BUSINESS BASICS
Got Energy?
Priority: Proteins
Cellular Rush Hour
The Mark of Death
CHAPTER 3: ON THE JOB: CELLULAR SPECIALTIES
Fit for the Job
All-In-One Stem Cells
You’ve Got Nerve(s)!
Nursing Baby Eggs
The Science of Senses
Cells on the Move
Big Science
CHAPTER 4: CELLULAR REPRODUCTION: MULTIPLICATION BY DIVISION
The Two Faces of Cell Division
The Cycling Cell
Mitosis: Let’s Split!
Meiosis: Sex, Heredity, and Survival
Why You’re Not Just Like Your Relatives
CHAPTER 5: THE LAST CHAPTER: CELL AGING AND DEATH
Aging: A World of Theories
Thieving Oxygen
Damage, Yes. But Aging?
Telomeres: Cellular Timekeepers
Cells That Never Die Can Kill You
Death of a Cell
Apoptosis and Mitosis: Life in Balance
Getting Rid of Troublemakers
Cell Biology: The Science of Life
GLOSSARY

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