The Way of the Cell Molecules, Organisms, and the Order of Life

What is life? It has been fifty years since physicist Erwin Schrodinger posed this question, and the answer remains elusive. Here, one of the world's most respected microbiologists draws on his broad knowledge to provide fresh insight into this intriguing and all-important question. Harold focuses on the supremely well-researched bacterium E. coli because the cell is the simplest level of organization that manifests all the features of life. As simple as they appear when compared to humans, every cell integrates the writhings and couplings of billions of molecules into a coherent whole. Each draws matter and energy into itself, constructs and reproduces its own order, and persists in this manner for numberless generations while continuously adapting to a changing world. The result of this investigation is a richly detailed, meticulously crafted account of what modern science can tell us about life as well as one scientist's personal attempt to wring understanding from the tide of knowledge.

Franklin M. Harold is Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Colorado State University. He lives in Edmonds, Washington.