Power, Sex, Suicide | The one-time evolution which dominates the world

Power, Sex, Suicide | Nick Lane | The one-time evolution which dominates the world

'Force' and the etymology of 'Midichlorian'

In the movie 「Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, 1999)」 Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi serve Queen Padmé Amidala and depart for the Republic. Then when the spaceship breaks down, stop by the Tatooine planet. From there there is a fateful encounter with an antique deal slave juvenile Anakin Skywalker. Qui-Gon, who discovered the disposition of the unusual boy, examines the boy's blood in his mind. At this time, the word 'midichlorian' which is the Force crystal appears. Jedi 's Knight emphasizes the importance of midichlorian saying that without midichlorian life never exists Existence of Force never known. The etymology of this word is exactly Mitochondria.

The importance of mitochondria in the history of the origin and evolution of life is more important than the explanation of the Jedi. Mitochondria, a small generator contained in living cells, produces all the energy needed for the vast majority of Earth life to live. Mitochondria is a diversity of life, everything that affects the overall health and reproductive ability of life, diversity of life, sexual reproduction, energy efficiency, internal heat production, free radica) leakage, Apoptosis, aging, degenerative diseases, various climates And the ability to adapt to the environment. While this book 『Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the Meaning of Life』 is a hidden ruler of the world yet, many parts are covered with veil, by keeping track of the secret of mitochondria, why they are manipulating energy and results death as desired, Leave readers with an impressive milestone on how to change their lives and how they will change in the future.

Free radical and antioxidant

Above all, the part that is interested in relation to mitochondria is the relationship between free radical and antioxidant soon. Mitochondria utilize the flow of electrons to generate respiratory chain, this flow runs the proton pump of the cell membrane, making ATP (adenosine triphosphate) which is the energy currency. However, for some reason, for example, when overeating, the supply of electrons takes a break after overdose, so the fluctuation in demand for ATP is eliminated, but at this time, the electrons overflowing the supply are released from the respiratory chain and oxygen Causing free radicals to leak and accidents occur. Once this signal is detected, mitochondria tries to make the oxidase more crease and make the flow of respiratory chain smoother. Nevertheless, if the situation is not calm, we induce an uncoupling phenomenon that separates the flow of ATP production and the flow of electrons and disperses the supply of excessive electrons into thermal energy. So if you eat too much and take a break, you will get fever from your body. However, if free radicals are not decreasing, this time, make the last decision. Mitochondria judged to have problems with the cells themselves, apoptosis that minimizes damage to the host, ie, orders a cell suicide order. This causes the problematic cell to be deleted before necrosis, and the dregs are absorbed by surrounding cells and reused.

Thus, free radicals are mitochondria and signals of changes responsible for the overall physiology of the cell. Unconditional antioxidant removal is not a pest. Nick Lane strongly denies whether the antioxidant is properly applied to a complicated mitochondrial system, but advises that if it is effective it may cause death, the worst situation that the cell does not die . If it dies, the cell survives and does not die, if it replicates, it is a cancer cell that is not the other. If you want to live healthier, it is probably the best choice to eat less steadily than ever being dependent on false advertisements, relying on no false advertisements, so far.

The protagonist of 'Wonderful Life' Mitochondria

Stephen Jay Gould is his famous book, 『Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History』, and if the movie of life can be reproduced many times from the beginning, what will I raised doubts as to what will happen. Is it now it repeats as knowledge that mankind grasps? Or is it unfamiliar every time a new world is born? The answer lies in the mitochondria. One evolution that occurred when bacteria dominated the world during the 2 billion years produced the origin of eukaryotic organisms as the starting point for biodiversity, with mitochondria in the center. If there is no mitochondria, the earth is still on a boring planet where only germs are lost. Considering the fact that a long time of 2 billion years has passed until the symbiosis between Archaea and mitochondria is born, the hope of mankind to search the planet which achieved the diversity of the same life as the earth in this universe It is possible to have a drinking watering expectation. However, although the birth of eukaryotic organisms occurs at a rate of once every two billion years, even if it is a very evolutionary evolution, if you count as many stars as 13.8 billion years ages of the universe and seaside sand Clearly, imagining that a planet resembling the Earth or an intellectual life body similar to us is not too big to grab the clouds. Next, another intellectual life somewhere in this universe will reveal the history of life, like us, we are struggling to investigate the secret of mitochondria, or already have revealed all secrets clearly It could solve the aging and gain the key to longevity. Unfortunately, however, the universe separating us from us can not exchange distinctive information that can not be greeted by each other far too much.

After finishing ...

Frankly, science education books are not easy to read. A specialized term and a completely separate formula or chemical formula after graduation rampant, while being embarrassed to the reader, but as a scholar who frequently uses papers rather than experts such as novelist, it seems like a listening academic lecture The obsolete sentence and hard tone tells the taste of especially reading. Nonetheless, looking up scientifically cultivated books steadily, in some cases, you can enjoy the fortune that you can satisfy interesting scientific literary books written by a narrator like this book. And the joy of this fortune will be the driving force to find another scientific culture book. By the way (before I read it) Before reading this book, I encourage you to read 『Oxygen: The molecule that made the world』 that came out before this book.

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