Cell Biology by the Numbers

If you have computational or systems biology questions and need to know a size, density, energy of nearly anything to get started, this is the book for you. Extensive work covering many levels of measurements gives you the basic data to plug into your estimates and equations. This information is not easily found anywhere else and is presented in a smoothly written narrative that is such a pleasure to read. I find myself just browsing the book for fun. After a move I actually lost my first copy and was so horrified I invested in a second. If the old one turns up, I'll give it to a friend.

I have had the downloaded version for a couple of years. This is an invaluable book for anyone trying to understand systems. One is always asking, "How big". For example when working in the intersection of the nano technology world and the bio world size matters. How big is a bacterium, a protein, a nano particle and they why do they do what they do. Not only does this book have many significant numbers, but they present in a brilliant manner how they got there as well as the implications.Size, quantity, parameters such as diffusion constants, all have critical part to play in developing new understanding. One can go through the massive texts on cell biology or genetics and never have a feeling for how big something is, how frequently cells divide, or more critically how to get or reasonably infer the answer. This book is that essential bridge. It is not a handbook, it is a guide to understanding.Of all books, I have kept this next to my desk and have referred to it constantly. I would suggest that anyone who wants to truly understand nature obtain this book for the daily use! Great job!

This little gem provides some interesting and important quantitative perspectives on cell and molecular biology. Most texts don't cover this viewpoint adequately, and quantitative thinking greatly enriches our understanding of the inner workings of cells. This first edition still has a number of typos and small errors, but nothing too distracting. I really enjoy the 'back of the envelop' sections where the authors sketch simple calculations and implementations of basic physical principles to reveal some fascinating insights.

Nice book, strongly recommend the book and the seller

This book is a significant contribution to numerical biology. It addresses 100 questions related to cells, for example, cell volumes and cell component sizes, absolute numbers of many biological objects, concentrations, signaling, energies, forces, information content, and time scales. The order of magnitude calculations were a useful tool used throughout the text. However, the vignettes did not consistently address the ramifications or significance of the data to the cell’s functions.My main complaint is the difficulty of finding the answer to the questions posed by each chapter. Rather than first provide the answer and then explain the context, a discussion and/or history followed with the answer buried in subsequent paragraphs. Also, although this book is not intended for non-biology majors, a glossary would have been helpful along with abbreviations used (prior to first chapter). Another distracting feature was the position of the text on the page, ½ inch from binding with 2 inch of space on outer edge; what was the publisher thinking?Even with these flaws, the book deserves a rating of four out of five because of the comprehensive coverage. Readers will not be disappointed, it is a valuable approach to the study of cell biology.

This book is fundamental to understand biological processes in their true nature. At the nanoscale of biology, distances, time, concentrations and relative numbers, speed, diffusion, and all properties of matter, have a different meaning than at the scale of our own bodies. A must read.

Love it. This should absolutely be required reading for any graduate student in molecular and cellular biology. I greatly appreciate all of this excellent information being compile into an accessible and enjoyable format. Thank you.

Easy reading. Great way of presenting information.