Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction: Cells as macromolecular assemblies: Proteins -- Compartments -- Part 1 DNA as information: Genes are mutable units -- DNA is the genetic material -- Nucleic acid structure -- Isolating the gene -- Part 2 From gene to protein: Messenger RNA -- Protein synthesis -- Interpreting the genetic code -- Protein localization -- Part 3 Prokaryotic gene expression: Transcription -- The operon -- Phage strategies -- Part 4 Perpetuation of DNA: The replicon -- DNA replication -- Restriction and repair -- Recombination -- Transposons -- Retroviruses and retroposons -- Part 5 The eukaryotic genome: DNA biotechnology -- Genomes -- Exons and introns -- Gene numbers -- Organelle genomes -- Simple sequence DNA -- Chromosomes -- Nucleosomes -- Part 6 Eukaryotic gene expression: Initiation of transcription -- Regulation of transcription -- Nuclear splicing -- Catalytic RNA -- Rearrangement of DNA -- Immune diversity -- Part 7 Cell growth, cancer and development: Protein trafficking -- Signal transduction -- Cell cycle and growth regulation -- Oncogenes and cancer -- Gradients and cascades.