Read book Seed to Seed : The Secret Life of Plants by Nicholas Harberd MOBI, TXT, DJV
9781582344133 English 1582344132 "Nicholas Harberd's narrative of the changing seasons has as its focus one tiny thale-cress plant in an East Anglian churchyard. He describes both what can be seen with the naked eye and the hidden molecular mechanisms that underlie the visible events in the plant's life. Additionally, he tells the story of the last ten years of scientific discovery in his own laboratory, as the team works to understand the genetic control of the growth of thale-cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) - the fruit-fly of the plant world."--BOOK JACKET., A brilliant evocation of the natural and genetic beauty of the plant world, in the form of a year-long journal from one of the world's leading biologists. Nicholas Harberd, a father, scientist, and nature lover, spends his days at the lab directing a team discovering the secrets of how plants grow, using a common weed as their example. Concerned that he's losing sight of the weed's ordinary days in the world, he sets out to find an example of the same plant in the wild. And so begins this unique and beautiful book--part field notebook, part sketchbook, and part journal. Building on a narrative of the passing seasons of 2004, Harberd relates that narrative to the life history of what becomes an iconic plant. As a biologist and close observer, he is able to describe both what is visible and the hidden molecular mechanisms that underlie the visible events in the plant's life. In the process, he reveals what the daily life of a scientist truly is. Beautifully produced, with dozens of diagrams and drawings, and written with thoughtfulness and passion,Seed to Seedis a testament to the wonder of the world around us. Nicholas Harberdis one of the world's leading plant biologists. He directs a research team at the John Innes Centre (Europe's premier plant and microbial science research institute) and is Honorary Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of East Anglia, Norwich. He is the author of numerous scientific papers and has published in the leading international journalsNatureandScience. Part field notebook, part sketchbook, part diary,Seed to Seedis a evocation of the beauty of the natural world and an explanation of the secret workings of plants. Nicholas Harberd's narrative of the changing seasons focuses on one tiny weed in a country churchyard. He describes both what can be seen with the naked eye and the hidden molecular mechanisms that underlie the visible events in the plant's life. He also tells the story of the last ten years of scientific discovery in his own laboratory, as the team works to understand the genetic control of the growth of the same weed, thale-cress [Arabidopsis thaliana]--the fruit fly of the plant world. Seed to Seedis the work of a scientist, passionate about his subject, who decided to get out into the open air to relate discoveries made in the lab to the natural world around us. Set in the English countryside, with journeys to New Zealand, Mallorca, Ireland and California, it is beautifully illustrated with more than forty sketches and diagrams, and gives an open portrait of the scientific mind at work. "Harberd indicates that this book is an attempt to show how science can enhance our vision of the world; it is written, then, principally for nonscientists. The author, one of the world's leading plant geneticists, describes the developing understanding of how and why plants grow. He explains that experiments are revealing the hidden fundamentals of how the growth of plants is controlled. The book is in the form of a diary of the year 2004, its focus on one small weed in a country churchyard in Norfolk, England, the thale-cress. Harberd comments on the weather ('The sky a salad of dampness; grays, blues, and yellows, all speeding in one direction'). He writes of his search for thale-cress ('What I'd found was a curved line of three, six feet above the remains [in a grave] buried below the ground.') With 46 black-and-white sketches and diagrams . . . his intriguing narrative is not to missed."--George Cohen,Booklist "A scientist discovers a world of wonder in a graveyard weed. Nearing 50 and feeling directionless in his research, leading B
9781582344133 English 1582344132 "Nicholas Harberd's narrative of the changing seasons has as its focus one tiny thale-cress plant in an East Anglian churchyard. He describes both what can be seen with the naked eye and the hidden molecular mechanisms that underlie the visible events in the plant's life. Additionally, he tells the story of the last ten years of scientific discovery in his own laboratory, as the team works to understand the genetic control of the growth of thale-cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) - the fruit-fly of the plant world."--BOOK JACKET., A brilliant evocation of the natural and genetic beauty of the plant world, in the form of a year-long journal from one of the world's leading biologists. Nicholas Harberd, a father, scientist, and nature lover, spends his days at the lab directing a team discovering the secrets of how plants grow, using a common weed as their example. Concerned that he's losing sight of the weed's ordinary days in the world, he sets out to find an example of the same plant in the wild. And so begins this unique and beautiful book--part field notebook, part sketchbook, and part journal. Building on a narrative of the passing seasons of 2004, Harberd relates that narrative to the life history of what becomes an iconic plant. As a biologist and close observer, he is able to describe both what is visible and the hidden molecular mechanisms that underlie the visible events in the plant's life. In the process, he reveals what the daily life of a scientist truly is. Beautifully produced, with dozens of diagrams and drawings, and written with thoughtfulness and passion,Seed to Seedis a testament to the wonder of the world around us. Nicholas Harberdis one of the world's leading plant biologists. He directs a research team at the John Innes Centre (Europe's premier plant and microbial science research institute) and is Honorary Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of East Anglia, Norwich. He is the author of numerous scientific papers and has published in the leading international journalsNatureandScience. Part field notebook, part sketchbook, part diary,Seed to Seedis a evocation of the beauty of the natural world and an explanation of the secret workings of plants. Nicholas Harberd's narrative of the changing seasons focuses on one tiny weed in a country churchyard. He describes both what can be seen with the naked eye and the hidden molecular mechanisms that underlie the visible events in the plant's life. He also tells the story of the last ten years of scientific discovery in his own laboratory, as the team works to understand the genetic control of the growth of the same weed, thale-cress [Arabidopsis thaliana]--the fruit fly of the plant world. Seed to Seedis the work of a scientist, passionate about his subject, who decided to get out into the open air to relate discoveries made in the lab to the natural world around us. Set in the English countryside, with journeys to New Zealand, Mallorca, Ireland and California, it is beautifully illustrated with more than forty sketches and diagrams, and gives an open portrait of the scientific mind at work. "Harberd indicates that this book is an attempt to show how science can enhance our vision of the world; it is written, then, principally for nonscientists. The author, one of the world's leading plant geneticists, describes the developing understanding of how and why plants grow. He explains that experiments are revealing the hidden fundamentals of how the growth of plants is controlled. The book is in the form of a diary of the year 2004, its focus on one small weed in a country churchyard in Norfolk, England, the thale-cress. Harberd comments on the weather ('The sky a salad of dampness; grays, blues, and yellows, all speeding in one direction'). He writes of his search for thale-cress ('What I'd found was a curved line of three, six feet above the remains [in a grave] buried below the ground.') With 46 black-and-white sketches and diagrams . . . his intriguing narrative is not to missed."--George Cohen,Booklist "A scientist discovers a world of wonder in a graveyard weed. Nearing 50 and feeling directionless in his research, leading B