Cells Have Secrets

 Aya Surheyao

"The infinite tapestry of life is but a semblance with a black hole at its heart" (Lane 193).

 

    Today, we often assume that most scientific exploration has already happened. We know that mysteries still exist and yet we fail to grasp their scale. In The Vital Question, Nick Lane explores the unknowns of evolutionary biology. He describes the chasm between eukaryotes (like us) and prokaryotes (bacteria and archaea). With amusing anecdotes and the input of many other experts, Lane lays out the origins of complex life from itty bitty compounds in ocean vents to full-fledged eukaryotes with nuclei, distinct sexes, and some with bio homework of their own. Keep in mind that this book leans towards the denser side of nonfiction, and for the sake of this post, I won't go too in-depth. 

    Throughout the book, Lane bursts with enthusiasm for the concepts he describes and engages meaningfully with the reader. From the first page, he challenges you to "look at one of your own cells down a microscope and distinguish it from those of a mushroom" (Lane 1). He writes his book as if he’s talking to you, anticipating your critiques or concerns. After laying out his theory for how the first cells could have originated in alkaline hydrothermal vents (aka white smokers) he proclaims, "I’m tempted to cry, with physicist John Archibald Wheeler, 'Oh how, could it have been otherwise!...' Let’s calm down and finish"(Lane 120). Lane's passion for his field and science, in general, shines through in every part of this book. He truly wants to invite you into the world of cells and protons. 

    

Alkaline hydrothermal vent (white smoker)

    Furthermore, I relished the vivid analogies Lane uses to make sense of complex ideas. For example, when discussing why viruses aren’t considered living he illustrates that “Within our cells, viruses are cosseted in the richest imaginable womb, a world that provides their every last want” (Lane 54). Instead of simply explaining how heavily viruses rely on their environment, he transports into a scene of a virus all nice and cozy in a host cell. Throughout the book, the author also compares prokaryotes to cuckoo clocks (trust me it makes sense), respiratory proteins to "crazy perpetual motion machines" (Lane 69), and relates the second law of thermodynamics to dementors. 

Respiratory complex I

    The Vital Question is a fascinating and brilliantly written biology book about how life began and became what it is today. It grasps the wonder of scientific discovery and the marvel that is biology. Along the journey to complex life, Lane winds through many topics in chemistry, physics, and biology, from proton gradients to jumping genes and everything in between. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in science. With two chapters left, I'm excited to see how this story ends, though I know it grows longer every day. 

Bibliography 

Lane, Nick. The Vital Question: Energy, Evolution, and the Origins of Complex Life. First American Edition, W. W. Norton & Company, 2015.