This book deals
with biological membranes, focuses on permeabilization and pays particular
attention to reversible permeabilization to maintain the viability and
physiological conditions of the cells.
Selective
permeability of biological membranes also known as semipermeability, partial
permeability or differential permeability allows molecules to diffuse, pass by
passive and active or by other types of transport processes mediated by
proteins.
The first
chapter of the book deals with the composition of biological membranes,
characterizes cellular membranes of prokaryotic, eukaryotic cells, membranes of
cellular organelles and the function of biological membranes. The second chapter provides an overview of bilayer
permeability, selectivity of permeabilization and cellular transport
processes. Chapter
3 overviews different cell manipulations that aim to make cells permeable while
maintaining not only the structural but also the functional integrity of cells.
The last chapter deals with applications, particularly with
reversible permeabilization to study macromolecular (DNA, RNA, poly-ADP ribose)
biosynthetic processes, replication, gene expression, visualization of
replicons, intermediates of chromosome condensation, genotoxic chromatin
changes, upon treatment with heavy metals and different types of irradiation.
The interdisciplinary
aspects of the book contribute to the understanding of the structure of nucleic
acids, replicative intermediates, Okazaki fragments, RNA primer mechanism,
subphases of replication and repair synthesis, replicons, gene expression,
chromosome condensation generated a wealth of information that will attract a
wide readership. The natural audience engaged in DNA research, including
genetics, cell and molecular biology, chemistry, biochemistry, medicine,
pharmacy will find essential material in the book.