The Croonian lecture 2006 Structure of the living cell

摘要

The smallest viable unit of life is a single cell. To understand life, we need to visualize the structure ofrnthe cell as well as all cellular components and their complexes. This is a formidable task that requiresrnsophisticated tools. These have developed from the rudimentary early microscopes of 350 years agornto a toolbox that includes electron microscopes, synchrotrons, high magnetic fields and vastrncomputing power. This lecture briefly reviews the development of biophysical tools and illustratesrnhow they begin to unravel the ‘molecular logic of the living state’.