Biology for Engineers

Dr G K Suraishkumar is Professor, Dept. of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai. He has been at IITM as a Professor since May 2004, and was earlier a faculty member in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB). He was also an Associate Faculty member in the erstwhile Centre for Biotechnology, which is now the Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, at IIT-Bombay, between1995 and 2004. A Ph.D. from Drexel University, Philadelphia, he also did his masters at the University of Cincinnati.

• 1: Why should engineers know biology?1.1. Biology and the engineering undergraduate1.2. Need for biology1.2.1 Shinkansen sonic boom1.2.2. For our wellness - we are all biological entities1.2.3. Scholarly view - it is there and it needs to be understood Reflection point (RP) 1.2.1.3. Learning biology is fundamentally not different from learning mathematicsRP 1.3.1.4. How will this book help?1.5. Additional information 2: What is life? How did it originate on earth and evolve?2.1. Why are surgical instruments sterilized before use?RP 2.1.2.2. What is life?2.3. The cell is the fundamental functional unit of lifeRP 2.3.2.4. Cells in the human bodyRP 2.4.2.5. What does science tell us about the origin of life on earth?RP 2.5. 2.6. What is evolution?RP 2.6.2.7. Additional Information 3: The fundamental molecules of life - 13.1. BioreactorsRP 3.1.3.2. Shear in bioreactors and its effect on productivity3.3. What gets affected by shear in cells?RP 3.3.3.4. A typical eukaryotic cell contains many parts tightly packed inside itRP 3.4.3.5. How is the cell (plasma) membrane, microscopically speaking?3.6. Molecules that consist the cell (plasma) membraneRP 3.6.3.7. Functions of the cell membraneRP 3.7. 3.8. Lipids - one of the four fundamental biomoleculesRP 3.8.3.9. Lipids - the human angleRP 3.9. 3.10. Additional Information 4: Fundamental molecules of life - 24.1. How is curd/yogurt made at home?4.2. Why does milk turn into curd?4.3. What is the source of the acid?4.4. Carbohydrates - the second of the four fundamental biomoleculesRP 4.4.4.5. Action at a molecular level4.6. Water and its biological relevanceRP 4.6.4.7. Aggregation of something called casein led to curd formation4.8. Significance of carbohydrates in the human body (diabetes, etc.)RP 4.8.4.9. BioenergyRP 4.9.4.10 Additional Information 5: 5. Fundamental molecules of life - 35.1. Casein is a protein5.2. Amino acids and their polymersRP 5.2. 5.3. Structure of proteins - the third of the four fundamental biomoleculesRP 5.3.5.4. Structure function relationship and significanceRP 5.4.5.5. Role of proteins in the cell and its membraneRP 5.5.5.6. Role of proteins in the human bodyRP 5.6.5.7. Enzymes are mostly proteins5.8. Enzymes used in the industry5.9. Quantification of enzyme activity and kineticsRP 5.9.5.10. Additional Information 6: Fundamental molecules of life - 46.1. How does the cell get energy for its various processes?RP 6.1.6.2. What kind of molecules are ATP and ADP? - Nucleic acids: the fourth of the fourfundamental biomoleculesRP 6.2.6.3. Substrate level phosphorylationRP 6.3.6.4. Electron transport phosphorylationRP 6.4.6.5. Where do these phosphorylations take place in a cell?RP 6.5.6.6. Polymers of nucleotides - DNA, RNA6.7. Structural aspects of DNA and RNARP 6.7.6.8. Where and in what form is DNA present in the cell?6.9. Additional Information 7: DNA replication7.1. Separation of strands, replication bubbles and forkRP 7.1.7.2. Priming, addition of new monomers (DNA elongation) and directionalityRP 7.2.7.3. Leading, lagging strands and Okazaki fragmentsRP 7.3.7.4. Problem at the ends of non-circular DNARP 7.4.7.5. Proof-reading and repair of DNARP 7.5.7.6. Additional Information 8: Cell replication and its quantification8.1. DNA replication happens in a cell as a part of the cell cycle8.2. The major steps in a cell cycleRP 8.2.8.3. Why should cells replicate?RP 8.3.8.4. Quantification of cell divisionRP 8.4.8.5. Chromosomes in the cell8.6. All cells undergo mitosisRP 8.6.8.7. Sex (germ) cells undergo both mitosis and meiosisRP 8.7.8.8. Additional Information 9: How are proteins made in the cell? - Transcription and translation9.1. Role of enzymes in the cell and the human body (recall)9.2. The central dogma9.3. Overview of the transcription and translation processesRP 9.3.9.4. The genetic codeRP 9.4.9.5. Some details of transcription - initiation, elongation, and termination9.5.1. Initiation9.5.2. Elongation9.5.2. TerminationRP 9.5.9.6. Modifications in eukaryotic pre-mRNA9.6.1. Additions9.6.2 Cut-pasteRP 9.6.9.7. Details of the translation process - initiation, elongation, and termination9.7.1. Initiation9.7.2. Elongation of the polypeptide chain9.7.3. TerminationRP 9.7.9.8. Post-translational modificationsRP 9.8.9.9. Protein targetingRP 9.9.9.10. Mutations and their outcomesRP 9.10.9.11. Mutation - the molecular mechanism of evolution, and the core of genetic engineering9.12. Additional Information 10: Mendelian genetics as a useful tool10.1. Common genetic diseases in IndiaRP 10.1.10.2. Common genetic diseases across the worldRP 10.2.10.3. Mendelian genetics - a first approximation tool to predict genetic diseases in the offspringRP 10.3.10.4. Essentials of Mendelian geneticsRP 10.4.10.5. Probabilities of occurrence in Mendelian geneticsRP 10.5.10.6. Pedigree analysisRP 10.6.10.7 Sex-linked inheritanceRP 10.7.10.8. Non-Mendelian inheritanceRP 10.8.10.9. Additional Information 11: The coordinated function of cells in a biological system - human organ systems11.1. Tissues - Cellular and extra-cellular matrix details11.1.1. Muscle tissue11.1.2. Nervous tissue11.1.3. Connective tissue11.1.4. Epithelial tissueRP 11.111.2. Organs are made of difference tissue types11.3. Respiratory and circulatory systems11.4. Digestive and excretory systems11.5. Nervous systemRP 11.5.11.6. Other systems11.7. Homeostasis, and its achievement through coordinated function of different organ systemsRP 11.7.11.8. Additional information