In Life Itself, Boyce Rensberger, science writer for The Washington Post, takes readers to the frontlines of cell research with some of the brightest investigators in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology. Virtually all the hottest topics in biomedical research are covered here, such as how do cells and their minute components move How do the body's cells heal wounds? What is cancer? Why do cells die? And what is the nature of life? The solutions to the most pressing challenges facing scientists today - from the efforts to conquer disease to the quest to understand life itself - will be found in the innermost workings of the cell. In Life Itself, Rensberger paints a colourful and fascinating portrait of modern research in this vital area, an account which will enthrall anyone interested in state-of-the-art science or the incredible workings of the human body.