PART Ⅰ Introduction 1
1 A Brief History 1
2 The Molecular Nature of Genes 17
3 An Introduction to Gene Function 37
PART Ⅱ Methods in Molecular Biology 58
4 Molecular Cloning Methods 58
5 Molecular Tools for Studying Genes and Gene Activity 90
PART Ⅲ Transcription in Prokaryotes 131
6 The Mechanism of Transcription in Pro-karyotes 131
7 Operons：Fine Control of Prokaryotic Tran-scription 182
8 Major Shifts in Prokaryotic Transcription 213
9 DNA-Protein Interactions in Prokaryotes 243
PART Ⅳ Transcription in Eukaryotes 268
10 Eukaryotic RNA Polymerases and Their Pro-moters 268
11 General Transcription Factors in Eukaryotes 299
12 Transcription Activators in Eukaryotes 339
13 Chromatin Structure and Its Effects on Tran-scription 384
PART Ⅴ Posttranscriptional Events 425
14 Messenger RNA Processing Ⅰ：Splicing 425
15 Messenger RNA Processing Ⅱ：Capping and Polyadenylation 469
16 Other RNA Processing Events 508
PART Ⅵ Translation 544
17 The Mechanism of Translation Ⅰ：Initiation 544
18 The Mechanism of Translation Ⅱ：Elongation and Termination 584
19 Ribosomes and Transfer RNA 630
PART Ⅶ DNA Replication，Recombination，and Transposition 665
20 DNA Replication Ⅰ：Basic Mechanism and En-zymology 665
21 DNA Replication Ⅱ：Detailed Mechanism 712
22 Homologous Recombination 749
23 Transposition 774
PART Ⅷ Genomes 805
24 Genomics and Proteomics 805