Fit for a Purpose 

Blaze a new trail of discovery in biochemistry. Nearly a half a century after the introduction of the idea that humanity lives in a universe at the just-right location, the just-right time, and with the just-right physical constants, the anthropic principle continues to gain acceptance among astronomers and astrophysicists. Few scientists question the fine-tuning of the numerical quantities that define the universe. But what about the unexplored areas of chemistry and biochemistry? Do we witness an equal amount of evidence for fine-tuning? In Fit for a Purpose, biochemist Fazale Rana, fearlessly pushes the boundaries of the anthropic principle beyond cosmology. In the process, Rana invites the reader to discover the world of chemical and biochemical fine-tuning, as well as to contemplate this question: If the universe is fit for life, and biochemical systems are fit for their role in life, is it possible that everything is “fit for a purpose”?

1. Opening Credits
2. Dedication
3. Introduction
4. Part 1: The Anthropic Principle | Chapter 1: The Cosmological Anthropic Principle
5. Part 2: Fitness of the Environment for Life | Chapter 2: The Father of the Anthropic Principle
6. Chapter 3: The Chemical Anthropic Principle
7. Part 3: The Biochemical Anthropic Principle | Chapter 4: Proteins, Part 1
8. Chapter 4: Proteins, Part 2
9. Chapter 5: The Nucleic Acids
10. Chapter 6: The Synthesis of Proteins and Nucleic Acids | Part 1
11. Chapter 6 | Part 2
12. Chapter 7: Cell Membranes | Part 1
13. Chapter 7 | Part 2
14. Chapter 8: Energy-Harvesting Pathways | Part 1
15. Chapter 8 | Part 2
16. Part 4: Implications | Chapter 9: Implications of the Biochemical Anthropic Principle
17. Closing Credits