Stories by Christian de Duve

Humans, together with all other animals, plants and fungi, owe their existence to the momentous transformation of tiny, primitive bacteria into large, intricately organized cells

A group of subcellular organelles linked by superficial structural similarities actually includes several distinct types, each having different sets of enzymes dedicated to different metabolic tasks

This small particle acts as the digestive tract of the living cell. Its enzymes dissolve the substances ingested by the cell and under certain circumstances can dissolve the cell itself