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Unlocking the Mystery of Life Documentary that transports you into the interior of the living cell by Illustra Media. 2002. 61 minutes.  $20

13 minute documentary by Christian Sardet, Andreas Koch, Laurent Larsonneur

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This film provides a spectacular example of the intelligent design as spectacular computer-generated images transport us inside a living cell. We follow a hormone as it passes through the cell membrane and cytoplasm, and enters the nucleus where we see the magnificent ballet of mitosis, the replication of DNA and the separation of chromosomes to form two daughter cells. A lively narrative text and original music accompany the images.

The complexity of the human cell is intuitively obvious as the narrator explains that the cell is populated by an amazing array of messenger molecules, miniature structures, and biochemical micro-machines. The 3-D computer animation follows a hormone on its journey through inner space, where it penetrates a cell's membrane, reaches the nucleus, and induces mitosis. Cell components such as proteins, enzymes, the endoplasmic reticulum, and cytoplasm are all identified, while a memorable depiction of cell division captures the beauty and information rich process of cellular reproduction.

"The remarkable graphics really bring home in detail the large number of molecular processes and gadgets responsible for the behavior of a cell, including DNA replication and cellular division. Astonishing!"

Francis Crick, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies