Rephrase all of the following, and have each paragraph separated (like I have it below)
Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters by Matt Ridley is a close look at the genes and chromosomes that determine the unique looks and characteristics of each human being. In each chapter, Ridley examines one chromosome on each gene and how that chromosome affects the way the human body operates. From Huntington’s disease to blood type, genes affect every aspect of human life. Genome discusses the scientific, philosophical, and moral issues that spring from human knowledge of genetics.
Genome is an expansive look at the coding that makes up the human genome and the effects of changes in that coding. Each chapter looks at one gene on one chromosome and discusses how subtle changes in its coding have drastic effects on human life. In chapter four, Ridley discusses Huntington’s gene, which, as per the name, is the gene that determines whether or not an individual has Huntington’s disease, which is a genetic disorder that is always fatal. A slight mutation in the coding near the top of chromosome 4 results in an excess of glutamine, mainly in the movement-control area of the brain, which builds up over time and results in movement becoming progressively less easy and controlled (Ridley 58-59). Huntington’s disease, and its mutation, are examples of how a seemingly harmless conglomerate of DNA “letters” can severely impact day-to-day life. Genes hold the code for everything from eye color to gender to, to an extent, personality. Throughout the book, Ridley covers the origins of the science of genetics, the implications of the discovery of the genetic code, and the many ways small changes in genes dramatically affect individuals. One core concept of Genome is that the diversity of humanity, from skin tone to personality to risk for life-threatening or fatal diseases, is derived from the otherwise insignificant genes contained in microscopic cells. It is an overview of the human genome and how the slightest mutation affects human beings.
The concept that evolution drives the unity and diversity of life (Big Idea 1) is a core concept of Genome. Ridley discusses how genes mutate and become extinct based on circumstances and how these mutations progress to change the genetic makeup of different species. Usually, these changes are small, like a shift in the way a butterfly is patterned, and sometimes they are lifesavers, like resistance to disease. In Chapter 2, Ridley discusses the series of genetic mutations that combined to form humans from apes and allowed them to continue to exist. The author states “. . . the remarkable truth is that we come from a long line of failures. We are apes, a group that almost went extinct fifteen million years ago in competition with the better-designed monkeys. We are primates, a group of mammals that almost went extinct fortyfive million years ago in competition with the better-designed rodents. We are synapsid tetrapods, a group of reptiles that almost went extinct 200 million years ago in competition with the better-designed dinosaurs. We are descended from limbed fishes, which almost went extinct 360 million years ago in competition with the better-designed ray-finned fishes. We are chordates, a phylum that survived the Cambrian era 500 million years ago by the skin of its teeth in competition with the brilliantly successful arthropods. Our ecological success came against humbling odds.” This quote illustrates the concept of natural selection and how both diversity and unity are achieved through evolution. The unity of the human race, the defining factors we see today, were honed from a variety of characteristics that survived from the genetics of our ancestors. In some cases, in fact, in many of them, these characteristics were not the most refined or the best suited to the environment. They simply did not die out, and in doing so eventually combined to make the human race. Life’s diversity is also illustrated in this process. Different sets of genes were better for different areas. Where and how those genes survived determined the differences between species that are still visible today. Rodents, for example, still exist due to the specific design that allowed them to cooperate with ecosystems to stay alive, as are primates. These ideas are core to the study of genetics, and so to Genome because through the study of genetics scientists can piece together a picture of the history of our species and so better understand the code that determines so many aspects of human life today. The concept that evolution drives the unity and diversity of life is key to Genome.
The foundation of genetics centers on the concept that living systems store, retrieve, transmit, and respond to information essential to life processes (Big Idea 3) in the form of DNA. In fact, DNA is the primary form by which organisms store and transmit the coding for human life. In Genome, Ridley uses the example of a book as a picture of DNA, saying that “A book is a piece of digital information, written in linear, one-dimensional and one-directional form and defined by a code that transliterates a small alphabet of signs into a large lexicon of meanings through the order of their groupings. So is a genome.” Throughout the book, Ridley discusses how the “book” of the genome is written and transcribed to form the unique characteristics of each individual. Each human being has 23 chromosomes from each parent for a total of 46 chromosomes unique to that individual. Each cell fully functional cell, excepting a few special cases such as red blood cells, have a complete copy of the genome, which enables the cell to synthesize proteins, lipids, and other molecules essential to human life. DNA encodes the “instructions” for the synthesization of these molecules. When the “letters” in the DNA code change, there is a ripple effect that alters the shape and functionality of important molecules, which usually causes severe and sometimes fatal disorders. It is vital to human life that DNA stores and transmits this information correctly. The foundation of genetics centers on the storage and transmission of information.
This book was a fascinating read that explained the core concepts of genetics clearly and in terms that the average citizen could understand. It gave a clear insight into the extent that genetics affects human life and the extent that it does not, making it clear that environment, as well as a variety of other factors, have a major impact on individuals as well. It allows the reader to understand how their genetics affect them and the potential consequences for them and their offspring. Genome: the Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters by Matt Ridley is a thorough overview of the effects of the genome on human life.
