Genome (book)
| Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters | |
|---|---|
_cover.jpg) Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters | |
| Author | Matt Ridley |
| Subject | Human genome; Human genetics |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
Publication date | 1999 |
| Pages | 344 |
| ISBN | 978-0-00-763573-3 |
| OCLC | 165195856 |
| Dewey Decimal | 599.935 |
| LC Class | QH431 .R475 |
Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters is a 1999 popular science book by Matt Ridley, published by Fourth Estate.
The book devotes one chapter to each pair of human chromosomes. Since one (unnumbered) chapter is required to discuss the sex chromosomes, the final chapter is number 22. Ridley was inspired to adopt this model by Primo Levi's book The Periodic Table.
The book discusses various ways in which genes affect human life, from physiology to disease and behavior. The book covers the history of genetics, including Mendelian inheritance, eugenics, James D. Watson and Francis Crick, nature versus nurture and genetic engineering.
Chapter One, Life
The first chapter begins with a quote from Alexander Pope on the cycle of life. The very broad topic "Life" is also the topic of the chapter. Ridley discusses the history of the gene briefly, including our "last universal common ancestor" or "LUCA".
Chapter Two, Species
Ridley discusses the history of human kind as a genetically distinct species. He compares the human genome to chimpanzees, and ancestral primates. He also points out that until the 19th Century, most scholars believed that there were 24 sets of genes, not 23 as known today.
Chapter Three, History
This chapter discusses the interplay between early geneticists, including Gregor Mendel, Charles Darwin, Hermann Joseph Muller and Francis Crick among others.
Chapter Four, Fate
Huntington's Corea is used to discuss the use of a particular sequence on Chromosome Four to cause tramatic health consequences. The search for the chromosomal source of this and other related diseases is discussed through the work of Nancy Wexler, someone who may have inherited the gene but who turns to scientific work to study it in others.
Chapter Five, Environment
The concepts of pleitropy and genetic pluralism are introduced. A brief history of the study of asthma is used as the case study. Asthma is related to as many as fifteen different genes, many on chromosome five. Specifically, this includes a change from adenosine (A) to guanine (G) at position 46 on the ADRB2 gene. The ADRB2 gene is related to the control of bronchodialation and bronchoconstriction.
Chapter Six, Intelligence
Robert Plomin's announcement in 1997 of the discovery of a gene for "intelligence" on chromosome 6 is the foundation for this chapter's lengthier discussion of the genetic basis for intelligence. This included gene IGF2R on the long arm of chromosome 6. This gene may also be related to liver cancer. Ridley continues his premise in this chapter that the use of simple genetic markers is inadequate to describe the complete function of the genome, or the causation of disease.
Chapter Seven, Instinct
This chapter discusses whether the form and existence of language has a genetic component. Specifically, "specific language impairment" as possibly related to a gene on chromosome 7. Ridley discusses the scientific disagreement between Canadian linguist Myrna Gopnik and others regarding whether this disorder relates to difficulties with grammar formulation, or is more broad intellectual disorder. Genome, at page 104-05.
Chapter X and Y, Conflict
Ridley contemplates evolutionary psychology using the genes SRY (on the Y chromosome), DAX1 and Xq28 (on the X chromosome). The theory of genetic conflict and evolution is debated using the rhetorical question, are we bodies containing genes, or genes in bodies?
Chapter Eight, Self-Interest
Richard Dawkins' concept of the "selfish gene" is described by Ridley through a discussion of retrotransposons. This includes the behavior of the LINE-1 and Alu transposons. Further, Ridley discusses the possible purposes of cytosine methylation in development. The chapter also discusses how through reverse transcriptase retroviruses like HIV copies itself to the human genome.
Chapter Nine, Disease
For Chromosome 9, the book examines the discussion of the blood-typing genetic sequences. Namely, the ABO blood groups and their impact on evolution are discussed. Other genes mentioned include CFTR for cystic fibrosis. Ridley concludes that the Human Genome Project is largely based on the inaccurate belief that there is one single human genome. Proof that this is wrong comes from answering the question, which of the several choices of blood typing genetic sequence is selected, since each one has different disease-resistant and evolutionary consequences?
Chapter Ten, Stress
The impact of stress on the human body is described starting with the creation of hormones by the CYP17 gene on chromosome 10. Ridley points out the relationship between cholesterol, steroidal hormones such as progesterone, cortisol, aldosterone, testosterone and oestradiol.
Chapter Eleven, Personality
Ridley choses the gene D4DR which codes for the manufacture of dopamine and is located on the short arm of chromosome 11. Interactions between dopamine, serotonin and other serotonin neurochemistry are lightly covered.
Chapter Twelve, Self-Assembly
This chapter relates to how understanding the genetic code matches models for embryonic development among vertebrates. Ridley discusses 'gap' genes, 'pair-rule' genes, and 'segment-polarity' genes. Homeotic genes and Hox genes are described briefly. Walter Gehring's discovery of the homeobox set of codes in 1983 is related to an on and off switch metaphorically.
Chapter Thirteen, Pre-History
Ridley describes the relationship between the development of Indo-European and other ancient root languages and the classical polymorphisms which map genetic frequencies in Eurasia. The interplay between the breast cancer genes BRCA2 on chromosome 13 and BRCA1 on chromosome 17 help to illustrate these larger concepts. Ridley also describes genetic studies of different types of peoples to isolate why people developed a mutation allowing adults to digest lactase in adulthood. He concludes that since the herding tribes of the world all evolved this mutation earliest, these people's genes adapted to their environment. In a twisted way, this perhaps sounds like the theories of Larmarck who suggested that the blacksmith's beefy strong arms were 'handed down' to his children directly - though it is actually quite different. The controversial conclusion is that willed action can alter our evolutionary history and genetic composition, by changing the environment to which we have to adapt.
Chapter Fourteen, Immortality
This chapter examines the so-called "immortality" of the genetic code - i.e. how is it that genetic code can remain as precise as it has been for 50 billion copyings since the dawn of life? Part of the answer is in the protein enzyme telomerase, lying on chromosome 14 and coded by the gene TEP1.
Chapter Fifteen, Sex
Chapter Sixteen, Memory
Chapter Seventeen, Death
Chapter Eighteen, Cures
Chapter Nineteen, Prevention
Chapter Twenty, Politics
Chapter Twenty-One, Eugenics
Chapter Twenty-Two, Free Will
See also
- Genes VI, Benjamin Lewis (Oxford University Press, 1997)
- Human molecular genetics, Tom Strachan and Andrew Read (BIOS Scientific Publishers, 1996)
- Basic Genetics, Robert Weaver and Philip Hedrick (William C. Brown, 1995)
- DNA science, David Micklos and Greg Freyer (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 1990)
External links
- Weizmann Institute, website of 'gene-cards' relating to each gene
- OMIM, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man, Victor McKusick/National Library of Medicine/National Center for Biotechnology Information/McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
- Hereditary Disease Foundation, Bio of Alice Wexler, author