Ch. 3 - Handy Genes

I thought this chapter was fun because it related all creatures through genetics, and genetics is one of the subjects that I like in science. The beginning of it confused me a little but as I started to understand what's going on as I read on. When I read that it's possible to manipulate genes in experiments to test the outcome I was amazed. I thought it would be fun to test out all the different possibilites that can result just from the different order or switching of a single gene.

A new thing that I learned from this passage was the incredible tissue called ZPA and its ability to control the formation of fingers and toes. If you had to talk about ZPA, you cannot forget the Sonic hedgehog. After everything that happened before, I'm not surprised that every limbed animal has this gene. Animals from flies to chickens to sharks that are all not at all alike has this same gene. Imagine if this gene turns off or on at the wrong second, some mutation would occur and you might end up with one too many a finger. It is a thought to consider.

In addition to all the tests and experiments they have done to the embryos and such like the Vitamin A, I think it would be interesting if they tried different things as well to see what the result would be like switching a gene or adding an extra one. There are so many ways to test them out it's mind boggling. So far, I like how each chapter of this book talks about a different topic although it all connects to the central idea of evolution and our "inner fish."