Chapter three wasn't as great as the previous two chapters, but Shubin still managed to make it an enjoyable read. It took a step away from on the Tiktaalik for a while and focused on the another aspect that could provide proof of us being related to fish: genetics. Although I don't really approve of animal experimentation, geneticists' research succeeded in using it to connect completely different animals like sharks to mammals like us by showing that our DNA can react in the same ways. I was surprised to learn about ZPA and the role it plays in developing out fingers. It makes me wonder what sort of tissues or genes exist to help make the rest of the body form the way it did. I thought the Sonic hedgehog was a funny name, but it was a bit strange for a gene. A lot of things in this chapter were very confusing for me. I had to reread a lot of it in order to fully comprehend what Shubin was talking about. Still, I found the whole process interesting. The chapters will probably get more complicated and detailed from here on out, giving more information regarding our connection to our "inner fish" than stories of Shubin's many scientific adventures. Hopefully I'll be prepared for them.
~Bryanna Streeter :)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment