When reading this chapter, I was kind of side-tracked, so I got sort of lost when Shubin was explaining how embryos act the first couple weeks after conception. Luckily for me, he included a diagram (which helped a lot). Along with the embryo diagram, Shubin includes many more. I found these extremely helpful this chapter.
So in this chapter, we learn about the hox genes, the organizer, and why we're laid out the way we are. It was pretty cool that those three little cushions work with the DNA of what ever creature it is in order to lay the correct plans for the development of the body. That's why we have a front and back end with different functions and parts that have their own distinctive spots. This, I was able to understand; we have a distinguished front and back, just like many other animals to which we are similar. Then comes along the whole we're like sea anemones too. Huh!? All I see is a blob with some sticky feelers that are fun to poke and watch close up. The only similarity that i saw between the anemone and myself was our love for the beach, and nothing less superficial than that. This was until Shubin explained that once cut in half sea anemones have that same median line just like us. He just keeps getting more ridiculous with his human-animal comparisons don't you think? They're pretty crazy comparisons, but what's even more shocking is they turn out to be correct!
No comments:
Post a Comment