Although it didn't really make any relations to fish this chapter, the comparison of single-celled microbes and the organisms of today caught my interest. The fact that one wrong cell can kill a person is pretty scary, but it is also incredible to know that our cells are capable of setting up our entire body the right way. I like how Shubin separated his discussion about bodies into three parts: When? How? Why? It made it a whole lot easier to follow what he was trying to explain. The comparison of earth's history to a single-year calendar helped a lot with getting a clear idea of how long organisms have gone on living without bodies. Shubin also talked about the purpose and structure of cartilage. Until now I only know it was the material on your earlobes and nose that could be pierced if you wanted. The placozoan seems like a strange creature, and I think I remember seeing one in a Youtube video. I'm not sure it was the same thing, but it did remind me of a blob, and it was a living breathing animal. I got a little confused with the choanoflagellates. Since Shubin brought up the large gap between the time of the first living organisms and the first with bodies on earth's "calendar", I wondered why in the world it took so long for bodies to develop. Shubin easily answered my "why" question at the end of the chapter: oxygen. That made me feel a little stupid. Of course there wasn't enough oxygen for multi-celled organisms back then :p Well all in all I really enjoyed this chaper.
~Bryanna Streeter :)
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