Chapter 7

Shubin started off this chapter by catching my interest at the very first page. It talked about him looking through a microscope and observing how an embryo went through its developing stages. He used the colors of dyes to elucidate the progression of the embryo. Eventually, the embryo matured and developed bones which is produced by the cells clumping together. What also caught my eye was the figure on page 121. As students, we have been taught again and again that humans' arrival were delayed. However, after Shubin's analogies and the time chart, I had an epiphany. Humans can be considered as mere toddlers compared to the other life forms that arrived earlier. Also, Shubin explains why microbes soon created bodies for themselves; it was an act of self-defense. The microbes started to feed on each other and defensive mechanisms were becoming more reliant. These microbes that started the transformation to bodies led to humans today. The irony is, the microbes that created out very bodies to defend themselves have made humans on the top of the food chain. Microbes fought for life, while humans enjoy leisure and food from the market.