Chapter 8 Making Scents.

Yaaaay! Finally a short chapter, hahah. Even though it was shorter it did not make it any less intruiging. Shubin's introduction to the chapter with the development of DNA was interesting, especially the part where he describes how to extract DNA from simple things like chicken liver. It made me want to try to do it but I would make a mess and not want to clean up, haha. The use of our olfactory genes is pretty remarkable in which we can hold thousands of different scents from when we can first remember like from schoolrooms or the kitchen. The analogy he used that worked best to describe the process was, the music chord. The comparison of the many notes or smaller scents combine to make one note or smell that is perceived. The diagram on 142 was also very helpful. Another interesting point he brought up was the water mammals and how they no longer use their blowholes for smell but to breath and how mutations carried on from generations eventually led to that. Even if this chapter was shorter it didn't make it any less informative or enjoyable. So much reading this summer, haha. (: