chpater seven: the blob

This chapter, just like the rest, really surprised and intrigued me with the information that Shubin gave us. I really liked how again he showed our origins as humans ran through the most primitive creatures and organisms; organisms without bodies contained some of the same genes that organisms with bodies do. For example, single-celled organisms have the potential to become mass-celled creatures but for millions of years there was no need for a body and there was also a poorly suited environment for supporting bodied creatures. The idea that Shubin presented that I really understood was the idea that single-celled organisms are just single-celled microbes. I really liked this concept because the theory of evolution made more sense to me because the plans for bodies were always in organisms, they just needed the right environment to create these bodies. The allusion to the blob was really entertaining as well, I love how Shubin keeps the book interesting and keeps the concepts understandable by making connections with ideas that are well-known. The sponge experiment that Shubin talked about really fascinated me, because when the scientist separated all of the cells and particles and then watched the cells reform a body I couldn't believe that the cells could communicate in that way and recreate the sponge from scratch. With his underlying theme definitely enforced in this chapter, I continue to be amazed at the ways Shubin can connect practically all life.