Chapter 3: Handy Genes

I like the whole idea of DNA over fossils any day. So this chapter caught my attention more than others. One thing that stuck out to me in the reading was early experiments on DNA. Scientists had to find test subjects that were large enough to see the changes the manipulation of DNA in action. The test subjects chosen were of course chicken eggs. One could manipulate its DNA, but with microscopic precision. The idea presented in this chapter about the manipulation of chicken egg DNA struck a memory within me about a previous project I had worked on. In last year's Biology HP class we had a socratic seminar and discussed a multitude of topics. When the topic of manipulating DNA I brought up something interesting I saw on TV. Chicken eggs were being manipulated to try activate the "sleeping" and "prehistoric" genes inside the chicken to revert back to more of a dinosaur. I find that by exploring one's DNA and genes is a knowledgeable and exciting look into the history of all creatures.