Chapters 8 - 11

Chapter 8: Making Scents
Again with the stories.... Shubin beat the odds against DNA testing machines and is still digging dirt :) woo-hoo!!! But really without still being able to do such things we wouldn't be reading such a thought-provoking book. Interesting side note fact I didn't know that although only active in the nasal area, smell cells are in all the areas of our body, I liked Shubin's simplistic analogy of the lock and key method in regards to the odor and the nerve receptor. It is Shubin's ability to simplify the complex concepts that make this book both intriguing yet still learning tool. I loved seeing Shubin tie in scents with the fish; I thought we might have lost that for a while? When we think about it a lot of our time does go into smelling the things around so in turn, I think to learn about scents is beneficial.

Chapter 9: Vision
Imagine that, a lot of the processing for your sight and such happens in the brain. Go Figure! And may I just say the diagram depicted in this chapter was extremely helpful in seeing the effects of eyes coming into focus. Light-changing molecules are impressive they change shape, recharge in the dark, and are the epitome of your seeing ability.

Chapter 10: Ears
Well, it's only fair to say that with the ear chapter we will learn more about how the sound and organisms necessary in this aspect of our body's duties. Think as fish to humans we went from gills to arches to our ears and that evolution has lead to diversity and abundant amount of species. The most interesting part to know however was that the device on our body that allows one to hear what is said around them comes from no other then the jelly fish. Although the ear organ system is controlled by multiple genes the function it serves is crucial and yet not at all new.

Chapter 11: The Meaning of it All
This was the chapter I have been waiting for! Well I will be the first to say, this book took me by great surprise. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it at all in fact I was dreading having to read it at all. Yet after the first chapter, Shubin's first personal experience story, I was hooked. You go into reading it thinking it's impossible there is no way I am the relative of a fish and yet you're proved completely wrong. This book taught me so many things about how the our bodies work and what goes on under the surface. The chapter when we looked into the brain had to be my favorite part because it just left you knowing a zillion times more information then you would even think to understand.

hahaha... all in all it was a great read!!! and I'm ready for bio :)) I hope