Chapters 8-12

Chapter 8: Making Scents

This chapter was different and eye-opening. Things discussed in this chapter were never truly considered. When i thought of the nose and scents, the nose was just for breathing and smelling. I did not think to acknowledge that the nose was necessary for human survival. I knew that the nose helps to warm the air and for it to be cleaned, making the molecules easier to diffuse into a cell, but that was all that i thought the nose was for. Smelling, to me, was just a convenience and breathing could be done through the mouth. It was also surprising that fish and amphibians could smell. I thought that only mammals, that live on land, could smell, but Shubin has proved and taught me otherwise. Because i never grasped the idea that the ocean could smell, i found no purpose in fish and amphibians to smell.

Chapter 9: Vision

I always knew that the eye was such an important aspect and asset in our daily lives. Because of our vision, we are able to easily walk around a room or find something to eat. When i began to think of those that have no vision, or are color blind, i was hit with empathy. I cannot imagine how tough life would be to have such a hardship. What also interested me was the fact that the eye is composed of seventy percent of our sensory cells. Seventy percent of our sensory cells make up two balls, with a diameter of approximately one inch. That is amazing. This also means that only 30 percent are within the rest of our bodies, more than 20 times as big. The last thing that caught my attention was that monkeys were the first animals in which color vision appeared. In the evolutionary road, humans are close relatives to monkeys, meaning that colored vision only came about a few thousand years ago. What an interesting and EYE-catching topic. (:

Chapter 10: Ears

Things i never knew about the ears were introduced to me today. Wow. How can there be fluid in your ears? And this is what signals the brain that your head is tilted. This is amazing to me because i thought having fluids in your ear were bad for you. That is why i always hated when water was stuck in my ear after swimming, but who knew there was already fluids in your ear, and it is an important aspect of movement. This plays into affect when one consumes alcohol. Because of alcohol, the fluid in our ears swirl and our brain begins to believe we are moving. No wonder those who are drunk feel dizzy and like they are moving. Also the fact that humans are the only animals with ears that protrude off the surface of your face was alarming. Of course it is an obvious fact, yet i never took that into account. That was just something that did not have much affect on me. But when Shubin introduced this fact, i was bewildered.

Chapter 11: The Meaning of it All

This chapter was the best of all (: Not only because we are ending the book, but because of the structure. Due to the last chapter, i am reminded of all that we have learned in the book. This book was not only a new perspective on evolution, but also a review and teaching tool used by Mr. Tisor to reteach and remind us of the things and new things that we learned in freshmen year. Because of this chapter, i can think of the book as a whole. And now, i take into account that the book is one of the most interesting and didactic books i have ever read. This constantly kept me wanting to read more and learn more. WHAT A GREAT BOOK (: