Chapters 8 - 11

Chapter 8: Making Scents

Smell has always been mysterious to me. I never put thought into smell and how it effects our survival or our body's processes. This particular chapter was interesting, because it helped open my eyes to what smell does do for our body. I never thought of smell as something that could be composed of molecules and as a physical object, rather than an abstract idea. The origin of our nose, or nasal openings, was also fascinating. I had also not put much thought into how we, as humans, developed our sense of smell from primitive forms in the past. Smell has been present in Tiktaalik, and their nasal passages were developed like ours. This shows the evolutionary connection we share with Tiktaalik through the sense of smell.

Chapter 9: Vision

Vision is important. Animals utilize everyday, and it seems to be the most important sense we use today for survival. Looking back at the past, it is important to notice the complex development of the eye into the organ we use today. Simple eyes, such as those in lampets and nautiluses, don't have all the complex features that human eyes do. The further complex an eye is, the more acute the vision. I found it fascinating, and wondered what it would be like to have a simpler eye. Also, it was simple to see a connection we have to apes with color vision. It is fascinating that only primates have more than two kinds of receptors which enable us to distinguish far more colors. It set me on a train of thought, and let me wonder where evolution will take the eye next.

Chapter 10: Ears

The ears are magnificently complex structures that I normally don't give much thought to. However, the chapter helped give me new ideas about the ears. I was unaware that the inner ear, which controls the nerve impulses to the brain, was the most ancient part of our modern ear. If I was not to think about it, I would say the outer ear was the most ancient, because it seems the most primitive. I then realized that the inner ear had to be as it was the only part with a direct connection to the brain. The diagrams in the chapter help me trace back the heritage of the ear and its origins, including which specific parts of ancient species it came from. One strange part of the ear I never knew before was the addition of liquid inside of it. Now that I go back and give it thought, it explains so much about how our brain operates whenever it is disoriented. It explains why moving quickly and rapidly (i.e., getting out of bed too quick) causes the brain to become confused.

Chapter 11: The Meaning of It All

The book was interesting, and the last chapter certainly tops it all off. Shubin's reflections on the way these genes spread throughout history were especially helpful. The two family trees, of the family of clowns and of the normal animals, helps further explain everything up to this point. All of these parts of the human body, from the bones to the complex senses, have all originated from a single common ancestor at some point that decidedly got more complex as time went on. A more sobering point is one that Shubin makes mid-chapter, as he explains that we are not genetic masterpieces. Shubin helps me understand that the complex path our bodies have gone through have left us with a multitude of problems, like cancers and tumors. Our common animalian history, too, has also left us unprepared for the inactivity present in modern society. Altogether, the book has left me interested in biology, and reminded me of what I should have never forgotten. Through Shubin's voice, I have learned a small section of the story of the human body and have found myself thirsting for more.

The End (finally)

Chapter 8: Making Scents
This chapter was actually interesting to read. It was relatively short and straight to the point. I like the part where he mentioned the strong connection we associate scents with memories. I know that when I smell homemade tortillas I immediately think about my grandmother's kitchen. By using the lock-and-key mechanism, I was better able to understand what the molecular part of smelling better. I found it very fascinating that many of the human genes for smelling have been rendered completely useless. I didn't understand why that was like that until finishing the chapter and realizing that we traded sight for smell. It is very amusing to learn how our body has changed and modified to live in today's world.

Chapter 9: Vision
I really enjoy how Shubin uses analogies to compare biology to things that are easier to understand. I appreciate the use of the history of the Corvette because I found reading that easier to connect what Shubin was saying. The information in this chapter was very useful, especially the recap about how the eyes work. I haven't learned about the eyes since I had to dissect the sheep eye in the eighth grade, so I was very grateful for that. Another thing I liked about this chapter is how Shubin included headings for what he was talking about (ex. light-gathering molecules, tissues, and genes). It made reading the chapter much easier. It was very interesting to read that every animal use opsins. I was completely absorbed in the reading while he talked about the eyeless gene. I thought it was crazy how they were able to control the gene to grow eyes anywhere on the fly's body. The vision chapter was very useful to read.

Chapter 10: Ears
I don't know why, but the first page made me laugh for some reason. I like how Shubin calls the inside of the ear a letdown and also I like how he says, "Next time you are at a concert, just imagine all the stuff flying around in your head."..yeah I'm going to a concert on the 2nd and I don't think I'll be thinking about that at all. Maybe because I'll be too focused on not dying in the mosh pit, but nice try Shubin, I shall never match your enthusiasm for biology. It was really shocking for me to read that the middle ear of mammals ultimately evolve from jawbones of reptiles. This just reminds me of how all the animals are related to one another and over time evolved into different species. I enjoyed the small experiment on page 166 because it made me appreciate how great our eye-muscle link. It was interesting reading about what happens to our inner ear when we drink too much, I never knew that was how it worked. The last paragraph really caught my attention, it was amazing to learn that our genes came from primitive creatures like the jellyfish.

Chapter 11: The Meaning of it All
Chapter 11 was a very useful summary. I like how he reminds me of the main points such as descent with modification. We also went back to the zoo, the first chapter which I have long have forgotten by now. I really like the way this book was written because the entire book was basically showing the deep similarities between today's creatures and the long dead ones. He writes in a way that ties all of that with the concept of descent with modification. I really got interested when he was talking about heart disease and obesity and had to laugh when he called us out on not being active. He also made me happy by including the fun interesting fact that the longest uninterrupted hiccups in a person lasted from 1922 to 1990. Shubin really wrote this book well and even kept it entertaining as well as informative. However I will not lie here and come out to say I for one am very glad to be finished with this book. So bless your face and if you sneezed during this blog of recapitulation then bless you, peace off!!

LAST ONE!!!!!

chapter.8

This time Shubin has gone over another part of our bodies: the nasal system. It's funny how every chapter has a at least one or more fact that I have learned or heard before appear in the chapter and Shubin explains it further. I know that the smell comes in through my nose and reach the brain to tell what it is. Then, Shubin's explanation about how odor molecules attach to receptors inside the nasal system which send signal to my brain to stimulate. Furthermore, it is remarkable how humans' sight has been improved as our bodies knocked down some of those smell genes. We evolve to survive in the nature. SURVIVAL TO THE FITTEST!

chapter. 9

The most interesting and my favorite chapter of this book. As Shubin slightly mentioned in previous chapter, this chapter is about our vision and how molecules in our bodies gather these lights. I didn't know that humans have higher accuracy on vision because we have more developed eyes than other mammals. I never imagined that light-gathering molecules change its shape in bright and dark room and require time to recharge. I wondered about why i couldn't see in the dark right away and slowly gain the vision, but, I never thought of it this way. Lastly, when he talks about eyeless and Pax 6 genes and how scientists can create mutant through experiments. It gives me a chill as if I was reading science fiction, yet, all these things are actually possible. And if also got me an idea that if those genes were placed in different area of our bodies from the beginning we could have been born in mutant form, believing that it is normal.

chapter. 10

Why is it just delivering sound so complicated? So, the fact that these hearing system is composed of three bones is because we developed this ear from jaw. We might not have these ears if we stopped developing. As primitive creatures walked out to land, they required different types of hearing system for out of the water which have started the development of today's human ear. Could we have been merman/mermaid if those ancient creatures didn't creep out of the water? Also, it was interesting about the fact how fish or water creatures use inner ear structure (first, I was wondering why would they even need any kinds of ear structure at all?) to protect themselves from being eaten when humans developed "external" ear structure.

chapter. 11

So basically, Shubin wrapped up everything he talked about in throughout the book. It was interesting how he went over one part of the body at a time. His connection of our bodies to the zoo was humorous how we are connected to all the other animals in someway or another. Moreover, as he was going over why we LOVE fatty foods, it kind of broke my heart (in jocular way). I bet everyone giggled for once when Shubin displayed the diagram of bozo family and how it originated from non-humorous couples. To finish the thought, this book was pretty twisting compare to what I have thought it would be in the beginning. I heard from many of my friends how boring it is, but then, not everything is boring.

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 (:

Chapter EIGHT-ELEVEN

Chapter 8: Making Scents
To believe that animals, insects, ect., have the sense of smell was already knowledgeable to me; however, what I didn't know was how the animals and insects actually smelled things. I always believed that humans can smell just because we inhale, but it is actually something more than that. The smell actually sticks to the nasal passage which sends the message to the brain determining what the smell actually is. The thing that surprised and interested me was how fish smell. The way that fish smell was so interesting to me because for fish or other sea creatures (not sea mammals) separate the water inside them so then when they inhale the water, they also inhale the smell. The sea creatures then are able to determine what the smell is by inhaling the water. This is just like how humans or land creatures inhale the air to smell. So interesting.

Chapter 9: Vision
I don't know much about fossils so I was kind of surprised to read that fossils don't have eyes imprinted onto the fossil, however it also amazed me because the eye was even visible to Shubin. Anyways, this chapter really taught me about eyes and taught me not to take my eyesight for granted. For example, this chapter really retaught me about the anatomy of eyes and what it takes for us to see with our eyes as well. I remember that I was taught the anatomy of the eyes in the seventh grade and what it took for us to see and reading this reminded me of that lesson. For example, the light from the outside goes through the pupil and hits the retina, producing light inside our eye, sending that message to our brain, which then produces a picture. We of all life forms have a way to see and some have eyes and others don't. The ones that do have eyes are really gifted with something special and after reading this, it teaches me not to take my eyesight for granted and to take good care of my eyes.

Chapter 10: Ears
I have learned that the ear, after reading this consists of many parts. The ability to hear is as amazing as the gift of sight. Some people cannot see, some people cannot hear, and some people cannot see nor hear. The ear is simply amazing. There are so many parts to the ear that it is used to make the ear effective for its particular purpose. It taught me that ears hear in frequencies, just like bats and dolphins. The way that living organisms hear is through their ear, although most organisms don't show their ear, they have the ear inside them, hearing the frequency changes causing them to hear the "sounds". Also there is fluid in our ears, therefore, when kids or people spin, the fluid in their ears keep spinning even after they are done spinning themselves, making the people feel dizzy.

Chapter 11: The Meaning Of It All
The book has finally come to an end and I will be honest, I am kind of relieved it is ending, but also satisfied. I got so much information about the human body, and how it works. Also, his stories about his expeditions were exciting as well. I also liked how he seemed honest when writing about his expeditions because he didn't seem as though he was trying to make himself seem as though he was this big shot archaeologist. Instead, it seemed as though he was writing about how hard it was during those times of the expedition and he that he wasn't like those archaeologists that find a fossil everyday. This chapter really wraps it all up, so was a really interesting read.

Chapter Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven

Chapter Eight: Making Scents:

The variety of smells in the world can help us survive. When we smell an object, the brain reacts to the signals sent from the nose and remembers the scent. Many creatures have one or more holes to bring the scent inside the body, where special tissues chemically interact with the neurons to recognize the smell. The narrator expressed his idea of evolution, proving that fish, mammals, and reptiles have nasal receptor systems, water-based ones for fish and air-based ones for mammals and reptiles. Shubin points out that the number of odor genes have dramatically increased from the era of the jawless fish to the time of mammls, highly speacialized and effective animals. The reason of having a large number of olfactory genes can be explained by our ancestors; our body still contains left over smell genes from the past.

Chapter Nine: Vision

Shubin explains the roles of the eyes by stating that we have little cameras in the back of our brain, capturing light and processing images that our eyes capture. The light must pass through certain tissues such as cornea, iris, lens, retina for the lights to convert to an image. The structures of an eye is very complex; different opsins are used to differentiate the black, the while, and the colored images. Shubin, once again reemphasizes the similarities of human and animals; "Insects, humans, clams, and scallops all use opsins" (160). I gasped at Gehring's experiment of swapping genes between different species. The mouse gene was able to produce a fly's eye anywhere. We, the different creatures and humans, share similar complexities of the eyes.

Chapter Ten: Ears

Unlike the nose and the eyes, the ears of mammals differ from those of other creatures; our ears contain three middle ear bones called malleus, incus, and stapes, which allow us to hear higher frquency sounds. The fact that the stapes in human ears and the upper jaw of the fish blew me away: I have never guessed such transformations of the bones. The inner ear has two functions in a body: one for hearing and the other for balancing and noticing the movements of the head. When you tilt your head to the right and to the left, the eyes stay focused on one point because the muscles recognize and respond to the kinetic changes.

Chapter Eleven: The Meaning of it All

The author concludes the book with the idea that every living creature has or once had parents who are genetically similar to its own. The very first creature on this planet reproduced, its offspring reproduced, and continued the process until we, the humans, were evolved from different species. Based on different appearances, structures, and roles, creatures are grouped in many ways but the point of this division is to illustrate the fact that these creatures came from teh same ancestors. Not effectively using our bodies, humans have developed miserable ways to death; diseases such as diabetes and heart attacks are cause by our sedentary lifestyle. Unlike us, the ancient animals were active for survival, however we tend to depend on the lifestyle that is "easier." I didn't like how the author concluded the novel because towards the end, I felt that he was off topic, discussing about random facts like the hiccups and the mitochondrial diseases. Despite this fact, this book helped me view evolution differently; My perspective has changed through this experience, I learned to view different species similarly. The examples Shubin used were entertaining and educating at the same time. I disliked how the author wrote 20 pages to explain his main point but his points regarded the topic and were worth reading.

Chapters 8, 9, 10, and 11

Making Scents

First of all, extracting DNA at home? I thought this was very cool and I hope to try it one day. I loved the way Shubin explained how the odor is like a chord because it is the product of signals from lots of receptors keyed to different odor molecules. I also never knew that fish actually have a hole on top of their head where they scent smells. I have raised and caught fish before and never noticed that they have a hole on top of their head. Another shocking thing is how that the lungfish and the Tiktaalik have external and internal nostrils just like humans. I was surprise how we actually have the lungfish that were here even before the smelling genes split up. They’re like some kind of living fossil! It was also very surprising that humans have three hundred of these thousand odor genes that are completely functionless. Throughout of many years, humans have evolved to not use these genes just like how the dolphins decided to smell through their blowholes.

Vision

This chapter was like a review of how the eye functions, but it was informative because it gave background information on the ideas to come. Biology amazes me because the Pax 6 (eyeless) gene from the flies developed an eye anywhere on the flies. If you think about it, an eye on antenna, leg, and the wing??? That is kind of creepy if you think about it, but also very amazing. When Gehring put an eyeless gene of a mouse on a fly, it turned into another fly eye! It just comes to show that even between small creatures there are many similarities. The eye development was almost the same in the mouse and the fly. Also something interesting I learned was how scallops have eyes! In addition, humans have modified bits of ancient bacteria inside our retinas that help us see. It is quite shocking that there are traces of the change that humans have went through.

Ears

I’ve already known that we have three ear bones and it was fun reviewing the parts of the ear at first. Shubin tries really hard to present the material to the readers so that they can completely understand. As I further read, I learned that two of the ear bones in the mammals corresponded to the pieces of the jaw in the reptiles. How is that possible? When I observed the diagram of the tracing of the gill arches to our ears, I was amazed. The bones were used differently to help the creature in their own way! The mammals used the bone to assist in hearing while on the other hand, reptiles used it to chew. The primitive creature, the jellyfish, does not have either the Pax 6 or the Pax 2 gene. They seem to have remained the same and stuck to their primitive bodies and have not changed after that. Interestingly, Shubin explained how human birth defects afftect both the eyes and the inner ear because of the similarities between the jellyfish. Who knew?

The Meaning of it All

In this chapter, the comparison that Shubin used especially stood out to me. At first, the way he used the bozos to help the reader understand the way in which creatures change throughout time. When Shubin said, “This exercise is almost like peeling an onion, exposing layer after layer of history,” I was very amazed. The more we go through time, the closer we get to see how all the animals in this world came to be. The explanation of why people get obese was pretty cool. It made total sense that our bodies are not used to having food 24/7. We are more used to the boom-bust world of our ancestors. I especially related to the section that Shubin talks about the tadpoles because I actually have raised and currently raising tadpoles of my own. I have seen them stay underwater, but once in awhile they would shoot up to the surface to get a breath of air. I learned that they have an “extended form of a hiccup” to help them shut the breathing tube. What a way to end this book!