Thursday, July 15, 2010

Novel Response.

I must say that Survival of the Sickest, was one of the most intriguing books that I have ever read. The various possibilities and relationships that the Dr. Sharon Moalem explores is of high interest, for the topics that are discussed affect everyone in some way. For example, the causes of certain genetic diseases such as Hemochromatosis and diabetes are compelling when explained from an evolutionary perspective. Also, the relationships between humans and bacteria can be symbiotic. The author did a phenomenal job of expressing his ideas and thorough research in a step-by-step approach. Although it was difficult to switch between two obscure ideas throughout a chapter, a remarkable connection was eventually made to place reasoning behind a cause. An example of when this took place was in chapter two, when the story switched between the subjects of diabetes and climate change. I would have never imagined that one caused the other!

An area of particular interest was the subject of Epigenetics, which was discussed in chapter 7. I always thought that whatever was present in an individual's DNA is what would also be expressed. Who ever imagined that certain methyl mark-ups could determine how much or little a gene would be expressed in an organism? I find that amazing, and a huge indicator on how the many areas of biology are indeed, still continuing to evolve.

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