A Guide to Know Genetics
Genetics is one word that excites us all, from sci-fi movies doing unimaginable experiments to the mystery that lies with the newborn. It all amazes us, even more, when we are told that it’s not just all about superhuman movies, biology and the study of genes has immense possibilities in reality.
The book The Gene by Siddharth Mukherjee brings such facts to the readers in the most interactive way dating back the study of genes to Darwin’s theory of evolution to the current experiments of creating a glowing mouse.
Origin to Numerous Theories
Every theory in science has a history behind it, a history of theories, failed and successful experiments and results, a number of scientists. The three scientists who we can actually call the father of the study of genes are namely Austrian botanist Gregor Johann Mendel, Dutch botanist Hugo De Vries and Charles Darwin.
Beginning as part of an experiment in breeding pea plants, Mendel noticed that parent plants passed on specific traits to the next generation of pea plants intact – that is, with the traits unaltered. In identifying these, Mendel had unveiled the smallest building block of heredity, the gene. Some years later Dutch botanist Hugo De Vries revived Mendel’s earlier work and was able to merge his ideas on genetics with Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. Mendel’s heredity work perfectly complemented Darwin’s theory.
EXPLORING THE NUCLEUS
These theories paved the way for many more theories to come in the future, as stated in The Gene. In the 1940s, biochemists began examining the workings of cells. In the nucleus of the cell, they discovered certain molecules – DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and its close relative, RNA (ribonucleic acid). Both acids consist of four components, known as bases. DNA’s bases include adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T). RNA’s bases are identical, except instead of thymine, RNA has uracil (U). With the discovery of DNA, scientists had finally found the building blocks of genes.
The different genes formed a particular trait, not each singularly. Each had a duty but only performed when together, as per The Gene.
Whenever such breakthrough results are found, there are always two ways of looking at it, one with amazement and a determination to continue the path of breakthroughs and the second, with a negative and destructive approach of using such results.
The Aftermath of the Discoveries
This discovery also got caught in on such a narrow approach and claimed the lives of millions of people when in Nazi Germany, being disabled, Jews and gypsies were proclaimed unwanted and unfit by Hitler for Germany to grow and all such people was forcefully sterilized or killed in the concentration camps. This had given birth to a new perspective on gene study that is, Eugenics, which was defeated soon though, for the good.
After these basic discoveries, series of experiments began on genetics. Some found The nucleus of a cell is like a lending library, sharing DNA information with the rest of the body, some Genes regulate protein production, replicate to keep cells functioning, and recombine to create life and some even accomplished gene cloning and reading gene sequencing which if not prevented but at least could be diagnosed in the fetus as well.
The key to understanding life can be the study of genetics, which is evident from the book, The Gene, and the possibilities which meet on the horizon. From making breakthroughs in advanced disease diagnosis to marking your ancient history, genetics is a treasure yet to be discovered from all angles.
