Download or read book A Troublesome Inheritance written by Nicholas Wade and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2014-05-06 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Drawing on startling new evidence from the mapping of the genome, an explosive new account of the genetic basis of race and its role in the human story Fewer ideas have been more toxic or harmful than the idea of the biological reality of race, and with it the idea that humans of different races are biologically different from one another. For this understandable reason, the idea has been banished from polite academic conversation. Arguing that race is more than just a social construct can get a scholar run out of town, or at least off campus, on a rail. Human evolution, the consensus view insists, ended in prehistory. Inconveniently, as Nicholas Wade argues in A Troublesome Inheritance, the consensus view cannot be right. And in fact, we know that populations have changed in the past few thousand years—to be lactose tolerant, for example, and to survive at high altitudes. Race is not a bright-line distinction; by definition it means that the more human populations are kept apart, the more they evolve their own distinct traits under the selective pressure known as Darwinian evolution. For many thousands of years, most human populations stayed where they were and grew distinct, not just in outward appearance but in deeper senses as well. Wade, the longtime journalist covering genetic advances for The New York Times, draws widely on the work of scientists who have made crucial breakthroughs in establishing the reality of recent human evolution. The most provocative claims in this book involve the genetic basis of human social habits. What we might call middle-class social traits—thrift, docility, nonviolence—have been slowly but surely inculcated genetically within agrarian societies, Wade argues. These “values” obviously had a strong cultural component, but Wade points to evidence that agrarian societies evolved away from hunter-gatherer societies in some crucial respects. Also controversial are his findings regarding the genetic basis of traits we associate with intelligence, such as literacy and numeracy, in certain ethnic populations, including the Chinese and Ashkenazi Jews. Wade believes deeply in the fundamental equality of all human peoples. He also believes that science is best served by pursuing the truth without fear, and if his mission to arrive at a coherent summa of what the new genetic science does and does not tell us about race and human history leads straight into a minefield, then so be it. This will not be the last word on the subject, but it will begin a powerful and overdue conversation.
Download or read book Altered Inheritance written by Françoise Baylis and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2019-09-17 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With the advent of CRISPR gene-editing technology, designer babies have become a reality. Françoise Baylis insists that scientists alone cannot decide the terms of this new era in human evolution. Members of the public, with diverse interests and perspectives, must have a role in determining our future as a species.
Download or read book Mapping and Sequencing the Human Genome written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1988-01-01 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is growing enthusiasm in the scientific community about the prospect of mapping and sequencing the human genome, a monumental project that will have far-reaching consequences for medicine, biology, technology, and other fields. But how will such an effort be organized and funded? How will we develop the new technologies that are needed? What new legal, social, and ethical questions will be raised? Mapping and Sequencing the Human Genome is a blueprint for this proposed project. The authors offer a highly readable explanation of the technical aspects of genetic mapping and sequencing, and they recommend specific interim and long-range research goals, organizational strategies, and funding levels. They also outline some of the legal and social questions that might arise and urge their early consideration by policymakers.
Download or read book Scientific Frontiers in Developmental Toxicology and Risk Assessment written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2000-12-21 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Scientific Frontiers in Developmental Toxicology and Risk Assessment reviews advances made during the last 10-15 years in fields such as developmental biology, molecular biology, and genetics. It describes a novel approach for how these advances might be used in combination with existing methodologies to further the understanding of mechanisms of developmental toxicity, to improve the assessment of chemicals for their ability to cause developmental toxicity, and to improve risk assessment for developmental defects. For example, based on the recent advances, even the smallest, simplest laboratory animals such as the fruit fly, roundworm, and zebrafish might be able to serve as developmental toxicological models for human biological systems. Use of such organisms might allow for rapid and inexpensive testing of large numbers of chemicals for their potential to cause developmental toxicity; presently, there are little or no developmental toxicity data available for the majority of natural and manufactured chemicals in use. This new approach to developmental toxicology and risk assessment will require simultaneous research on several fronts by experts from multiple scientific disciplines, including developmental toxicologists, developmental biologists, geneticists, epidemiologists, and biostatisticians.
Download or read book Human Genetics written by Ricki Lewis and published by McGraw-Hill Science, Engineering & Mathematics. This book was released on 2004-02 with total page 439 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Human Genetics, 6/e is a non-science majors human genetics text that clearly explains what genes are, how they function, how they interact with the environment, and how our understanding of genetics has changed since completion of the human genome project. It is a clear, modern, and exciting book for citizens who will be responsible for evaluating new medical options, new foods, and new technologies in the age of genomics.
Download or read book An Introduction to Human Molecular Genetics written by Jack J. Pasternak and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2005-06-14 with total page 656 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An Introduction to Human Molecular Genetics Second Edition Jack J. Pasternak The Second Edition of this internationally acclaimed text expandsits coverage of the molecular genetics of inherited human diseaseswith the latest research findings and discoveries. Using a unique,systems-based approach, the text offers readers a thoroughexplanation of the gene discovery process and how defective genesare linked to inherited disease states in major organ and tissuesystems. All the latest developments in functional genomics,proteomics, and microarray technology have been thoroughlyincorporated into the text. The first part of the text introduces readers to the fundamentalsof cytogenetics and Mendelian genetics. Next, techniques andstrategies for gene manipulation, mapping, and isolation areexamined. Readers will particularly appreciate the text'sexceptionally thorough and clear explanation of genetic mapping.The final part features unique coverage of the molecular geneticsof distinct biological systems, covering muscle, neurological, eye,cancer, and mitochondrial disorders. Throughout the text, helpfulfigures and diagrams illustrate and clarify complex material. Readers familiar with the first edition will recognize the text'ssame lucid and engaging style, and will find a wealth of new andexpanded material that brings them fully up to date with a currentunderstanding of the field, including: * New chapters on complex genetic disorders, genomic imprinting,and human population genetics * Expanded and fully revised section on clinical genetics, coveringdiagnostic testing, molecular screening, and varioustreatments This text is targeted at upper-level undergraduate students,graduate students, and medical students. It is also an excellentreference for researchers and physicians who need a clinicallyrelevant reference for the molecular genetics of inherited humandiseases.
Download or read book The Treasury of Human Inheritance written by and published by . This book was released on 1935 with total page 106 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Medical Genetics written by G. Bradley Schaefer and published by McGraw Hill Professional. This book was released on 2013-11-22 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A complete introductory text on how to integrate basic genetic principles into the practice of clinical medicine Medical Genetics is the first text to focus on the everyday application of genetic assessment and its diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive implications in clinical practice. It is intended to be a text that you can use throughout medical school and refer back to when questions arise during residency and, eventually, practice. Medical Genetics is written as a narrative where each chapter builds upon the foundation laid by previous ones. Chapters can also be used as stand-alone learning aids for specific topics. Taken as a whole, this timely book delivers a complete overview of genetics in medicine. You will find in-depth, expert coverage of such key topics as: The structure and function of genes Cytogenetics Mendelian inheritance Mutations Genetic testing and screening Genetic therapies Disorders of organelles Key genetic diseases, disorders, and syndromes Each chapter of Medical Genetics is logically organized into three sections: Background and Systems – Includes the basic genetic principles needed to understand the medical application Medical Genetics – Contains all the pertinent information necessary to build a strong knowledge base for being successful on every step of the USMLE Case Study Application – Incorporates case study examples to illustrate how basic principles apply to real-world patent care Today, with every component of health care delivery requiring a working knowledge of core genetic principles, Medical Genetics is a true must-read for every clinician.
Download or read book Genes Behavior and the Social Environment written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2006-12-07 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the past century, we have made great strides in reducing rates of disease and enhancing people's general health. Public health measures such as sanitation, improved hygiene, and vaccines; reduced hazards in the workplace; new drugs and clinical procedures; and, more recently, a growing understanding of the human genome have each played a role in extending the duration and raising the quality of human life. But research conducted over the past few decades shows us that this progress, much of which was based on investigating one causative factor at a time—often, through a single discipline or by a narrow range of practitioners—can only go so far. Genes, Behavior, and the Social Environment examines a number of well-described gene-environment interactions, reviews the state of the science in researching such interactions, and recommends priorities not only for research itself but also for its workforce, resource, and infrastructural needs.
Download or read book The Human Inheritance written by Bryan Sykes and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 1999 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Very little excites human curiosity quite so much as contemplating human origins. More than any other branch of science, evolution - and human evolution in particular - is fraught with controversy. Working from what is essentially the same data, schools of opinion have come to diametrically opposed conclusions. Are we adapted Neanderthals, or a new species altogether which wiped them out? Did the first Americans enter the continent 30,000 or 12,000 years ago? Did the Polynesians sail against wind and current to an unknown fate, or were they just blown across from South America while out fishing? Why do we speak different languages? Is it because language traces our biological history, or are the two things completely unrelated? Evolution, because it deals with a past that can never conclusively be known, was once ideal material for perpetual debate. Enter genetics with a completely new source of objective data. Surely these old questions would soon be settled one way or another. Or would they? Bryan Sykes brings together a world-class set of contributors to debate these questions. The result is eight lively essays, each of which offers a different opinion about what the links between genes, language, and the archaeological record can tell us about human evolution - and indeed, whether they can tell us anything conclusive at all. This stimulating and challenging book poses more questions than it offers answers, eschews jargon, and pursues controversy. Guaranteed to fascinate anyone who has ever wondered how the fossil record, the incredible diversity of human language, and our genetic inheritance might combine to give a glimpse of human origins. Edited by Bryan Sykes, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford. Publisher's note.
Download or read book Mendelian Inheritance in Man written by Victor Almon McKusick and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Describes individual genes and/or phenotypes representing individual genes.
Download or read book The Genetics of Obesity written by Claude Bouchard and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 1994-03-28 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a comprehensive compilation of the evidence available regarding the role of genetic differences in the etiology of human obesities and their health and metabolic implications. It also identifies the most promising research areas, methods, and strategies for use in future efforts to understand the genetic basis of obesities and their consequences on human health. Leading researchers in their respective fields present contributed chapters on such topics as etiology and the prevalence of obesities, nongenetic determinants of obesity and fat topography, and animal models and molecular biological technology used to delineate the genetic basis of human obesities. A major portion of the book is devoted to human genetic research and clinical observations encompassing adoption studies, twin studies, family studies, single gene effects, temporal trends and etiology heterogeneity, energy intake and food preference, energy expenditure, and susceptibility to metabolic derangements in the obese state. Future directions of research in the field are covered in the book as well.
Download or read book The Gene written by Siddhartha Mukherjee and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2016-05-17 with total page 624 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The #1 NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller The basis for the PBS Ken Burns Documentary The Gene: An Intimate History Now includes an excerpt from Siddhartha Mukherjee’s new book Song of the Cell! From the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Emperor of All Maladies—a fascinating history of the gene and “a magisterial account of how human minds have laboriously, ingeniously picked apart what makes us tick” (Elle). “Sid Mukherjee has the uncanny ability to bring together science, history, and the future in a way that is understandable and riveting, guiding us through both time and the mystery of life itself.” —Ken Burns “Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee dazzled readers with his Pulitzer Prize-winning The Emperor of All Maladies in 2010. That achievement was evidently just a warm-up for his virtuoso performance in The Gene: An Intimate History, in which he braids science, history, and memoir into an epic with all the range and biblical thunder of Paradise Lost” (The New York Times). In this biography Mukherjee brings to life the quest to understand human heredity and its surprising influence on our lives, personalities, identities, fates, and choices. “Mukherjee expresses abstract intellectual ideas through emotional stories…[and] swaddles his medical rigor with rhapsodic tenderness, surprising vulnerability, and occasional flashes of pure poetry” (The Washington Post). Throughout, the story of Mukherjee’s own family—with its tragic and bewildering history of mental illness—reminds us of the questions that hang over our ability to translate the science of genetics from the laboratory to the real world. In riveting and dramatic prose, he describes the centuries of research and experimentation—from Aristotle and Pythagoras to Mendel and Darwin, from Boveri and Morgan to Crick, Watson and Franklin, all the way through the revolutionary twenty-first century innovators who mapped the human genome. “A fascinating and often sobering history of how humans came to understand the roles of genes in making us who we are—and what our manipulation of those genes might mean for our future” (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel), The Gene is the revelatory and magisterial history of a scientific idea coming to life, the most crucial science of our time, intimately explained by a master. “The Gene is a book we all should read” (USA TODAY).
Download or read book Human Inheritance written by T. Morgan and published by . This book was released on 1924 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Heritable Human Genome Editing written by The Royal Society and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2021-01-16 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Heritable human genome editing - making changes to the genetic material of eggs, sperm, or any cells that lead to their development, including the cells of early embryos, and establishing a pregnancy - raises not only scientific and medical considerations but also a host of ethical, moral, and societal issues. Human embryos whose genomes have been edited should not be used to create a pregnancy until it is established that precise genomic changes can be made reliably and without introducing undesired changes - criteria that have not yet been met, says Heritable Human Genome Editing. From an international commission of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine, U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and the U.K.'s Royal Society, the report considers potential benefits, harms, and uncertainties associated with genome editing technologies and defines a translational pathway from rigorous preclinical research to initial clinical uses, should a country decide to permit such uses. The report specifies stringent preclinical and clinical requirements for establishing safety and efficacy, and for undertaking long-term monitoring of outcomes. Extensive national and international dialogue is needed before any country decides whether to permit clinical use of this technology, according to the report, which identifies essential elements of national and international scientific governance and oversight.
Download or read book Concepts of Biology written by Samantha Fowler and published by . This book was released on 2017-12-30 with total page 624 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Concepts of Biology is designed for the introductory biology course for nonmajors taught at most two- and four-year colleges. The scope, sequence, and level of the program are designed to match typical course syllabi in the market. Concepts of Biology includes interesting applications, features a rich art program, and conveys the major themes of biology. The images in this textbook are grayscale.
Download or read book Mixed Messages written by Robert A. Paul and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2015-04-24 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nearly everyone would agree that humans and their societies evolved by natural selection, that humans are biologically a single species but societies vary greatly, and neither genetic inheritance nor cultural inheritance alone can fully explain humans and their social systems. While there is a literature that addresses dual inheritance theory or the coevolution of culture and genetics, almost all of it is written from a perspective that accepts the neo-Darwinian evolutionary framework but does not give proper weight to social and cultural theory as it has been developed by cultural anthropologists. At the same time, cultural anthropologists have ignored the question of dual inheritance altogether, leaving the theorizing of how it works almost exclusively in the hands of those with a strong biological viewpoint. In this book anthropologist and psychoanalyst Robert Paul attempts to reconcile evolutionary and cultural approaches in anthropology through a comparative ethnographic exploration of how humans receive behavioral instructions from two separate channelsthe genetic code carried in the DNA and the symbolic systems that constitute culture. He develops a dual inheritance model that aims to do justice to both the genetic and cultural channels of inheritance. Paul elaborates his model of the relationship between genes and cultural symbols and then shows how it can make sense of both the similarities and variations found in human social life as captured in the now very extensive ethnographic record. He argues that cultural systems evolve to manage intra-group competition that would ensue from the genetic program pursuing its interests. The book uses thick descriptions and heavy interpretations from the ethnographic record to demonstrate how different societies tackle this challenge. The book fills a niche, connecting the dual-inheritance literature and symbolic cultural anthropology, using insights from the former to detect patterns in the latter. This is a rare and well-researched project, and should receive a broad readership among biological and cultural anthropologists, and students of human nature more broadly."
