The Human Genome Project finished sequencing human DNA. It seemed it was only a matter of time until we had all the answers to the secrets of life on this planet. The cutting-edge of biology, however, is telling us that we still don't even know all of the questions. How is it that, despite each cell in your body carrying exactly the same DNA, you don't have teeth growing out of your eyeballs or toenails on your liver? How is it that identical twins share exactly the same DNA and yet can exhibit dramatic differences in the way that they live and grow? It turns out that cells read the genetic code in DNA more like a script to be interpreted than a mould that replicates the same result each time. This is epigenetics and it's the fastest-moving field in biology today. The Epigenetics Revolution traces the thrilling path this discipline has taken over the last twenty years. Biologist Nessa Carey deftly explains such diverse phenomena as how queen bees and ants control their colonies, why tortoiseshell cats are always female, why some plants need a period of cold before they can flower, why we age, develop disease and become addicted to drugs, and much more. Most excitingly, Carey reveals the amazing possibilities for humankind that epigenetics offers for us all - and in the surprisingly near future.

    He is wonderfully able to communicate the epic elements of the story – which matters because that’s precisely what man’s survival has been’ - David Robinson, The Scotsman‘I’ve been enjoyably immersed in it since it arrived on my doorstep last week...wonderfully readable. This is no dry, academic account, but it’s the most fascinating and thought-provoking treatment of interlocking aspects of our early history I’ve yet to read. I recommend it whole-heartedly’ - Colin Will, poet and publisher‘Alistair Moffat explores the history of where we all came from, with the help of new DNA science’ - BBC Radio Scotland‘In The Scots: A Genetic Journey, historian and broadcaster Alistair Moffat taps into the latest advances in DNA science to find that our origins lie not only deep in the mists of time, but right off the map... with the help of historical geneticist Jim Wilson, he finds that, post-Ice Age, Scotland's earliest settlers walked here from what is now Spain’ - Jim Gilchrist, Scotsman‘In The Scots: A Genetic Journey, Alistair Moffat and James F. Wilson explore the history that is printed in our genes, and in a remarkable new approach come to some fascinating conclusions about who we are and where we came from’ - The Orcadian‘The fusion of science and the physical history – like an abandoned croft – allows people to trace their Scots ancestry with precision’ - Sunday Herald‘The Scots: A Genetic Journey, a book and radio series based on Moffat and Wilson’s research, concludes that all Scots are immigrants by descent. Britain as a whole is a mongrel nation’ - Julian Baggini‘Skillfully written, weaving together genetics, archaeology, history, and topics of interest like red hair ‘ - James Honeychuck on AmazonHistory has always mattered to Scots, and rarely more so than now at the outset of a new century, with a new census appearing in 2011 and after more than ten years of a new parliament. An almost limitless archive of our history lies hidden inside our bodies and we carry the ancient story of Scotland around with us. The mushrooming of genetic studies, of DNA analysis, is rewriting our history in spectacular fashion. In The Scots: A Genetic Journey, Alistair Moffat explores the history that is printed on our genes, and in a remarkable new approach, uncovers the detail of where we are from, who we are and in so doing colour vividly a DNA map of Scotland.(less)

    This change ranges from dramatic macroscopic innovations such as the evolution of wings or eyes, to a myriad of molecular changes that form the basis of macroscopic innovations. We are familiar with many examples of innovations (qualitatively new phenotypes that can provide a critical benefit) but have no systematic understanding of the principles that allow organisms to innovate. This book proposes several such principles as the basis of a theory of innovation, integrating recent knowledge about complex molecular phenotypes with more traditional Darwinian thinking. Central to the book are genotype networks: vast sets of connected genotypes that exist in metabolism and regulatory circuitry, as well as in protein and RNA molecules. The theory can successfully unify innovations that occur at different levels of organization. It captures known features of biological innovation, including the fact that many innovations occur multiple times independently, and that they combine existing parts of a system to new purposes. It also argues that environmental change is important to create biological systems that are both complex and robust, and shows how such robustness can facilitate innovation. Beyond that, the theory can reconcile neutralism and selectionism, as well as explain the role of phenotypic plasticity, gene duplication, recombination, and cryptic variation in innovation. Finally, its principles can be applied to technological innovation, and thus open to human engineering endeavours the powerful principles that have allowed life's spectacular success.

    When Spencer Fogle hears blood-curdling screams on his way home from school he doesn't realise he is about to become embroiled in a dark plot involving carnivorous plants, genetically modified flies, and a mysterious, hidden file.

    Darnell describes how scientists unraveled fundamental questions about the biochemical and genetic importance of RNA-how mRNAs are generated and used to produce proteins, how noncoding and catalytic RNAs mediate key cellular processes, and how RNA molecules likely initiated life on Earth. With a scope extending from the early 20th century to the present day, and with the clarity expected from an accomplished textbook author, he conveys the intellectual context in which these questions first arose and explains how the key experiments were structured and answers obtained. The book is geared towards scientists from the graduate level on up, and will particularly appeal to active investigators in RNA biology, educators of molecular biology and biochemistry, and science historians.

    Lloyd Pye is known for his hard-hitting combination of scientific facts with jargon-free, easy to understand explanations. Filled with "see it with your own eyes" evidence ranging from the moment that the Earth came into existence, to recent discoveries in our own DNA, this book will make you question many of the fundamental theories that are often mistaken for proven fact. This eBook is the updated and revised version of Part 1 of Pye's best seller "Everything You Know Is Wrong," crammed with page after page of brand new archaeological and scientific evidence that was not available when the original print book was published.

    But it is more than a static information store: our genome is a dynamic, tightly-regulated collection of genes, which switch on and off in many combinations to give the variety of cells from which our bodies are formed. But how do we identify the genes that make up our genome? How do we determine their function? And how do different genes form the regulatory networks that direct the processes of life? Introduction to Genomics is a fascinating insight into what can be revealed from the study of genomes: how organisms differ or match; how different organisms evolved; how the genome is constructed and how it operates; and what our understanding of genomics means in terms of our future health and wellbeing. Covering the latest techniques that enable us to study the genome in ever-increasing detail, the book explores what the genome tells us about life at the level of the molecule, the cell, and the organism. Learning features throughout make this book the ideal teaching and learning tool: extensive end of chapter exercises and problems help the student to fully grasp the concepts being presented, while end of chapter weblems (web-based problems) and lab assignments give the student the opportunity to engage with the subject in a hands-on manner. The field of genomics is enabling us to analyze life in more detail than ever before; Introduction to Genomics is the perfect guide to this enthralling subject. Online Resource Centre The Online Resource Centre to accompany Introduction to Genomics features For lecturers: Figures from the book in electronic format For students: Answers to end-of-chapter exercises Guided tour of web sites in genomics Hints to end-of-chapter problems Rotating figures

    Filled with case studies, sample dialogues, and question-and-answer examples, it is an essential roadmap for practitioners, helping them to demystify a complex issue for their clients and equip them with the accurate, reassuring information they need.

    The origin of species, the evolution of form, and the evolutionary impact of transposable elements are just a few of the many processes that have been revolutionized by ongoing genome studies. These novelties, among others, are examined in this book in relation to their general significance for evolution, emphasising their human relevance. The predominance of non-coding DNA in the human genome, the long-term adaptive role of so called junk DNA in the evolution of new functions, and the key evolutionary differences that define our humanity are just some of the controversial issues that this book examines in the context of Darwinian evolution. The author's principle intention is to show that whilst genomics is revealing new and previously unanticipated mechanisms and sources of variability that must be incorporated into evolutionary theory, there is no reason to dismiss the role of natural selection as the mechanism that sorts out these potentialities. In other words, this genome potential provides new possibilities (and also constraints) for evolution, but the realization of this potential is driven by natural selection.