The Art of Genes: How Organisms Make Themselves'Coen's book is spiced with historic quotations and examples of plants' and animals' intriguing behaviour contains a wealth of interesting material Coen communicates his immense learning with a hundred appealing tales' Max Perutz How is a tiny fertilised egg able to turn itself into a human being? How can an acorn transform itself into an oak tree? Over the past twenty years there has been a revolution in biology. For the first time we have begun to understand how organisms make themselves. The Art of Genes gives an account of these new and exciting findings, and of their broader significance for how we view ourselves. Through a highly original synthesis of science and art, Enrico Coen vividly describes this revolution in our understanding of how plants and animals develop. Drawing on a wide range of examples–from flowers growing petals instead of sex organs, and flies that develop an extra pair of wings, to works of art by Leonardo and Magritte–he explains in lively, accessible prose the language and meaning of genes. 'I would have loved this book at 16, and so should anyone–aged 16 to 60–who really wants to understand development.' John Maynard Smith, Nature |
Contents
1 | |
16 | |
3 A question of interpretation | 39 |
4 A case of mistaken identity | 55 |
5 The internal world of colour | 79 |
6 Evolution of locks and keys | 97 |
7 The hidden skeleton | 106 |
8 The expanding canvas | 131 |
13 Elaborating on asymmetry | 230 |
14 Beneath the surface | 258 |
15 Themes and variations | 280 |
16 Shifting forms | 304 |
17 The story of colour | 323 |
18 The art of Heath Robinson | 343 |
Sources of quotations | 363 |
367 | |
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Common terms and phrases
able according activity allowing animals appearance arrangement artist axis become binding body brain called canvas cells chapter combination common compared complex contains continually copies corresponding creativity cytoplasm depends detailed direction distinct early effectively elaborated embryo environment eventually evolution example expressed fertilised flies flower further give green growing growth happens head hidden colours human identity important indigo individual influence insects internal interpreting gene involved later lead leaves look master protein means molecules move mutant nature normal nucleus object orange organism original overall painting particular pattern petals picture plant problem produced receptor protein region regulatory region respond result scent seems segments sense sequence shape shown similar simply sort species stage started structure switched symmetry tail things turn types variation various vertebrates violet whereas