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    Summary & Study Guide - The Gene: An Intimate History
    Summary & Study Guide - The Gene: An Intimate History
    Summary & Study Guide - The Gene: An Intimate History
    Ebook83 pages

    Summary & Study Guide - The Gene: An Intimate History

    By Lee Tang

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    About this ebook

    Why Does Genetics Matter for You?

    This book is a summary of “The Gene: An Intimate History” by Siddhartha Mukherjee.

    Genetics is at the frontiers of science today, and its impact is often misunderstood. The public is often misled by science fictions and remains largely in the dark as to the actual consequences of advances in the biotechnology and genetic engineering industries. Studying genetics can help you understand the economic, social, and ethical implications of these technologies.

    This book chronicles the fascinating history of discovery in classical genetics, molecular genetics, genetic engineering, and the human genome project. It shows:
    • How our genes and the environment define our identities and personalities;
    • How genetic engineering technologies can be used to manufacture drugs safely; and
    • How genetic diagnosis and gene therapies can be used to treat complex genetic diseases.
    Did you know?
    • What makes you unique
    • Why some diseases run in your family
    • Why you look like other members of your family
    • Around nine in ten diseases arise because of genetic defects
    • What is the Human Genome Project and why is it important
    • What are transgenic animals
    • What is stem-cell technology and why are they important
    • How biotech companies manufacture human hormones
    • 85-90 percent of genetic diversity occurs within races and only 7 percent between racial groups
    • Homosexuality may be genetic
    • Mental illnesses may be hereditary
    • Human behavior and intelligence are influenced by your genes
    Genetics can also help you understand your own health. Residing in your body, genes carry instructions to make all the proteins it needs to grow and survive. Defective genes can produce dysfunctional proteins that cause illnesses. By studying each of these genes, scientists can diagnose, treat, prevent, and cure diseases caused by bad genes.

    Read this book to understand the key concepts of genetics and the economic, social, and ethical implications of genetic engineering technologies.
    This guide includes:
    • Book Summary—The summary helps you understand the key ideas and recommendations.
    • Online Videos—On-demand replay of public lectures, and seminars on the topics covered in the chapter.
    Value-added of this guide:
    • Save time
    • Understand key concepts
    • Expand your knowledge
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherLMT Press
    Release dateOct 12, 2017
    ISBN9780994764065
    Summary & Study Guide - The Gene: An Intimate History
    Author

    Lee Tang

    Lee Tang is a retired executive of a major global insurance company. Prior to his retirement, he has worked as an actuary, a risk officer and a chief financial officer for several major insurance organizations in the United States, Canada, and Taiwan. To learn more about Lee and his work, visit his website and blog at https://lmtpress.wordpress.com. You can reach him by email at leetang888@gmail.com.

    Read more from Lee Tang

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      Book preview

      Summary & Study Guide - The Gene - Lee Tang

      Why Do Genetics Matter to You?

      This book is a summary of The Gene: An Intimate History, by Siddhartha Mukherjee.

      Siddhartha Mukherjee’s book chronicles the fascinating history of discovery in classical genetics, molecular genetics, genetic engineering, and the human genome project. It shows:

      How our genes and the environment define our identities and personalities;

      How genetic engineering technologies can be used to manufacture drugs safely; and

      How genetic diagnosis and gene therapies can be used to treat complex genetic diseases.

      Genetics is at the frontiers of science today, and its impact is often misunderstood. The public is often misled by science fiction and remains largely in the dark as to the actual consequences of advances in the biotechnology and genetic engineering industries. Studying genetics can help you understand the economic, social, and ethical implications of these technologies.

      Read this book to understand the key concepts of genetics and the economic, social, and ethical implications of genetic engineering technologies.

      This guide includes:

      Book Summary—helps you understand the key concepts.

      Online Videos—cover the concepts in more depth.

      Value-added from this guide:

      Save time

      Understand key concepts

      Expand your knowledge

      Important Note About This Guide

      This guide is a summary and not a critique/review of the book. The summary may not be organized chapter-wise but summarizes the book’s main ideas, viewpoints, and arguments. It is NOT meant to be a replacement, but a supplement to help you understand the book’s key ideas and recommendations.

      Title: Summary & Study Guide - The Gene

      Subtitle: An Intimate History

      Author: Lee Tang

      Publisher: LMT Press (lmtpress.wordpress.com)

      Copyright © 2017 by Lee Tang

      All rights reserved. Aside from brief quotations for media coverage and reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced or distributed in any form without the author’s permission. Thank you for supporting authors and a diverse, creative culture by purchasing this book and complying with copyright laws.

      First Edition: February 2017

      Issued in print and electronic formats.

      ISBN 9780994764065 (ebook)

      ISBN 9781542816212 (paperback)

      ISBN 9781987063141 (paperback)

      Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The publisher and author make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy or completeness of these contents and disclaim all warranties such as warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. The website addresses in the book were correct at the time going to print. However, the publisher and author are not responsible for the content of third-party websites, which are subject to change.

      To my wife, Lillian, who is the source of energy and love for everything I do, and to Andrew and Amanda: watching you grow up has been a privilege.

      Table of Contents

      Title Page

      Copyright Page

      Dedication

      Prologue

      1. Evolution and Heredity: Before 1900

      2. Classical Genetics: 1900-1950

      3. Molecular Genetics: 1940-1970

      4. Rise of Genetic Engineering: 1970-1980

      5. Human Genetics: 1970-2005

      6. Genetics of Identity and Normalcy

      7. Genetics of Fate and Future

      Epilogue

      Index

      About the Author

      Prologue

      Throughout his childhood and adult life, Siddhartha Mukherjee, physician and author of " The Gene: An Intimate History ," has been troubled by his family’s history of mental illnesses. His two uncles, Rajesh and Jagu, have suffered from mental illness, and so does his cousin Moni. If mental illness is genetic, as recent studies have shown, could he be a carrier as well and pass on the illness to his two daughters? If his cousin's mental illness is genetic, then why has this father and sister been spared? How much of the mental illness arises from nature (i.e., genes) versus nurture (i.e., environment)?

      Similar unresolved questions arose in his scientific work as a cancer biologist. Many forms of cancer arise from gene mutations that occur during a person's lifetime. Should we be concerned if we have a family history of such diseases? And could we pass these diseases to our children?

      Genetic engineering has advanced so much we can treat some diseases by using gene therapies. Imagine if technology was available to change our genetic codes, resulting in altered identity, sexuality or behavior. Who would control such a technology, and who would ensure their safety - for our society, our children, and ourselves?

      Cells

      |

      Genome

      |

      Chromosomes

      |

      DNA

      |

      Genes

      Chapter 1

      Evolution and Heredity

      Before 1900

      This chapter chronicles the fascinating history of discovery in the theories of evolution and heredity—from early Greek philosophers to the theories developed at the end of the 19th century. It also covers the history of

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