Williamsburg Regional Library

Herding Hemingway's cats, understanding how our genes work, Kat Arney

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 263-279) and index

index present

non fiction

Herding Hemingway's cats

bibliography

908085735

Kat Arney

Bloomsbury sigma series, book nine

understanding how our genes work

In 1935, Ernest Hemingway was supposedly given Snow White, a six-toed cat who went on to father a line of similar offspring that still roam the writer's Florida estate. Scientists now know that the fault driving this profusion of digits lies in a tiny genetic control switch, miles away (in molecular terms) from the gene that "makes" toes. Researchers are discovering more about the myriad molecular switches that make sure genes are turned on at the right time and in the right place, and what happens when they don't work properly. This is allowing a four-dimensional picture of DNA to be built--a dynamic biological library, rather than static strings of code. Geneticist Kat Arney explores the intricacies of how, out of this seeming genetic chaos, life is created

It's all about that base -- It's not what you've got, it's what you do with it that counts -- Taking out the garbage -- A bit of dogma -- Throwing the switch -- The secret's in the blend -- Cats with thumbs -- Fish with hips -- Mice and men and mole rats, oh my! -- Party town -- Pimp my genome -- Cut and paste -- Nature's red pen -- Ever-increasing circles -- Silence of the genes -- Night of the living dead -- On the hop -- Opening a can of wobbly worms -- Everyone's a little bit mutant -- Opening the black box -- Blame the parents -- Meet the Mickey Mouse mice -- In search of the 21st-century gene

adult

Understanding how our genes work