Beyond Inheritance
Our Ever-Mutating Cells and a New Understanding of Health
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The new science of how DNA mutates over an individual’s lifetime, with radical implications for our understanding of health and medicine. The DNA in your cells today is not the same genetic code you were born with. From the moment you are conceived all the way through your twilight years, the cells in your tissues continuously mutate, compete, and ultimately evolve. In this astonishing book, science writer Roxanne Khamsi describes our bodies as active landscapes of Darwinian evolution. Our immune systems fight dangerous viruses and bacteria by evolving new variations of antibodies to thwart ...
The new science of how DNA mutates over an individual’s lifetime, with radical implications for our understanding of health and medicine. The DNA in your cells today is not the same genetic code you were born with. From the moment you are conceived all the way through your twilight years, the cells in your tissues continuously mutate, compete, and ultimately evolve. In this astonishing book, science writer Roxanne Khamsi describes our bodies as active landscapes of Darwinian evolution. Our immune systems fight dangerous viruses and bacteria by evolving new variations of antibodies to thwart these invaders, while cancer cells evolve in response to our bodies’ attempts to destroy them. The random mutations that underpin these transformations have immense potential to harm us—and heal us. By letting go of the antiquated idea that every cell in a person’s body has the same exact DNA, we can usher in a whole new era of medicine. Khamsi introduces readers to the scientists who are harnessing the concept of evolution to design better vaccines, treat rare diseases and outsmart cancer. Beyond Inheritance will open your eyes to the immense and ongoing genetic diversity that exists within each human and its incredible potential to shape your health and wellbeing.
