BIBLIOGRAPHY Carter, R. (2002) Consciousness, Weidenfeld & Nicolson Darwin, C. (1859) On The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, Murray. Dawkins, R. (1976) The Selfish Gene, Oxford University Press. Dawkins, R. (1982) The Extended Phenotype, Oxford University Press. Midgley, M. (1995) Beast And Man — The Roots of Human Nature, Routledge. Rose, S. (1997) Lifelines: biology beyond determinism, Oxford University Press. Wright, R. (1994) The Moral Animal, Abacus
The Language Behind Dawkins’ Selfish Gene Theory According to Michael Polanyi, our understanding of a concept depends in part on the language we use to describe it. Connie Barlow's book, From Gaia to Selfish Genes, looks at metaphors in science as integral parts of some new biological theories. One example is Richard Dawkins' theory about the selfish gene, where he claims that the most basic unit of humanity, the gene, is a selfish entity unto itself that exists outside the realm of our individual
Well, wouldn’t it be convenient if we all hid behind one book that provided us with the universal excuse that we are all selfish bastards and thus can do whatever we want? If it was that easy to proclaim as Skilling, former CEO of Enron, that selfishness cannot be helped due to genes, there would be no more true need for parenting, socializing, being part of an institution, obeying laws and much more. We would just be sitting around, waiting like hyenas for our next prey to apply our awesome selfishness
developmental biology and evolutionary molecular genetics; their integration has helped greatly to understand both of these fields. Evo-devo as a discipline has been exploring the role of the process of individual development and the changes in evolutionary phenotype, meaning the developmental procedure by which single-celled zygotes grow to be multicellular organisms. Alterations in the developmental program frequently cause differences in adult morphology. When these alterations are helpful, they grow to be
evolutionary mechanism allows the parasite to spread to as many people as possible. I think the trend that men are more commonly infected than women is a great example of the extended evolutionary synthesis idea that niche construction will be systematically biased towards an environment that is well suited to their phenotype. The trypanosome that causes Chagas prefer to invade muscle tissue, and commonly men have greater muscle mass than women. Therefore, the trypanosome tends to show more infection
organism’s survival in a natural habitat. Evolutionary psychology holds that adaptation, reproduction, and “survival of the fittest” are important in shaping behavior. Ideas proposed by evolutionary developmental psychology include the view that an extended childhood period is needed to develop a large brain and learn the complexity of human social communities. According to Baltes, the benefits resulting from evolutionary selection decrease with age mainly because of a decline in reproductive fitness
mode of inheritance (e.g. dominant, recessive, etc.) of genetic diseases. They are also essential to linkage analysis. Linkage analysis is the analysis of the linkage in the inheritance between genes at different loci based on the observational phenotypes and the known pedigree structure (Palmer, 2011). Linkage between loci is the tendency for alleles of two or more loci close on the chromosome to be transmitted to the next generation together. So generally the closer two genes lie on a chromosome
tripled in size in just two million years. At first glance, this theory also seems to explain much of the motivation behind human culture and achievement. Upon closer inspection, there are some fairly conspicuous problems with it, especially when it is extended to describe not only human evolution in the distant past but it the present, but it may still be the most plausible explanation available to explain why humans mental capacities have expanded so far beyond those of our primate relatives. It makes
Understanding Huntington's Disease Huntington's disease is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder. It is passed on to children from one or both parents (though two parents with Huntington's is extraordinarily rare) in an autosomal dominant manner. This is different from autosomal recessive disorder, which requires two altered genes (one from each parent) to inherit the disorder. So if one parent has it, and passes the gene on to a child, that child will develop Huntington's disease if they live
The dog is a unique beast. Loyal and affectionate, if somewhat bizarrely built, today’s dogs are a far cry from the wild wolves from which they emerged. Whether fluffy, naked, cock-eyed, or bow-legged, each dog is an ample prototype of its kind. The very idea that such a cooperative creature could spring forth from such a ruthless predator is astounding by itself. The fact that the multitude of breeds (340, according to the World Canine Organization (Melina, 2014)) could starburst forth from a single
The Selfish Gene "We are survival machines—robot vehicles blindly programmed to preserve selfish molecules known as genes." -- Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene (1). Can genes alone determine your DNA's place in the next generation? Are humans simply vessels for these genes? With his provoking work entitled The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins attempts to answer such questions as he proposes a shift in the evolutionary paradigm. Working through the metaphor of a "selfish gene", Dawkins
William Hargis C127 March 13, 2014 Separation and Analysis of Milk Objective: This experiment employs techniques of natural product separation and basic biochemical qualitative analytical tests in order to identify, separate, and analyze the major components of whole milk. Introduction: Milk is a natural biological product with a complex chemical makeup1,2, it is a colloid consisting of proteins, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, and minerals. The proteins found in milk are largely water-soluble due
Cultural Affiliations Indian Americans refer to themselves as Indian Americans, East Indians, or Indo-Americans in the United States. They originate from the East and South India, where traditions and cultural practices are passed down from generation to generation. According to Dupree, Bhakta, and Patel (2013), most Indians move to the United States for better education, lifestyle, and job opportunities (pg. 314). After arriving in the United States, some Indian Americans start to abandon their
exhibited significantly different sizes in Cross subject comparisons of the same brain region. To further evaluate this, they analyzed over 10,000 mice noting several different regions of the brain and made comparisons. They did not find any significant phenotype correlation, thus supporting what is referred to as the Mosaic model of brain evolution. Furthermore, they
these are oral traditions passed down through multiple generations and carry the beliefs, stories, and wisdom of previous generations. One inherent understanding is that heritability that runs in families is not exclusive to the way we look but is extended to the way we act, think, and to how personalities develop. The environment in which we develop is also important to many cultures and traditions. The language used in indigenous psychology does not utilize scientific terms; they used their own terms
‘Genes’ refers to units of heredity information that consist of DNA and are located on chromosomes and can exist in alternative forms called alleles (http://biology.about.com/library/glossary/bldefgenes.htm). ‘Environment’ according to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition states: “[Environment is] The totality of circumstances surrounding an organism or group of organisms, especially: the complex of social and cultural conditions affecting the nature of
Shortly after the shootings on July 16, 2015 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, my father went to have dinner at a local restaurant in the town he had lived in for over 30 years. My father, with cleanly shaved brown skin, wore khaki pants and a short sleeve polo. While he was having dinner, a stranger walked up to him, and asked, “So, how many people have your people killed today?” Even though, my father is not Muslim, the stranger used “your people” to insinuate that my father was a Muslim and the shooters
Interactions between plants and their pollinators has been discussed in the past very frequently. Since the Darwinian times, the topic flourished. There are two aspects that have an important role in this relationship that have been affected by the history. The first being the floral mechanisms and the ecological relationships between plants and the second are the evolutionary processes that affect the pollination (1). As the interest progressed, the approaches became more specific and detailed which
and driving the development of eating disorders (Myers & Biocca, 1992). Childhood anxiety has also been attributed to causing or at least facilitating in the development of an eating disorder later in adolescence and young adulthood. Anxiety is a phenotype that is highly prevalent among young females that suffer from Anorexia; they believe themselves to be something they are not and tend to develop body dysmorphic disorder as a result which is a winding road leading to the appearance of symptoms relating
Executive Summary The current study illustrates about the important roles and the applications of bioinformatics, proteomics and genomics in biotechnology. The study clearly describes that bioinformatics, proteomics and genomics play significant roles in drug discovery and designing, agriculture, developing personalized medicines, biomarkers and in many other areas which will be highly useful in the present and also for the future generations of living organisms. Finally, the study also highlights