We need new metaphors that put life at the centre of biology Essays
The article discusses the limitations of genetic frameworks in biology post-Human Genome Project. It highlights the significance of non-coding RNA genes in gene regulation, challenging traditional genetic narratives. RNA's role as a 'computational engine' is emphasized.
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The article discusses the need for new metaphors in biology to understand life beyond the traditional genetic framework. It reflects on the Human Genome Project's (HGP) impact, highlighting the limitations in translating genomic data into practical applications like drug development. Despite technological advancements in gene sequencing, the expected medical breakthroughs have not materialized as anticipated. The narrative of genetics, focusing on protein-coding genes, is challenged by recent discoveries revealing the significance of non-coding regions in gene regulation. These non-coding RNA genes, previously overlooked, are now recognized for their role in regulating gene expression. The complexity of gene regulation in humans surpasses simple on/off switches found in bacteria, involving multiple layers of control mechanisms that are still not fully understood. The article emphasizes the need for updated narratives in biology to reflect the latest discoveries and challenges the conventional understanding of genetic programming, highlighting RNA's emerging role as the 'computational engine of the cell'.
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1 commentsThe Medusa and the Snail: More Notes of a Biology Watcher is a 1979 collection of essays by the American science writer Lewis Thomas. It was published by Viking Press in 1979 and reissued by Penguin Books in 1995. Most of the essays in the book had first appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine. It is Thomas's second collection of short essays after Lives of a Cell.[1]
The title essay is about the relationship between Nudibranch sea slug and the medusa of a jellyfish that inhabit the Bay of Naples. It explores how the relationship between the two creatures can be seen as illustrating the impossibility of understanding the notion of the self.[2]
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