The Mysterious World of the Human Genome

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Your genome lies at the very heart of your make-up. It determines how you came to be from the fertilised egg to the adult human. This book sets out to explain your genome from first principles all the way to the modern application of such knowledge to personalised medicine. Ryan assumes no prior knowledge whatsoever in his reader. He begins with the discovery of DNA, and the personalities involved, then, in a simple and entertaining way, he expands the readers knowledge to every aspect of how the genome evolved, how it is structured and how it works, from the fertilised egg right to the mature adult. He includes the strangest portions, like the viruses, the master controllers scientists call epigenetics. He also offers a solution to great mysteries, such as the fate of the Neanderthals. He makes use of analogies including a wonderful ultramicroscopic steam train and invites the reader to join him in travelling through the mysterious landscape of the genome on the twin rail track of the reader's own DNA. From this basis of understanding, we learn about the genetic basis of diseases, such as MS and cancer, and how this may be rectified as our understanding increases.