Junk DNA: A Journey Through the Dark Matter of the Genome

by Nessa Carey Narrated by Cat Gould

Overview

For decades after the identification of the structure of DNA, scientists focused only on genes, the regions of the genome that contain codes for the production of proteins. Other regions that make up 98 percent of the human genome were dismissed as "junk," sequences that serve no purpose. But researchers have recently discovered variations and modulations in this junk DNA that are involved with a number of intractable diseases.



Junk DNA can play vital and unanticipated roles in the control of gene expression, from fine-tuning individual genes to switching off entire chromosomes. These functions have forced scientists to revisit the very meaning of the word "gene" and have engendered a spirited scientific battle over whether or not this genomic "nonsense" is the source of human biological complexity. Drawing on her experience with leading scientific investigators in Europe and North America, Nessa Carey provides a clear and compelling introduction to junk DNA and its critical involvement in phenomena as diverse as genetic diseases, viral infections, sex determination in mammals, and evolution. Nessa Carey's book is an essential resource for navigating the history and controversies of this fast-growing, hotly disputed field.

Editorial Reviews

The FASEB Journal - Christopher K. Mathews

Junk DNA makes informative and enjoyable reading for lovers of science at all levels.

The Register - Mark Diston

Carey's enthusiasm for her subject is infectious.... An excellent introduction to a subject that we are certain to be hearing a lot more about in the near future.

Sharon Y. R. Dent

Engaging, informative, and humorous, Nessa Carey's Junk DNA will be of interest to many readers.

Quarterly Review of Biology - Elof Axel Carlson

The first popular overview of this field.... [Carey] has an excellent grasp of the history of junk DNA and its implications for both basic and applied science. She has a gift for analogies and converts complex biochemistry into imagery that brings it to a level nonspecialists can grasp.

The Scientist

Junk DNA serves as a nice primer.

New Scientist - Linda Geddes

Junk DNA provides a cutting-edge, exhaustive guide to the rapidly changing, ever-more mysterious genome.

Nature - Jonathan Weitzman

Combines an easy style with a textbook's thoroughness.

New York Journal of Books - Graham Storrs

A must-read for every intelligent person who likes to know what is going on in modern science.

The Times Literary Supplement - Jonathan Hodgkin

A clear and very readable survey of current research in epigenetics.

The Wall Street Journal - Carl Zimmer

Nessa Carey offers an enlightening introduction to what scientists have learned in the past decade ……. she writes clearly and compellingly.

The Guardian - Peter Forbes

Carey's book is the first to set out the epigenetics stall for the general reader, and anyone seriously interested in who we are and how we function should read this book.

From the Publisher

Praise for The Epigenetics Revolution:

Carey's book is the first to set out the epigenetics stall for the general reader, and anyone seriously interested in who we are and how we function should read this book.-Peter Forbes, The Guardian Nessa Carey offers an enlightening introduction to what scientists have learned in the past decade ……. she writes clearly and compellingly.-Carl Zimmer, The Wall Street Journal A clear and very readable survey of current research in epigenetics.-Jonathan Hodgkin, The Times Literary Supplement A must-read for every intelligent person who likes to know what is going on in modern science.-Graham Storrs, New York Journal of Books Combines an easy style with a textbook's thoroughness.-Joanthan Weitzman, Nature

Sharon Y.R. Dent

Engaging, informative, and humorous, Dr. Carey's appealing book will be of interest to many readers.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940172989407
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	06/23/2020
Edition description:	Unabridged

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