All life forms on this planet, from fruit flies to humans, borrow genes that determine their physical and behavioral traits. Having received half of their genome from each parent via sexual reproduction (or all of it in lower forms that are asexual), the genes are a blueprint for our structure and the biochemical processes that sustain life. Many human genes date back to ancestral primates, having persisted through natural selection during 60 million years of evolution.
Unfortunately, some genes are harmful or corrupted, producing disease or failing to block disease processes; most of these bad genes were inherited while some mutated from good genes during our lives. We have long used medication and surgery to deal with the effects of this "malware" in our chromosomes and are just now beginning to use gene therapy to correct the defects in our genome.
In the course of our lives, we may pass along some of our genes to biologic children, including some that may threaten their health. As the saying goes, "we cannot choose our parents" and we are subject to any deleterious genes that we inherit. Finally, upon our death, a sizable fragment of our genome persists in our biologic children; the rest is removed from the genome of our species, never to be returned.
Unfortunately, some genes are harmful or corrupted, producing disease or failing to block disease processes; most of these bad genes were inherited while some mutated from good genes during our lives. We have long used medication and surgery to deal with the effects of this "malware" in our chromosomes and are just now beginning to use gene therapy to correct the defects in our genome.
In the course of our lives, we may pass along some of our genes to biologic children, including some that may threaten their health. As the saying goes, "we cannot choose our parents" and we are subject to any deleterious genes that we inherit. Finally, upon our death, a sizable fragment of our genome persists in our biologic children; the rest is removed from the genome of our species, never to be returned.
