Summary of Chp. 6

Survival of the Sickest summary

Chp.6

There are these genes called jumping genes that cut and paste genetic code into lines of code in DNA. They can also copy and paste the genetic code. These genes are very closely related to retroviruses that use RNA to get to the DNA to infect DNA. Also, on DNA, a very small percentage of the actual DNA strand is useful code, the other 90 percent of the DNA strand is noncoding strands of DNA. This is probably because some retroviruses with symbiotic effects have implanted themselves in our own DNA and help send some lines of code to help us survive and thus helping them survive inside us. It's a very intricate process and is super awesome. There is also a large section on disputes about the theory of evolution and the like. Many people think that  Jean Baptiste Lamarck, a big advocate of the acquired traits evolution theory in which mutations during life are passed on to offspring that change and further evolve the species. This theory is perhaps correct in a sense because jumping genes are able to break a barrier between germ and somatic genes and is able to transfer somatic traits such as lung problems from smoking, onto offspring. COOLSTUFFHAPPYFUNTIMEBIO