Dimensions
162 x 240 x 26mm
The story of the crucial genes that define our relationships, our health and our individuality.
Although there are 25,000 genes in the human body, only a select few of these answer fundamental questions: our compatibility genes. It is these few genes, argues Daniel M. Davis, that determine whether our tissue and organs might be able to be used in transplantation, how successful we'll be at fighting a variety of diseases, what our chances of successful reproduction are, how compatible we are with one another and even, to a surprising extent, how mankind has evolved to its present state.
In exploring the history of these genes' discovery, and the unfolding of their secrets, Daniel M. Davis seeks an answer to questions of how genetic compatibility affects our relationships, reproduction, medical research and ethics - and, looking to the future, considers the startling possibilities of what our knowledge of these genes might mean for you and me.