Chapter 1
The grand ancestor of all cells
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Chapter 2
Powering up the ancient cell
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Chapter 3
The blueprint of multicellular cooperation
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Chapter 4
From ancient fish to human bodies
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YOUR GOAL
Master of The universal recipe of life
Ch 4 · From ancient fish to human bodies
darrey A single master gene controls eye development in organisms from flies to humans.
darrey Human inner ear bones and throat structures evolved from ancient fish gill arches.
BETA
darrey Trace core genes from our earliest ancestors to discover how ancient fins became fingers.
Fun Fact
Tinman gene: Fruit flies with a mutated Tinman gene grow up without a heart, showing how we share the exact same cardiac master switch.
Glossary
tiktaalik (noun)
An extinct genus of lobe-finned fish from the Late Devonian period that possesses features similar to those of four-legged animals. In 2004, paleontologist Neil Shubin discovered this transitional fossil in the Canadian Arctic, linking fins to hands.
An extinct genus of lobe-finned fish from the Late Devonian period that possesses features similar to those of four-legged animals. In 2004, paleontologist Neil Shubin discovered this transitional fossil in the Canadian Arctic, linking fins to hands.
Gossip
If you could safely activate a dormant animal gene in yourself, which would you choose?
Quiz
Which heart-development gene is named after a famous character from the Wizard of Oz?
Quiz
Which animal's Pax6 gene can be inserted into a fruit fly to successfully trigger fly eye growth?
Quiz
What evolutionary transition explains why human embryos temporarily develop structures resembling gill slits?
Quiz
Which master gene is responsible for triggering eye development in both humans and insects?
Quiz
Which master control genes determine the head-to-tail body layout of developing animal embryos?
Quiz
What structures in human embryos eventually develop into our inner ear bones and jaw?