The master builder : how the new science of the cell is rewriting the story of life

A leading developmental biologist argues that cells, not DNA, hold the key to understanding life's past and present What defines who we are? For decades, the answer has seemed obvious: our genes, the "blueprint of life." In The Master Builder, biologist Alfonso Martinez Arias argues we've been missing the bigger picture. It's not our genes that define who we are, but our cells. While genes are important, nothing in our DNA explains why the heart is on the left side of the body, how many fingers we have, or even how our cells manage to reproduce. Drawing on new research from his own lab and others, Martinez Arias reveals that we are composed of a thrillingly intricate, constantly moving symphony of cells. Both their long lineage--stretching back to the very first cell--and their intricate interactions within our bodies today make us who we are. Engaging and ambitious, The Master Builder will transform your understanding of our past, present, and future--as individuals and as a species. "What defines who we are? For decades, the biological answer has been our genes. In The Master Builder, leading biologist Alfonso Martinez Arias breaks with decades of scientific and popular tradition to make a bold argument: what defines us is our cells. Drawing on new research from his lab and others, Martinez Arias reveals that we are composed of a thrillingly complex, constantly rearranging symphony of cells that know how to count, feel, and ultimately give form to our bodies. While DNA is important, Richard Dawkins's vision of the selfish gene that controls everything is not a good description of how biology actually works. As Martinez Arias shows, nothing in your genes explains why your heart is on the left side of your body, why you have five fingers and not ten, or why genetically identical twins have different sets of fingerprints and why it's possible for a mother to apparently share no DNA with the children to whom she gave birth! At the heart of it all is not simply gee-whiz science, but a powerful new conception of the essence of life. Our identities are shaped not simply by our genes, but by the interconnections between all our cells, working as a sort of symphony-cooperative, and creating something greater than its parts could on their own-and the unbroken lineage of cells that connects us to the first fertilized egg from which we developed-and in turn, back through the billions of years of our planet's history, to the very first cell in the history of all life on Earth"-- Provided by publisher "An ingenious argument" ( Kirkus ) for a "novel thesis" ( Publishers Weekly ) that cells, not DNA, hold the key to understanding life’s past and present What defines who we are? For decades, the answer has seemed obvious: our genes, the “blueprint of life.” In The Master Builder , biologist Alfonso Martinez Arias argues we’ve been missing the bigger picture. It’s not our genes that define who we are, but our cells. While genes are important, nothing in our DNA explains why the heart is on the left side of the body, how many fingers we have, or even how our cells manage to reproduce. Drawing on new research from his own lab and others, Martinez Arias reveals that we are composed of a thrillingly intricate, constantly moving symphony of cells. Both their long lineage—stretching back to the very first cell—and their intricate interactions within our bodies today make us who we are. Engaging and ambitious, The Master Builder will transform your understanding of our past, present, and future—as individuals and as a species. CONTENTS Cover Title Page Copyright Dedication Introduction PART I: THE CELL AND THE GENE 1 Not in the Genes 2 The Seed of All Things 3 A Society of Cells PART II: THE CELL AND THE EMBRYO 4 Rebirths and Resurrections 5 Moving Patterns 6 Hidden from View PART III: THE CELL AND US 7 Renewal 8 The Embryo Redux 9 On the Nature of a Human Epilogue Acknowledgments Discover More Notes Further Reading About the Author Praise for The Master Builder