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Mendel's Legacy
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by José Vázquez
New York University
New York, New York
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Introduction
Living in a time rampant and wrought with technological advancement, the potential of a utopian existence has become a very real prospect in our not too distant future. The development of the Human Genome Project, an enormous undertaking, has helped identify and document approximately 30,000 genes in human DNA. Biologists anticipate a day when human genes can be altered, eliminating inherited disease and the propensity to be ill. But where did the idea of genetics come from and how did the simple discovery of inheritance start the scientific community on perhaps one of the most phenomenal breakthroughs in modern medicine?
Gregor Mendel, born in 1822, has earned himself the title as the forefather of the theory of heredity. His work was so intuitive and exceptional that it was not until after his death that it was truly appreciated. Mendel, a Moravian monk, found his genius in an unlikely place, a pea plant. A science teacher, Mendel found himself intrigued by earlier experiments done by botanists looking to observe the effects of crossing plants that displayed different visible traits. Mendel quickly focused his attention on the pea plant and began to work immediately.
Laws of Inheritance
Mendel used his extensive research to prove his Laws of Inheritance. In these laws he concluded that, contrary to popular opinion at the time, hereditary factors are not synthesized in the offspring, but that each parent contributes half to the offspring. This discovery led to a breakthrough in the understanding of both dominant and recessive gene traits as well as the biological reason of why two siblings of the same parents possess different phenotypes. Mendel's work has proven itself to be integral to the field of biology.
But how are Mendel's discoveries, almost 150 years old, still relevant in today's world of biology? Very recently, the New York Times released an anniversary report on 25 of the most enigmatic and perplexing questions that plague modern scientists. Question number 21 asks "Should We Improve Our Genome?" The Times reports that the Icelandic company Decode Genetics has located the gene BMP-2, which is attributed to the risk of osteoporosis and bone fracture. This discovery serves as an early insight into a problem that modern biologists will inevitably be forced to confront. Should the human genome be manipulated to delete deleterious genes such as BMP-2?
This question is difficult to answer because of its technical and ethical implications. On the technical side, our understanding of genes, although exponentially enhanced since the days of Mendel, is far from conclusive. We have limited knowledge as to both the immediate and long-term effects of such a procedure on humans. As Nicholas Wade reports, "many genes have more than one effect, and swapping out the bad version of a gene can have unpredictable complications. The new gene, for example, may interact badly with the person's other genes."
Mendel's Life and Work
It seems unlikely that Gregor Mendel could have possibly suspected his discoveries would open doors of this magnitude. In a course full of technical information such as AP Biology, it is very easy to get carried away by the technicalities without being able to spend time on the life and work of outstanding scientists. Mendel is one of those great contributors to biology whose name must allow us to pause and let our students know more about his life and work.
A historical account of Mendel's work and the origin and development of classical genetics have been captured in a new book, titled Mendel's Legacy: The Origin of Classical Genetics. The author, Elof Axel Carlson, has provided the most comprehensive chronology of classical genetics. In addition, the impact of classical genetics in American science is carefully laid out. Carlson smoothly takes the reader into the different aspects of biology permeated by Mendel's work. The final argument of Carlson's book is that genetics has always taken advantage of the latest technology and we could hardly argue that it is a paradigm shift, as argued in "From Mendel to Biotechnology." Brilliant beyond his time, Mendel and his laws of inheritance have undoubtedly altered the course of human existence. More importantly, his legacy continues to show us how science is done.
Bibliography
Carlson, Elof Axel. Mendel's Legacy: The Origin of Classical Genetics. New York: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 2004.
Wade, Nicholas. "Should We Improve Our Genome?" New York Times, 11 November 2003.
José Vázquez teaches science in the general studies program at New York University. He completed his undergraduate work in biology at the University of Puerto Rico and his graduate work in cell and developmental biology at the University of Pennsylvania. José taught AP Biology for three years in Puerto Rico and another three years at Northwestern University's Center for Talent Development in Evanston, Illinois. In addition to being an AP Reader since 1998, he is the classroom technology reviews editor for American Biology Teacher.
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