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万物简史 第597期:生命的物质(23)

时间:2019-10-24 08:22来源:互联网 提供网友:nan   字体: [ ]
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Altogether, almost half of human genes2 — the largest proportion yet found in any organism — don't do anything at all, as far as we can tell, except reproduce themselves.

据我们所知,总共有近一半的人类基因——任何生物体内基因已知的最大比例——除了复制它们自己,它们根本不做任何事情。

All organisms are in some sense slaves to their genes. That's why salmon3 and spiders and other types of creatures more or less beyond counting are prepared to die in the process of mating. The desire to breed, to disperse4 one's genes, is the most powerful impulse in nature. As Sherwin B. Nuland has put it: "Empires fall, ids explode, great symphonies are written, and behind all of it is a single instinct that demands satisfaction." From an evolutionary5 point of view, sex is really just a reward mechanism6 to encourage us to pass on our genetic7 material.

从某种意义上讲,所有的生物都是其基因的奴隶。这就解释了为什么鲑鱼、蜘蛛以及其他数不清的生物在交配的同时也走向了死亡。繁殖后代、传递基因的欲望是自然界最强有力的冲动。正如谢尔文·B·纽兰所说:“帝国分崩离析,本我破壳而出,雄伟的交响乐笔下生成,这一切的背后是一种要求得到满足的本能。”从进化论的观点看,性本质上就是鼓励我们将基因传承给后代的一种机能。

Scientists had only barely absorbed the surprising news that most of our DNA8 doesn't do anything when even more unexpected findings began to turn up. First in Germany and then in Switzerland researchers performed some rather bizarre experiments that produced curiously9 unbizarre outcomes. In one they took the gene1 that controlled the development of a mouse's eye and inserted it into the larva of a fruit fly. The thought was that it might produce something interestingly grotesque10. In fact, the mouse-eye gene not only made a viable11 eye in the fruit fly, it made a fly's eye. Here were two creatures that hadn't shared a common ancestor for 500 million years, yet could swap12 genetic material as if they were sisters.

科学家们好不容易接受了这样一个令人惊讶的事实,即我们DNA的绝大多数不做任何事情。紧接着,更意想不到的研究成果开始问世了。先是在德国,接着在瑞士,研究人员做了一系列奇怪的实验,其结果让人瞠目结舌。他们将控制老鼠眼睛发育的基因植入到果蝇的幼虫中。他们本来以为会产生某种有趣而怪异的东西,结果老鼠眼睛的基因不仅使得果蝇长出了一只老鼠的眼睛,同时也长出了一只果蝇的眼睛。这两类动物在长达5亿年的时间里分别拥有不同的祖先,但是它们却可以像姐妹一样交换基因。


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1 gene WgKxx     
n.遗传因子,基因
参考例句:
  • A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
  • The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。
2 genes 01914f8eac35d7e14afa065217edd8c0     
n.基因( gene的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因,所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪
3 salmon pClzB     
n.鲑,大马哈鱼,橙红色的
参考例句:
  • We saw a salmon jumping in the waterfall there.我们看见一条大马哈鱼在那边瀑布中跳跃。
  • Do you have any fresh salmon in at the moment?现在有新鲜大马哈鱼卖吗?
4 disperse ulxzL     
vi.使分散;使消失;vt.分散;驱散
参考例句:
  • The cattle were swinging their tails to disperse the flies.那些牛甩动着尾巴驱赶苍蝇。
  • The children disperse for the holidays.孩子们放假了。
5 evolutionary Ctqz7m     
adj.进化的;演化的,演变的;[生]进化论的
参考例句:
  • Life has its own evolutionary process.生命有其自身的进化过程。
  • These are fascinating questions to be resolved by the evolutionary studies of plants.这些十分吸引人的问题将在研究植物进化过程中得以解决。
6 mechanism zCWxr     
n.机械装置;机构,结构
参考例句:
  • The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
  • The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。
7 genetic PgIxp     
adj.遗传的,遗传学的
参考例句:
  • It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
  • Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。
8 DNA 4u3z1l     
(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸
参考例句:
  • DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
  • Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。
9 curiously 3v0zIc     
adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地
参考例句:
  • He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
  • He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。
10 grotesque O6ryZ     
adj.怪诞的,丑陋的;n.怪诞的图案,怪人(物)
参考例句:
  • His face has a grotesque appearance.他的面部表情十分怪。
  • Her account of the incident was a grotesque distortion of the truth.她对这件事的陈述是荒诞地歪曲了事实。
11 viable mi2wZ     
adj.可行的,切实可行的,能活下去的
参考例句:
  • The scheme is economically viable.这个计划从经济效益来看是可行的。
  • The economy of the country is not viable.这个国家经济是难以维持的。
12 swap crnwE     
n.交换;vt.交换,用...作交易
参考例句:
  • I will swap you my bicycle for your radio.我想拿我的自行车换你的收音机。
  • This comic was a swap that I got from Nick.这本漫画书是我从尼克那里换来的。
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