“But what *is* "natural"? I wonder. On one hand: variation, mutation, change, inconstancy, divisibility, flux. And on the other: constancy, permanence, indivisibility, fidelity. Bhed. Abhed. It should hardly surprise us that DNA, the molecule of contradictions, encodes an organism of contradictions. We seek constancy in heredity—and find its opposite: variation. Mutants are necessary to maintain the essence of our selves. Our genome has negotiated a fragile balance between counterpoised forces, pairing strand with opposing strand, mixing past and future, pitting memory against desire. It is the most human of all things that we possess. Its stewardship may be the ultimate test of knowledge and discernment for our species.”
Quote by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Work
The Gene: An Intimate History
Browse quotes and source details for this work. more
Author
Siddhartha Mukherjee
Siddhartha Mukherjee is a distinguished physician and oncologist, born in 1970. He has made substantial contributions to cancer research and has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction for his book 'The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer'. more
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