Description: Over the past twenty years there has been a revolution in biology; for the first time, scientists have been able to unravel the details of how organisms make themselves. The mechanisms by which a fertilized egg develops into an adult can now be grasped in a way that was unimaginable a few decades ago. This book is the first account of these exciting new findings, and of their broader significance in how we view ourselves. Through a highly original synthesis of science and art, Enrico Coen vividly describes this revolution in our understanding of how plants and animals develop. He draws parallels between the way genes respond to the developing pattern of an organism and the way an artist responds to a painting being created on canvas -- a memorable analogy that shows how the organism develops through an interactive dialogue in which there is no separation between plan and execution.

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