Nowadays, more attention is paid to the role of anthropology in modern society. This science aims at investigating human biology and culture and combining the past developments and changes with the present achievements and progress (Rice and Moloney 1). However, it is not always possible for an ordinary reader to understand what it means to be a human from a purely scientific point of view. Many investigations and topics are discussed in newspaper articles and help to gain a better understanding of anthropology. In this paper, the article by Sarah Zhang about new cell mutations in a human body written for The Atlantic will be discussed.
Summary
Cells in a human body continue dividing, promoting new copies of the DNA being created letter by letter. There are more than 3 billion letters in a human genome that are responsible for 10 new mutations when a cell divides (Zhang). Mutations cannot be avoided. Such factors as the environment, time, and the structure of cells play a role in a mutation process. The author admits that it is hard to control all processes that occur in cells, and it is possible that a blood cell a person had a million years ago had nothing in common with a cell of a modern person (Zhang). Such progress inspires and frightens at the same time.
Description of a Topic
The topic of cell mutation is frequent among anthropologists, as well as medical scientists. One of the main impacts of anthropology is the attention to the growth and development of cancer cells. The main claim introduced by Zhang is that evolution can be used as a creator of “safety nets” for the body. The evasion of an immune system is the task for aberrant cells, and mutations make this process more complicated, preventing the creation of new cancerous cells (Zhang). Therefore, the connection between biological mutations and anthropology cannot be ignored.
Access to a General Public
I think that this article may be accessible and interesting to the general public in many ways. First, it is written in simple English with several points being properly introduced and explained. Second, the author uses the opinions and investigations of several people to prove the appropriateness of the chosen topic. Finally, the presence of qualitative and quantitative information can involve different readers. This article is a perfect combination of strong ideas and suggestions so that no improvements are necessary.
Article and Research
The research from this article helps the reader understand what it means to be a human and what progress has been achieved. Though not all people accept mutations as something positive in their body, the author informs that many positive aspects of this process cannot be ignored. Cell mutations are characterized by a list of important consequences for people’s intentions to understand cancer and avoid health complications. If a person wants to know more about why trillions of mutations should not horrify society, it is high time to clink on this link – www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/05/your-body-acquires-trillions-of-new-mutations-every-day/559472/
Works Cited
Rice, Patricia C., and Norah Moloney. Biological Anthropology and Prehistory: Exploring Our Human Ancestry. 2nd ed., Routledge, 2016.
Zhang, Sarah. “Your Body Acquires Trillions of New Mutations Every Day.” The Atlantic, 2018, Web.