Anthropology

Last edited Sat Dec 28, 2024, 07:55 AM - Edit history (1)

in DNA and RNA in a high school human biology class. It was in the 1960s. A now extinct national magazine, Life, devoted an entire issue on the double helix, chromosomes, genes, DNA, RNA, and basic cell structure..

Our teacher bought up enough copies to use in class as texts, if we shared. She replaced the standard curriculum and text with lessons from the magazine for an entire 6 week unit.

A LOT of knowledge about DNA, heredity, genes, and human evolution has been developed since then. But that basic foundation made it possible to keep up with new info as it became available, not only in evolution, but in the sequencing of the human genome, in disease devopments, viral mutations, how the mRNA vaccines work, genealogy, and forensic science.

When I don't understand some of the technical terms and the testing steps and test substances used when reading a scientific abstract, I can still get the general gist of the abstract articles (especially from the summaries). There are also science magazines for laypersons that explain details in non technical language, and some good, online documentaries.

When I don't understand an important term, I can look it up.

That basic high school foundation gave me a framework for comprehending many (though not all, for sure) later developments.