The Ghost In Your Genes - 2 基因外遗传现象

Marcus Pembrey is one of a select band of scientists, a band of scientists who are daring to challenge an orthodoxy. They believe the lives of our parents, grandparents, and even our great grandparents can directly affect our well-being¹, despite never experiencing any of these things ourselves. To many, these ideas are regarded as scientific heresy².

You can not predict where important discoveries will be. The only thing that you can do is to follow your instinct.

Conventional biology has always believed that our genetic³ inheritance is set in stone at the moment of our conception. At that instant, we each receive a set of chromosome⁴s from both our mother and father. Within these chromosomes⁵ are the genes⁶, strips of coded DNA⁷, the basic unit of inheritance. After conception, it was assumed that our genes are locked away inside every cell of the body, protected and untouched by the way you live. So what you do in your life may affect you, but your genes remain untainted, unchanged for future generations. In classic genetics, your parents and grandparents simply pass on their genes. The experiences they accumulate in a lifetime are never inherited, lost forever as the genes pass untouched through generation after generation.

The biology of inheritance was a reassuringly⁸ pure process, or so it seemed. In the early 80s, Marcus Pembrey headed the clinical genetics department at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. He was frequently treating families with unusual genetic conditions.

We were constantly coming across families which didn't fit the rules, didn't fit any of the patterns that genetics were supposed to fit. So you think of chromosome abnormalities and you check the chromosomes and they are normal, so you then have to start imagining, as it were, you know, what might be underlying⁹ this and you were really driven to try and work it out because the families needed some help.

The more families he saw, the more the rules of inheritance appeared to break down--diseases and conditions that simply didn't fit with the textbook conventions. One condition in particular caught his eye, Angelman syndrome¹⁰.

words and expressions

orthodoxy:The quality or state of being orthodox.
正统：正统的性质或状态

heresy:A controversial or unorthodox opinion or doctrine¹¹, as in politics, philosophy, or science.
异端邪说：有争议的或非正统的观点或学说，如政治、哲学或科学上的
Adherence to such controversial or unorthodox opinion.
离经叛道：坚持这种有争议的或非正统的观点

chromosome:[生物]染色体

abnormality:The condition of not being normal.
反常，变态：不正常的状态;畸形,异常性

Angelman Syndrome (AS) is neurological disorder in which severe learning difficulties are associated with a characteristic facial appearance and behaviour

1 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

2 heresy   

n.异端邪说；异教

参考例句：

• We should denounce a heresy.我们应该公开指责异端邪说。
• It might be considered heresy to suggest such a notion.提出这样一个观点可能会被视为异端邪说。

3 genetic   

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。

4 chromosome   

n.染色体

参考例句：

• Chromosome material with exhibits of such behaviour is called heterochromatin.表现这种现象的染色体物质叫做异染色质。
• A segment of the chromosome may become lost,resulting in a deletion.染色体的一个片段可能会丢失，结果产生染色体的缺失。

5 chromosomes   

n.染色体( chromosome的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Chromosomes also determine the sex of animals. 染色体也决定动物的性别。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Each of four chromosomes divide longitudinally. 四种染色体的每一种都沿着纵向分裂。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 genes   

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

7 DNA   

(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。

8 reassuringly   

ad.安心，可靠

参考例句：

• He patted her knee reassuringly. 他轻拍她的膝盖让她放心。
• The doctor smiled reassuringly. 医生笑了笑，让人心里很踏实。

9 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

10 syndrome   

n.综合病症；并存特性

参考例句：

• The Institute says that an unidentified virus is to blame for the syndrome. 该研究所表示,引起这种综合症的是一种尚未确认的病毒。
• Results indicated that 11 fetuses had Down syndrome. 结果表明有11个胎儿患有唐氏综合征。

11 doctrine   

n.教义；主义；学说

参考例句：

• He was impelled to proclaim his doctrine.他不得不宣扬他的教义。
• The council met to consider changes to doctrine.宗教议会开会考虑更改教义。