• Junk DNA

  • A Journey Through the Dark Matter of the Genome
  • By: Nessa Carey
  • Narrated by: Cat Gould
  • Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (34 ratings)

Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.
Junk DNA  By  cover art

Junk DNA

By: Nessa Carey
Narrated by: Cat Gould
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $21.49

Buy for $21.49

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

For decades after the identification of the structure of DNA, scientists focused only on genes, the regions of the genome that contain codes for the production of proteins. Other regions that make up 98 percent of the human genome were dismissed as "junk," sequences that serve no purpose. But researchers have recently discovered variations and modulations in this junk DNA that are involved with a number of intractable diseases.

Junk DNA can play vital and unanticipated roles in the control of gene expression, from fine-tuning individual genes to switching off entire chromosomes. These functions have forced scientists to revisit the very meaning of the word "gene" and have engendered a spirited scientific battle over whether or not this genomic "nonsense" is the source of human biological complexity. Drawing on her experience with leading scientific investigators in Europe and North America, Nessa Carey provides a clear and compelling introduction to junk DNA and its critical involvement in phenomena as diverse as genetic diseases, viral infections, sex determination in mammals, and evolution. Nessa Carey's book is an essential resource for navigating the history and controversies of this fast-growing, hotly disputed field.

©2015 Nessa Carey (P)2020 Tantor

What listeners say about Junk DNA

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    19
  • 4 Stars
    7
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    17
  • 4 Stars
    6
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    3
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    16
  • 4 Stars
    5
  • 3 Stars
    6
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

lamarck: 1 darwin: 0...


the last half century of biology owes an apology
apparently God don't make no junk after all.
this book is a snapshot of the tip of the iceberg from miles away. what a time to be alive

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Higher Understanding

You need to have higher education to fully grasp this book. Otherwise, it is a great book!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A great update

As a physician, this was a great update about advances in genetics. This was a great detailed basic science update. It had a mixture of many different Concepts mixed with clinical examples.

As with many great books, you can start with the appendix to get you fascinated.

I have a neighbor working in pharmaceuticals who mentioned in passing some of the technologies mentioned and this book helps to connect a lot of dots.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Don't bother with the audiobook

This book is a worse version of The Epigenetics Revolution by the same author. It is puzzling to me why a new book, with largely overlapping content and much worse editing, was needed.

The audiobook is particularly bad, no effort has been made into making it easier to follow for those who don't have access to the text. Figures keep being referenced, but no accompanying material was provided (this is perfectly possible, see for example Why We Sleep, which provides an accompanying PDF with all the relevant figures).

So I would stay away from this and instead read/listen to the previous, much better book The Epigenetics Revolution.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

perhaps a better textbook than a Saturday read

Nice British presenter, made me feel I was on hold with the bank. For eons.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

What’s the point

They write on dna or protein they insist on spending 20 minutes saying either the dna or protein codons... it’s annoying as hell

STOP

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful