Genome Chaos: Rethinking Genetics, Evolution, and Molecular Medicine - Softcover

Heng, Henry H.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0443154287 ISBN 13: 9780443154287

Publisher: Academic Press, 2025

Synopsis

Genome Chaos: Rethinking Genetics, Evolution, and Molecular Medicine, Second Edition transports readers from Mendelian genetics to 4D genomics, building a case for genes and genomes as distinct biological entities where the genome, rather than individual genes, defines system-level inheritance and represents a clear unit of selection for macroevolution. In this thought-provoking text, Dr. Henry Heng invigorates fresh discussions in Genome Architecture Theory and helps readers reevaluate their current understanding of human genetics, evolution, and new pathways for advancing molecular and precision medicine.

In this timely new edition, Dr. Heng fully embraces the integration of system information with genome-mediated evolutionary mechanisms, and supports this framework with recent findings and growing, interdisciplinary research. Ten evidence-based chapters discuss 4D genomics, genes and genomes as distinct biological entities, genome chaos and cellular macroevolution, karyotype coding and fuzzy inheritance, as well as an entirely novel model of evolution driven by information flow, and more. Brand-new chapters consider the creation and maintenance of system information for complexity and biodiversity, as well as modes of analyzing information-based and historically contingent evolutionary framework. This synthesis offers a revolutionary paradigm of evolutionary theory. It also hypothesizes about how information flow, matter arrangement, and energy interact.

• Bridges basic research and clinical applications, providing a foundation for re-examining the results of large-scale -omics studies and precision medicine
• Gathers the most pressing questions in genomics, cytogenomics, and evolution
• Proposes a novel genome and information-based evolutionary theory that unites the study of physical, chemical, and biological mechanisms within organismal systems
• Contains ten evidence-based chapters that discuss karyotype coding, function of sex, natural information self-creation, and evolution as platform for both innovation and conservation

About this title

About the Author

Dr. Henry H. Heng has coauthored over 200 publications and serves on the editorial boards of seven international, peer-reviewed journals. Using single-cell analysis of in vitro and in vivo models, Dr. Heng’s group has illustrated the evolutionary dynamics of cancer progression by directly observing evolution in action. Such experiments revealed that cancer evolution involves two phases: punctuated genome alteration-mediated macroevolution (which creates a new system), followed by stepwise gene and epigenetic-mediated microevolution (which leads to population growth). By applying this concept to organismal evolution, he discovered that the main function of sex is to reduce genetic diversity at the genome level in order to preserve genome-defined species identity information. Heng introduced the Genome Architecture Theory, a new genome-based conceptual framework of genomics and evolution.

Edition details

• Publisher: Academic Press
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0443154287
• ISBN 13: 9780443154287
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 750