Nammude Arogyam Feb 2018 | Page 94

to our bodies, but rather mutated, distorted versions of the very genes that perform vital cellular functions. And cancer is imprinted in our socitey: as we extend our lifespan as a species, we inevitably unleash malignant growth (mutations in cancer genes accumulate with aging; cancer is thus intrinsically related to age). If we seek immortaltiy, then so, too, in a rather perverse sense, does the cancer cell. Atossa F¶ {Ko¡v Gene F¶ {K\vY¯n At±l¯nsâ asämcp {]`mhamWv \mw ZÀin¡p ¶Xv. kz´w IpSpw_¯nsâ Ncn{Xhpw temI Ncn{X hpw kw`h§fpw imkv{Xo b hniIe\§fpw Iïp]nSn¯§fpsaÃmw DÄsImÅn¨p sImïv a\pjysâ `mhnsbXs¶ temperament. It is quite another thing to imagine altering identity or sexualtiy by altering genes. The former thought might preoccupy professors in departments of psychology, and ... neuroscience. The latter thought, inflected with both promise and peril, should concern us all. apJÀPnbpsS asämcp IrXn The Laws of Medicine BWv. CXv At±lw \S ¯nb 18 an\näp ssZÀLy apÅ Hcp TED {]`mjW ¯nsâ ]pkvXI cq]amWv. tcmKnbpw, tUmÎdpw, NnInÕbpw, coXnIsfbpw Ipdn¨pÅ \nba§sf ¡pdn¨v Adnbm³ tUmÎÀ apJÀPn¡v Dïmbncp¶ XmXv]cyhpw AhbpsS {]m[m\yhpamWv ChnsS ]T\ hnjbam¡nbncn¡p ¶Xv. hmÀjn-I h-cn-kwJy tIh-ew 210 cq-] cmÚn¡mWs{X BZy ambn breast cancer ]nSns]«Xv-. 500 BC bn \S¶ Cu kw`hs¯ B[mcam¡n bmWv tUmÎÀ Iym³kdn sâ Ncn{Xw Ahkm\n¸n ¡p¶Xv. tcmKhpw NnInÕbpw t]mb hgnIfneqsS apJÀPnbpw \S¡p¶p. hmb\ ckIcamb A\p `hambn \ap¡v amdpIbpw sN¿p¶p. amänadn¡mhp¶ Nne clky§Ä tUmÎÀ CXneqsS ]ckyam¡p¶p. PqZ·mcpsS Iq«s¡mebpw UmÀhnsâ ]cnWma kn²m´hpw sa³Uensâ P\nXI kn²m´§fp saÃmw CXnepïv. The transition from explanation to manipulation (of our genes) is ...what makes the field of genetics resonate far beyond the realms of science. It is one thing to try to understand how genes influence human identity or sexualtiy or 94 \½p-sS B-tcm-Kyw | s^{_phcn 2018 e-`n-¡p¶-Xv B-[n-Im-cn-I-amb B-tcm-Ky-]mT§Ä hn-fn¡q 0471- 2742266 8289852996