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Galton, Sir Francis nucleus is made up of nucleic acids ex-
pressed in shorthand form by the letters
Like his cousin, Charles Darwin, Sir
A, T, G and C. The molecules represented
Francis Galton was interested in biology.
by these letters combine together in pairs,
In contrast to Darwin, he investigated fi-
with each pair forming a rung in the
elds about which little was known: here- DNA. Genes emerge through these rungs,
dity and intelligence. Galton supported one on top of the other. Every gene, part
the idea of eugenics (which sought to of the DNA molecule, controls a particu-
improve the human race by way of here- lar characteristic in the human body.
dity) for the development of inherent All the physical information regar-
characteristics an individual possessed ding a living thing—from height to eye
since birth. Galton’s genetic concept was color, from the shape of the nose to blo-
adopted by Hitler, Churchill and many od group—is encoded in its genes. There
people who sought to eliminate “unfit” are some 30,000 genes in the human
races. DNA. Every gene consists of between
K. Ludmerer states that Darwinism 1,000 and 186,000 nucleotides, depen-
was the reason for the 19 th century’s in- ding on the kind of protein it corres-
creased interest in eugenics: ponds to, set out in a specific sequence.

. . . modern eugenics thought arose only These genes contain some 30,000 codes
in the nineteenth century. The emergence controlling the production of these pro-
of interest in eugenics during that cen- teins. The information contained in these
tury had multiple roots. The most impor- 30,000 genes represents just 3% of the
tant was the theory of evolution, for total information in the DNA. The re-
Francis Galton’s ideas on eugenics—and maining 97% is still a mystery.
it was he who created the term “euge-
Genes are found inside chromoso-
nics”—were a direct logical outgrowth of
mes. The nucleus of every human cell
the scientific doctrine elaborated by his
(with the exception of reproductive
cousin, Charles Darwin. 190
cells) has 46 chromosomes. If each chro-
mosome were compared to a volume and
each gene to a page, there is enough in-
Genes
formation in one cell—which contains
The DNA data bank found in the cell all the features of a human being—to fill

THE EVOLUTION IMPASSE I