Five Quarts: a Personal and natural History of blood.FIVE QUARTS: A Personal and Natural History of Blood BILL HAYES We're born in it. It contains our DNA DNA: see nucleic acid. DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid One of two types of nucleic acid (the other is RNA); a complex organic compound found in all living cells and many viruses. It is the chemical substance of genes. , the molecular chronicle of our history. It marks our entry into adulthood through the first shaving nick or menstrual cycle menstrual cycle n. The recurring cycle of physiological changes in the uterus, ovaries, and other sexual structures that occur from the beginning of one menstrual period through the beginning of the next. . We each have, on average, 5 quarts of it, coursing through 60,000 miles of arteries, veins, and capillaries. And it's so, so red. Hayes Considers the history of blood from scientific, historical, and mythical perspectives as he relays a selective symphony of research advances and cultural milestones surrounding blood. He documents the practices of Roman gladiators gladiators [Lat.,=swordsmen], in ancient Rome, class of professional fighters, who performed for exhibition. Gladiatorial combats usually took place in amphitheaters. They probably were introduced from Etruria and originally were funeral games. who drank the blood of their vanquished foes to gain strength and courage. He details the life and times of Galen, who used wounded gladiators in his early investigations into the nature of blood, provided some of the foundational knowledge about blood and medicine that would endure for about 1,400 years. Hayes offers a selective retrospective of research on this vital fluid, covering such notables as Sir William Harvey, who discovered that blood circulates in the body, and Paul Ehrlich who won a Nobel Prize Nobel Prize, award given for outstanding achievement in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, peace, or literature. The awards were established by the will of Alfred Nobel, who left a fund to provide annual prizes in the five areas listed above. for his work on the immune system immune system Cells, cell products, organs, and structures of the body involved in the detection and destruction of foreign invaders, such as bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells. Immunity is based on the system's ability to launch a defense against such invaders. and blood's role in it. Less scientific but no less intriguing is Hayes' documentation of vampire mythology. In a vein through the narrative, Hayes also chronicles his relationship with his HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. positive partner, reminding the reader at every turn of how very personal the topic of blood is to author. Ballantine, 2005, 290 b&w illus., hardcover, $23.95. |
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