Evolution Quote by D. T. Max
![“Protein, so far as we know, does not replicate itself all by itself, not on this planet anyway. Looked at this way, the [prion] seems the strangest thing in all biology, and, until someone in some laboratory figures out what it is, a candidate for Modern Wonder. (quote originally by Lewis Thomas)” quote by D. T. Max](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1f9/d-t-max-52011_nonfiction_protein-so-far-as-we-know-does-not-repli_2180917.jpg)
““Protein, so far as we know, does not replicate itself all by itself, not on this planet anyway. Looked at this way, the [prion] seems the strangest thing in all biology, and, until someone in some laboratory figures out what it is, a candidate for Modern Wonder. (quote originally by Lewis Thomas)””
About This Quote
Source Essay: “The Lives of a Cell” (1974)
Prions are unique proteins that can cause disease without DNA, challenging our understanding of biology.
In simple terms: Prions are self‑replicating proteins, a biological mystery.
Key Takeaway
Study prions to broaden biological knowledge.
Themes
biology
science
mystery
Mood
curious
scientific
Type
educational
inquisitive
When to use this quote
- medical research
- biotech development
- public health education
Key Concepts
protein folding
disease mechanisms
evolutionary biology
Questions to Reflect On
- What implications do prions have for disease treatment?
- How does this reshape concepts of life?
A Different Perspective
Prion research is complex and controversial.
![“Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this [step by step, from humans to apes to monkeys to lemurs] - leading us insensibly from the crown and summit of the animal creation down to creatures, from which there is but a step, as it seems, to the…” quote by Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f0b/thomas-huxley-1183_animal_perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us_3051.jpg)
