--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: worms age, or even how birds learn…" description: "\"“worms age, or even how birds learn songs—and you will end up, in fewer than six genetic steps, connecting with a proto-oncogene or tumor suppressor.”\"..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/310/siddhartha-mukherjee-1619_genetic_worms-age-or-even-how-birds-learn-songs_2081469.png" --- # worms age, or even how birds learn songs—and you will end… ![“worms age, or even how birds learn songs—and you will end up, in fewer than six genetic steps, connecting with a proto-oncogene or tumor suppressor.” quote by Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/310/siddhartha-mukherjee-1619_genetic_worms-age-or-even-how-birds-learn-songs_2081469.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/310/siddhartha-mukherjee-1619_genetic_worms-age-or-even-how-birds-learn-songs_2081469.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/310/siddhartha-mukherjee-1619_genetic_worms-age-or-even-how-birds-learn-songs_2081469.png) > ““worms age, or even how birds learn songs—and you will end up, in fewer than six genetic steps, connecting with a proto-oncogene or tumor suppressor.”” [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Genetic changes accumulate slowly, leading to cancer through few key mutations. **In simple terms:** Small genetic steps cause disease. Key Takeaway Monitor early genetic changes. Themes science medicine genetics Mood informative clinical Type scientific medical When to use this quote - clinical screening - research labs - public health policy Key Concepts cancer biology mutation accumulation Questions to Reflect On - How can we improve early genetic screening? - What preventive measures reduce mutation risk? A Different Perspective Early detection is challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fewer Genetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fewer-genetic-4067812/) [Genetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genetic/) [Genetic Steps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genetic-steps-4067810/) [Proto Oncogene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proto-oncogene-4067811/) [Worms Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worms-age-4067813/) ## Related quotes > [In the laboratory, we call this the six-degrees-of-separation-from-cancer rule: you can ask any biological question, no matter how seemingly distant-what makes the heart fail,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/in-the-laboratory-we-call-this-the-six-degrees-of-separation-from/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“When most people had to hunt, a minor genetic variation in your ability to focus attention was hardly a problem, and may even have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/when-most-people-had-to-hunt-a-minor-genetic-variation-in-your/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“By the end of this decade, permutations and combinations of genetic variants will be used to predict variations in human phenotype, illness, and destiny.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/by-the-end-of-this-decade-permutations-and-combinations-of-genetic/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“The first result of this randomized trial was predictable from prior studies: in the control group, children with the short variant-i.e., the "high risk"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/the-first-result-of-this-randomized-trial-was-predictable-from-prior/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [Is there something in my genetic makeup that makes me more at risk for heart disease? I believe there is. My father was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corbin-bernsen/is-there-something-in-my-genetic-makeup-that-makes-me-more-at-risk/) [Corbin Bernsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corbin-bernsen/) > [Genetic engineering is a result of science advancement, so I don't think that in itself is bad. If used wisely, genetics can be beneficial,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideo-kojima/genetic-engineering-is-a-result-of-science-advancement-so-i-don-t/) [Hideo Kojima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideo-kojima/) > [Soon it will be a sin for parents to have a child that carries the heavy burden of genetic disease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-edwards/soon-it-will-be-a-sin-for-parents-to-have-a-child-that-carries-the/) [Bob Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-edwards/) > [The position of Autism Speaks has been for quite awhile that we need to find out what's happening. We know there's a genetic component,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-emken/the-position-of-autism-speaks-has-been-for-quite-awhile-that-we-need/) [Elizabeth Emken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-emken/) > [I never believed I'd have a six-pack, especially not at 35 years old. I always thought it was a genetic blessing. It's not. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sullivan-stapleton/i-never-believed-i-d-have-a-six-pack-especially-not-at-35-years-old-i/) [Sullivan Stapleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sullivan-stapleton/) > [You know, there's a tremendous amount of genetic propensity not necessarily for what TV shows you like but for literally how you view the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayim-bialik/you-know-there-s-a-tremendous-amount-of-genetic-propensity-not/) [Mayim Bialik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayim-bialik/) > [An important finding is that by determining the genome sequences of an entire family, one can identify many DNA sequencing errors and thus greatly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-hood/an-important-finding-is-that-by-determining-the-genome-sequences-of/) [Leroy Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-hood/) > [I've never argued that humans are massively hot-wired. What I was trying to point out was that you can't understand how we learn unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/i-ve-never-argued-that-humans-are-massively-hot-wired-what-i-was/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [I was in Vietnam, and I was exposed to Agent Orange. And there's a high relationship between people that were exposed to Agent Orange…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamilton-jordan/i-was-in-vietnam-and-i-was-exposed-to-agent-orange-and-there-s-a-high/) [Hamilton Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamilton-jordan/) > [Although self-control is inheritable and does run in families and has a genetic component, it's more like height than anything else. Height is one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrie-moffitt/although-self-control-is-inheritable-and-does-run-in-families-and-has/) [Terrie Moffitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrie-moffitt/) > [“The global population of Earth are involved in the following corporate government experiments: The long term effects of - 1. Nuclear bomb fallout radiation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-global-population-of-earth-are-involved-in-the-following/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) ## More by Siddhartha Mukherjee > [Most days, I go home and I feel rejuvenated. I feel ebullient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/most-days-i-go-home-and-i-feel-rejuvenated-i-feel-ebullient/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“A note of caution: epigenetics is also on the verge of transforming into a dangerous idea. Epigenetic modifications of genes can potentially superpose historical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/a-note-of-caution-epigenetics-is-also-on-the-verge-of-transforming/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [When you immerse yourself in medicine you realise that hope is not absolute. It's not that simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/when-you-immerse-yourself-in-medicine-you-realise-that-hope-is-not/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“I had a novice's hunger for history, but also a novice's inability to envision it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/i-had-a-novice-s-hunger-for-history-but-also-a-novice-s-inability-to/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“Any extrapolation of history into the future presupposes an environment of static discovery—an oxymoron.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/any-extrapolation-of-history-into-the-future-presupposes-an/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“Six decades and two years, no more than a passing glance of time, separate Mendel's initial experiments on peas and the court-mandated sterilization of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/six-decades-and-two-years-no-more-than-a-passing-glance-of-time/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“We now know that cells have ancient detectors that recognize viral genes and stamp them with chemical marks, like cancellation signs, to prevent their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/we-now-know-that-cells-have-ancient-detectors-that-recognize-viral/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“Familial schizophrenia (like normal human features such as intelligence and temperament) is thus highly heritable but only moderately inheritable. 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And testing the theory on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/but-the-pigs-seventy-pounds-of-porcine-weight-that-did-not-take/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“One of the four genes used by Yamanaka to reverse cellular fate is called c-myc. Myc, the rejuvenating factor, is no ordinary gene: it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/one-of-the-four-genes-used-by-yamanaka-to-reverse-cellular-fate-is/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [A breast cancer might turn out to have a close resemblance to a gastric cancer. And this kind of reorganization of cancer in terms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/a-breast-cancer-might-turn-out-to-have-a-close-resemblance-to-a/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“But in 1960, oncology was not yet ready for this proposal. 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To name an illness is to describe a certain condition of suffering—a literary act before it becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/even-an-ancient-monster-needs-a-name-to-name-an-illness-is-to/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) [Explore all 213 Siddhartha Mukherjee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) ## More Genetic quotes > [“The global population of Earth are involved in the following corporate government experiments: The long term effects of - 1. Nuclear bomb fallout radiation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-global-population-of-earth-are-involved-in-the-following/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Although self-control is inheritable and does run in families and has a genetic component, it's more like height than anything else. 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What I was trying to point out was that you can't understand how we learn unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/i-ve-never-argued-that-humans-are-massively-hot-wired-what-i-was/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [An important finding is that by determining the genome sequences of an entire family, one can identify many DNA sequencing errors and thus greatly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-hood/an-important-finding-is-that-by-determining-the-genome-sequences-of/) [Leroy Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-hood/) > [You know, there's a tremendous amount of genetic propensity not necessarily for what TV shows you like but for literally how you view the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayim-bialik/you-know-there-s-a-tremendous-amount-of-genetic-propensity-not/) [Mayim Bialik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayim-bialik/) > [I never believed I'd have a six-pack, especially not at 35 years old. 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If used wisely, genetics can be beneficial,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideo-kojima/genetic-engineering-is-a-result-of-science-advancement-so-i-don-t/) [Hideo Kojima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideo-kojima/) > [Is there something in my genetic makeup that makes me more at risk for heart disease? I believe there is. My father was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corbin-bernsen/is-there-something-in-my-genetic-makeup-that-makes-me-more-at-risk/) [Corbin Bernsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corbin-bernsen/) > [We are intelligent atoms. We are intelligent organic structures. We can change who we are. We can heal ourselves. 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I don't know if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/i-am-an-ashkenazi-jew-and-there-are-a-whole-host-of-genetic-disorders/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) [Browse all 278 Genetic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genetic/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“worms age, or even how birds learn songs—and you will end up, in fewer than six genetic steps, connecting with a proto-oncogene or tumor suppressor.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Siddhartha Mukherjee" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/worms-age-or-even-how-birds-learn-songs-and-you-will-end-up-in-fewer/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Genetic" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/worms-age-or-even-how-birds-learn-songs-and-you-will-end-up-in-fewer/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/310/siddhartha-mukherjee-1619_genetic_worms-age-or-even-how-birds-learn-songs_2081469.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/310/siddhartha-mukherjee-1619_genetic_worms-age-or-even-how-birds-learn-songs_2081469.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/310/siddhartha-mukherjee-1619_genetic_worms-age-or-even-how-birds-learn-songs_2081469.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“worms age, or even how birds learn songs—and you will end up, in fewer than six genetic steps, connecting…” — Siddhartha Mukherjee", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Siddhartha Mukherjee", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“worms age, or even how birds...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/worms-age-or-even-how-birds-learn-songs-and-you-will-end-up-in-fewer/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/worms-age-or-even-how-birds-learn-songs-and-you-will-end-up-in-fewer/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```