"Chromosome 4: Fate"
Ridley begins Chapter 4 by expressing his opinions on the way scientists had named genes. Most genes are identified with the diseases that they cause; however Ripley is against this way of naming genes, because our organs are not named for the diseases they cause. Connecting this opinion to chromosomes, Ripley introduces the next chromosome. The 4th chromosome, Ripley explains, contains the gene that "is actually the most famous of all the 'disease' genes because of a very different disease associated with it: Huntington's chorea." The disease is caused when there is a mutation that gene; when the gene's repetition of CAG is altered, Ripley says "there are few worse fates." The chapter continues about the findings and studies done on the disease. Although, neither Nancy Wexler or Alice had taken the test, they have contributed to the findings of this fatal disease. Ripley concludes this chapter as he relates the chances of being diagnosed with such a disease to the curse of Tiresias and states "your fate is in your genes" since little is known about this gene and that fatal consequences follows its diagnosis.
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