A Chronicle on Genetics and the March of Darwinian and Mendelian Medicine

Abstract

Ken Burns, a well-known documentarian has produced a film titled, “The Gene: An Intimate History” based on Siddhartha Mukherjee’s book by the same name. The film focuses sharply on the history of genetics, the science of inheritance and variation, in particular, the gene, the central player in genetics, its discovery, structure and function as well as its myriad influence on development, growth, health, disease and evolution of all organisms. Importantly, he has shown how geneticists, physicians, patients and their families as well as society at large must cooperate, develop mutual trust and share ethical responsibilities in order to predict, prevent, manage and cure many inherited disorders. Mr. Burns has reinforced these ideas beautifully with illustrations, archived film footage, location filming and commentaries. The film also hints at the need for taking a unified Darwinian-Mendelian and Hippocratic approach toward building a healthier human society. In short, this is a beautiful and engrossing documentary on the future of Genetic Medicine.