DNA Experimentation

One of the major themes of this novel is the highly unregulated use of human DNA in research throughout the world. There are several examples of this type of research in the novel, beginning with the cells stolen from the body of Frank Burnet and ending with the chimpanzee-human hybrid Henry Kendall created in an NIH lab. These events play out throughout the novel, moving from a simple story of pure fiction into something that causes the reader to think about the advances being made every day in labs throughout the world.

Frank Burnet's body makes cells that fight cancer. When his doctor learns this, the man takes these cells and his university, UCLA, sells them to a bio research company who uses them to create medications for people with cancer. While it is noble to make these medications, as it saves hundreds of lives every year...