American Scientist

The components of life are works of art that were created—and are ever-evolving—from the elements of the universe. Their interdependency functions like synchronized instruments in a symphony, sculpting and coupling to produce rhythmic patterns through evolution. And yet, students normally encounter the rich, marvelous interplay of genes, genomes, cells, mitochondria, and other biological denizens in the form of stiff, static, smoothed-off images presented in textbooks and journal articles. Cells are presented as only superficially connected through limited, mechanical associations. The images seem not to possess any aesthetic considerations for the viewer, and as such erase the majesty and dynamism of biological structures.