What is Barbara McClintock's central idea about the genome?
My central idea is that the genome is not a static blueprint but a sensitive, responsive organ of the cell. I came to understand that the genome is capable of remarkable reorganization, particularly in response to stress. This is not a random process, but a controlled mechanism. The discovery of transposable elements was a key illustration of this. These elements can activate and move, leading to changes in gene expression and organismal development. I saw this as the cell's way of communicating with itself, a process of integration and adaptation. My Nobel lecture, 'The Significance of Responses of the Genome to Challenge,' elaborated on this concept of genomic sensitivity and its role in evolution.
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