Vidqun

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Posts by Vidqun

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  48

  Abiogenesis takes another step forward.....

  by snare&racket in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  spark of life: metabolism appears in lab without cells19:42 25 april 2014 by linda geddesfor similar stories, visit the evolution and human evolution topic guidesmetabolic processes that underpin life on earth have arisen spontaneously outside of cells.

  the serendipitous finding that metabolism the cascade of reactions in all cells that provides them with the raw materials they need to survive can happen in such simple conditions provides fresh insights into how the first life formed.

  it also suggests that the complex processes needed for life may have surprisingly humble origins.. "people have said that these pathways look so complex they couldn't form by environmental chemistry alone," says markus ralser at the university of cambridge who supervised the research.. but his findings suggest that many of these reactions could have occurred spontaneously in earth's early oceans, catalysed by metal ions rather than the enzymes that drive them in cells today.. the origin of metabolism is a major gap in our understanding of theemergence of life.

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  Vidqun

  
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  48

  Abiogenesis takes another step forward.....

  by snare&racket in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  spark of life: metabolism appears in lab without cells19:42 25 april 2014 by linda geddesfor similar stories, visit the evolution and human evolution topic guidesmetabolic processes that underpin life on earth have arisen spontaneously outside of cells.

  the serendipitous finding that metabolism the cascade of reactions in all cells that provides them with the raw materials they need to survive can happen in such simple conditions provides fresh insights into how the first life formed.

  it also suggests that the complex processes needed for life may have surprisingly humble origins.. "people have said that these pathways look so complex they couldn't form by environmental chemistry alone," says markus ralser at the university of cambridge who supervised the research.. but his findings suggest that many of these reactions could have occurred spontaneously in earth's early oceans, catalysed by metal ions rather than the enzymes that drive them in cells today.. the origin of metabolism is a major gap in our understanding of theemergence of life.

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  Vidqun

  There is one big problem, however. "For origins of life, it is important to understand where the source molecules come from," Powner says. No one has yet shown that such substances could form spontaneously in the early oceans.

  I thought I would highlight what I find interesting. At least the scientists are honest. The fact that teams of researchers need to do these experiments in state-of-the-art labs give an indication of the complexities involved. What Perry said. What's this about copy and paste? Since when is that illegal. Or is it only reserved for a select few? I think it's a case of "the truth hurts."
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  37

  Largest Genome Ever Sequenced - and it's 82% Junk

  by cofty in

  1. social
  2. current

  by developing new techniques, a team of scientists led by david neale at the university of california have succeeded in sequencing the genome of the loblolly pine pinus taeda.. the genome is 16 billion base pairs long - 7 times larger than the human genome.

  so why does it take so much dna to make a tree?

  well it turns out it doesn't.. the new sequence confirmed that the loblolly genome is so large because it is crammed full of invasive dna elements that copied themselves around the genome.

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  Vidqun

  I would rather trace the path of the left laryngeal nerve to the development of the embryo, than to an evolutionary throwback. Those that have a problem with the design of the body, ought to try and do better, or is that too much to ask? For the moment, mine works fine (bad design or not), so I'll stick to what I've got. Junk bonds, junk DNA, it's a misnomer whichever way you look at it.
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  37

  Largest Genome Ever Sequenced - and it's 82% Junk

  by cofty in

  1. social
  2. current

  by developing new techniques, a team of scientists led by david neale at the university of california have succeeded in sequencing the genome of the loblolly pine pinus taeda.. the genome is 16 billion base pairs long - 7 times larger than the human genome.

  so why does it take so much dna to make a tree?

  well it turns out it doesn't.. the new sequence confirmed that the loblolly genome is so large because it is crammed full of invasive dna elements that copied themselves around the genome.

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  Vidqun

  Snare, wondered where you were? Sorry to disappoint, but the appendix is a very useful little appendage. I still have mine, and I will hold onto it until it goes wrong. Vestigial/junk, same difference, very short-sighted, for later one must eat one's words.
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  37

  Largest Genome Ever Sequenced - and it's 82% Junk

  by cofty in

  1. social
  2. current

  by developing new techniques, a team of scientists led by david neale at the university of california have succeeded in sequencing the genome of the loblolly pine pinus taeda.. the genome is 16 billion base pairs long - 7 times larger than the human genome.

  so why does it take so much dna to make a tree?

  well it turns out it doesn't.. the new sequence confirmed that the loblolly genome is so large because it is crammed full of invasive dna elements that copied themselves around the genome.

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  Vidqun

  In the Natural History Museum is displayed the growth rings of a Sequoia. The growth rings indicate time, going back thousands of years = dendronchronology. Major events in the tree's life, e.g., fires, volcanic eruptions, droughts, drastic climate change, etc. are noticible in the growth rings. Now scientists predict that all those changes would be transcribed in the DNA, from there DNA cell memory, assisting future generations to adapt. The fact that not all of the information in the DNA has been translated, should make one wary of calling it junk.
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  37

  Largest Genome Ever Sequenced - and it's 82% Junk

  by cofty in

  1. social
  2. current

  by developing new techniques, a team of scientists led by david neale at the university of california have succeeded in sequencing the genome of the loblolly pine pinus taeda.. the genome is 16 billion base pairs long - 7 times larger than the human genome.

  so why does it take so much dna to make a tree?

  well it turns out it doesn't.. the new sequence confirmed that the loblolly genome is so large because it is crammed full of invasive dna elements that copied themselves around the genome.

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  Vidqun

  Transposons or “jumping genes”, earlier viewed as "junk":

  Later researchers have found similar results—that TEs can influence gene transcription—in other species, such as fruit flies, morning glory flowers, and (vindicating McClintock's suspicions) maize (Slotkin & Martienssen, 2007). Moreover, in primates, scientists have identified a SINE known as Alu that seems to play an important role in gene regulation and evolution. These new discoveries are prompting scientists to think twice about dismissing such a large portion of the genome as nothing but "junk."

  Recently scientists have established that the older the man, the greater the chance that his children will be born with abnormalities. So, some of his gene sequences are skipped, creating mutated strands. Contrary to de novo mutations which occur during cell division, inherited gene mutations are transferred at an equal rate by the father and mother, are more common and thus more commonly responsible for disease. Scientists believe that both inherited and new mutations are responsible for diseases like autism and schizophrenia, but have not worked out the ratio of blame. On the positive side, de novo gene mutations are a necessary element, allowing us to adapt to our changing environment.

  In some cases DNA sequences are duplicated, e.g. men with XYY chromosomes. So letters to the code are constantly being added or subtracted. Certainly, similar processes would be taking place in the DNA of trees and plants.

  Your arrogant (but very humorous and crude) scientist will obviously not benefit from above mentioned research, because he has made his mind up that all inactive DNA ("the white stuff") is junk. By the way, the coding of proteins by m-RNA is a separate process. Because m-RNA doesn't use the "white bits," (e.g., transposons or "jumping genes") does that mean it should all be classified as junk? I call it bad science.
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  37

  Largest Genome Ever Sequenced - and it's 82% Junk

  by cofty in

  1. social
  2. current

  by developing new techniques, a team of scientists led by david neale at the university of california have succeeded in sequencing the genome of the loblolly pine pinus taeda.. the genome is 16 billion base pairs long - 7 times larger than the human genome.

  so why does it take so much dna to make a tree?

  well it turns out it doesn't.. the new sequence confirmed that the loblolly genome is so large because it is crammed full of invasive dna elements that copied themselves around the genome.

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  Vidqun

  Here's a Time-article on Junk DNA which is not junk at all:

  Junk DNA — Not So Useless After All

  Researchers report on a new revelation about the human genome: it’s full of active, functioning DNA, and it's a lot more complex than we ever thought

  Junk. Barren. Non-functioning. Dark matter. That’s how scientists had described the 98% of human genome that lies between our 21,000 genes, ever since our DNA was first sequenced about a decade ago. The disappointment in those descriptors was intentional and palpable.

  It had been believed that the human genome — the underpinnings of the blueprint for the talking, empire-building, socially evolved species that we are — would be stuffed with sophisticated genes, coding for critical proteins of unparalleled complexity. But when all was said and done, and the Human Genome Project finally determined the entire sequence of our DNA in 2001, researchers found that the 3 billion base pairs that comprised our mere 21,000 genes made up a paltry 2% of the entire genome. The rest, geneticists acknowledged with unconcealed embarrassment, was an apparent biological wasteland.

  But it turns out they were wrong. In an impressive series of more than 30 papers published in several journals, including Nature, Genome Research, Genome Biology, Science and Cell, scientists now report that these vast stretches of seeming “junk” DNA are actually the seat of crucial gene-controlling activity — changes that contribute to hundreds of common diseases. The new data come from the Encyclopaedia of DNA Elements project, or ENCODE, a $123 million endeavor begun by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) in 2003, which includes 442 scientists in 32 labs around the world.
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  37

  Largest Genome Ever Sequenced - and it's 82% Junk

  by cofty in

  1. social
  2. current

  by developing new techniques, a team of scientists led by david neale at the university of california have succeeded in sequencing the genome of the loblolly pine pinus taeda.. the genome is 16 billion base pairs long - 7 times larger than the human genome.

  so why does it take so much dna to make a tree?

  well it turns out it doesn't.. the new sequence confirmed that the loblolly genome is so large because it is crammed full of invasive dna elements that copied themselves around the genome.

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  Vidqun

  Quite a few studies have indicated that "memory" is retained by genes and is then passed on to their offspring. Here’s a few thoughts from an article published in the journal Science. They worked with genetic switches:

  Epigenetics concerns the inheritance of gene expression through the passing on of DNA. A chemical tag, known as an epigenetic mark, is attached to DNA that subsequently tells a cell to use or ignore a particular gene. The most common of these marks is known as a methyl group, an alkyl derived from methane. When it binds itself to DNA, by a process called methylation, it prevents protein from being added to the gene, and as a result, turns it off. Epigenetic marks are usually erased between each generation due to the way in which primordial gene cells (PGCs, precursors to sperm and eggs) restructure the genetic information ready for the next generation.

  The Cambridge study, led by Jamie Hackett, discovered how the methylation marks were erased by the PGCs, resetting them for the next generation. As the PGCs divided, they broke down the methylation marks and diluted them with each divide. The study claims that such an understanding of epigenetic resetting "could be exploited to deal with adult diseases linked with an accumulation of aberrant epigenetic marks, such as cancers, or in 'rejuvenating' aged cells."

  This is important because aberrant methylation could accumulate at genes during a lifetime in response to environmental factors, such as chemical exposure or nutrition, and can cause abnormal use of genes, leading to disease. If these marks are then inherited by offspring, their genes could also be affected.
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  37

  Largest Genome Ever Sequenced - and it's 82% Junk

  by cofty in

  1. social
  2. current

  by developing new techniques, a team of scientists led by david neale at the university of california have succeeded in sequencing the genome of the loblolly pine pinus taeda.. the genome is 16 billion base pairs long - 7 times larger than the human genome.

  so why does it take so much dna to make a tree?

  well it turns out it doesn't.. the new sequence confirmed that the loblolly genome is so large because it is crammed full of invasive dna elements that copied themselves around the genome.

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  Vidqun

  Cofty, interesting articles. I personally don't like the term "junk" DNA. It's called "junk" because we don't know why it's there. Is this not a case of DNA cell memory? Trees have longer lifespans than humans, so it woud make sense that more information is stored in their genomes.
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  22

  ....and the deaf will hear again!

  by snare&racket in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the moment a 39-year-old deaf woman hears someone for the first time, thanks to cochlear implants......... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ueo9itfxic.

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  enough said..

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  Vidqun

  It took an engineer to design the implants, a factory to build them. It took a surgeon and his team to put the electrodes in exactly the right place. So what do we have here? Design, dare I say a creator? All of this will not happen by chance, not in a millions years!