This week it is your turn to find a current event related to our current unit - DNA, genetics, protein synthesis, and transformation. Find a news article related DNA. Write the name of the article and the author in your post. Paste the link into your comment. And then describe the article and how it relates to what you have learned in this unit.
Here are some sources that you can use to find articles:
SF Gate: http://www.sfgate.com/science/
Science News: http://www.sciencenews.org/
NY Times Science News: http://www.nytimes.com/pages/science/
Popular Science: http://www.popsci.com/
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The article I found is called Blue-eyed Humans Have a Single, Common Ancestor by a writer at Science Daily (no specific name is mentioned). http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080130170343.htm. The article explained that all humans who have blue eyes descended from the same person thousands of years ago. Humans all started out with blue eyes, but somewhere along the way a person was born with a genetic mutation that gave him or her blue eyes. The mutation was on the gene OCA2. OCA2 is the gene that determines eye color. The person's mutation was that the "switch" for melanin was turned down, which meant there was less melanin in that person's eyes. Less melanin means a lighter color, and in that case the color was blue. There is still a little melanin in it because otherwise it would be considered albino. I thought this article was very interesting because I had blue eyes, and it's cool to know that somehow I am related to a very large portion of the world. The article also helped me understand exactly how much a mutation can effect a species, and I have a better sense of how mutations work. It was good preparation for the lab on Wednesday, when we will learn about mutations.
ReplyDeleteAnd then describe the article and how it relates to what you have learned in this unit.
ReplyDeleteJ. Craig Venter by Thor Swift
So far in this unit, we have learned about DNA, RNA, and proteins. J. Craig Venter has completed putting together the first complete transcription of a human genome. He set up a race between the government and his prior company, Celera, to see who could get the job done first. In 2000, it was announced a tie. Ever since, Dr. Venter has been working to improve the transcription project. In class, we have learned about how transcription takes place in the nucleus of a cell when mRNA copies half of the original DNA strand. Dr. Venter is an expert in this topic and has dedicated his life to it.
The Article i found is called Dna swapping Between Insects and Mammals the writer name is Dr.Erwin Huebner.He went to the University of of manitoba.www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-05/researchers-find-evidence-horizontal-dna-swapping-between-insects-and-mammals.This article is basically about how bugs DNA can be swaft to mammals even humans.only from parisitic insects.Human genome comes from transpons but people have ate bugs or use them as medicine in the body so having genes from a bugs shouldnt really affect.This realtes to what we talk about because we are learning how dna is transferred from one cell to another this article does give alot of imformation on how genes are able to be tranferred to mammals its really intresting.
ReplyDeleteSplices of time
ReplyDeleteOrganisms distinguish day and night by shifting the way genes are interpreted
By Tina Hesman Saey
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/64430/title/Splices_of_time
In this unit we've learned about genes and RNA and what its traits and functions are. In this article it talks about how to modify the products of certain genes based on daily rhythms set by the organisms’ circadian clocks, the study shows. Most research on circadian clocks has focused on the process by which the biological timekeepers turn genes on and off. But the new study shows that the clocks also govern how molecules of RNA that are transcribed from a gene are spliced together for translation into the gene’s protein product.
DNA-damaging disinfection by-products found in pool water by Janet Raloff
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/63358/title/DNA-damaging_disinfection_by-products_found_in_pool_water
In the article I found, Raloff explains the damaging and negative effects of swimming pool disinfecting products. Although chlorine and similar types of chemicals are designed to kill germs, interactions with other water pollutants may produce mutagens. Swimming is typically viewed as a healthful and beneficial activity, but swimmers are suggested to be more aware of the possible reactions between chemicals in the water. This article relates to what we are studying currently this week: DNA mutations and mutagens.
Blue-eyed Humans Have a Single, Common Ancestor.
ReplyDeleteSource:http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080130170343.htm
This article is about genetic mutation. It states how thousands of years ago humans had brown eyes. But then a genetic mutation that was in our chroomosomes "turned off" the ability to create brown eyes. The gene coded for the P protein which is involved in the pigment that gives us our hair,eyes, and skin color. This gene doesn't actually turn off the production of brown eyes but limits it. Right now in science we are learning about mutation. We recently did a lab on mutation. In the lab each person would get a different recipe for baking cookies. Each recipe was different. By tasting each cookie for each recipe we could see if the cookie was mutated or not.
For this week's blog I read "Gene Therapy for Depression" by Laura Sanders. This article was about the a certain protein, p11, in your brain. Scientists have developed an idea that this particular protein has an affect in depression. Scientists performed experiments on mice and noticed when p11 was low or no existent that the mice exhibited depressed behavior. They are still not positive but they think that this could lead to curing clinical depression through gene therapy. This relates to our unit because it concerns the making of proteins and the genes that reside in our body.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/64442/title/Gene_therapy_for_depression
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-08/thought-be-dead-zombie-dna-can-rise-cause-health-problems
ReplyDeleteZombie DNA Long Thought Dormant Can Rise to Cause Health Problems
by: Clay Dillow
Our DNA contains non-coding genes. Geneticists have discovered of late that these genes that are supposed to be inactive can "rise from the dead." These genes are refered to as zombie genes. Why these zombie genes are such a big deal is because they can stimulate problems such as muscular dystrophy, which makes a person's muscles weak. This relates to what we are learning now because this is all occuring in the DNA. Also, transcription and mutation is involved as the problem starts with a bad transcription of the zombie gene because a part of the sequence has gone missing, and if a mutation comes in, it revives the zombie gene and the muscular dystrophy starts.
Article:Genetics redraws marsupial family tree
ReplyDeleteAuthor:Gwyneth Dickey
Link:http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/61524/title/Genetics__redraws_marsupial_family_tree
In the article, it talks about how genetic evidence shows that a South American ancestor gave rise to all Australain marsupials. The South American opossums were the earliest group to break away from the other six marsupial clans. The kangaroo's marsupial family tree is now in order because of jumping genes. This can trace back to 130 million years ago, although fossil and genetic evidence are still debated about which marsupial species evolved firt and where. Jumping genes make copues of themselves and reinsert themselves anywhere within in the genome. Gene- jumping is rare so if two species were to share a jumping gene, it can be assumed that they inherited it from a common ancestor. According to the new family tree of Austrailian marsupials, they all arose from a single South American ancestor. This relates to what I've learned this unit because here it shows how some genes from ancestors can be passed down to newer generations. This also occurs in the human genes, therefore it relates to what I have learned.
My article was on a human genome project called 1000 Genomes. The goal of this project is to record the genetic variations in 2,500 people. With this project they have uncovered 8 million newly identified gene variants. This makes a grand total of 15 million different spelling variation, 1 million small insertions or deletions of chromosomes, and 20,000 large missing or duplicated chunks. Scientists also found over 1,000 new duplicated genes. The large amount of genetic variation discovered in this project could be a scientific breakthrough and could benefit generations to come.
ReplyDelete-http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/64761/title/1000_Genomes_pilot_a_hit_with_geneticists
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/64761/title/1000_Genomes_pilot_a_hit_with_geneticists
ReplyDelete"1000 Genomes pilot a hit with geneticists"
By Tina Hesman Saey
This article describes the efforts of the 1,000 Genomes Project. A group of scientists are studying the genomes of about 2,500 people in an attempt to find links between DNA variation and disease. In the process, they also think they will find out more about undocumented human history and the evolution of mankind.Researchers found 15 million DNA "spelling" variations, 1 million insertion mutations, and 20,000 duplications and deletions. Each person has approximately 3 million spelling variations in their genome known as single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNP's. The scientists also found about 1,000 commonly duplicated genes which people usually have one or two of. However, some genes were found to have anywhere from 5 to 368 copies copies per person.
The group also discovered evidence of brain evolution from apes to mankind. Humans tend to have many more gene copies that code for brain related proteins than apes do.
This article describes aspects of genetic mutation and the related numbers discovered by researchers. Right now, we are learning about genetic mutation: how it happens and what it can cause, both positively and negatively. "1000 Genomes pilot a hit with geneticists" is an article which describes exactly that.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/64748/title/Mind_over_machine
ReplyDeleteI read an article on genetic transformation. This article explained that these scientists were experimenting on the information of cells. They wanted to challenge your cells so that you would like something else. The experiment went down like this, first the scientists would hook up the subjects to a computer that showed there brain cell image. The scientists would show the contests an image of Marilyn Monroe and Josh Brolin. Then the cells in there brain would show the image of the person there cells "prefer". After, the scientists would show the image of the person they wanted the person to focus on. The scientists would then show a mash up of both people. The person's cell would pick the dominant picture. This article has to do with what we learned this week because is explains the transformation of cells and how cells can be manipulated.
I did my article on the mother sheep and how her "defects" are allowing her to have more babies.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/02/science/02obsheep.html?_r=1&ref=science
by:SINDYA N. BHANOO
This article is about a group of scientists who did a study on a female sheep. They recorded that the sheep had a very good immune system, however is this a good thing. They observed that however her offspring lived long she had barley any offspring. Another sheep they tested(same species) had a week immune system. Which would not help the sheep if it ever came upon a sickness. However the scientists believe that her offspring died young but she had many offspring. Now which one is better is the real question, old and few or many and sick...
This is related because we have been learning how mutations can be either deadly or neutral or helpful. In this case I would say it was neutral because the one sick sheep gave birth to many young but they were all sick. The one with the healthy system gave birth to less but they were all strong and healthy.
Title: Global Seeds Market to Reach US$47 Billion by 2015, According to a New Report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc.
ReplyDeleteAuthor: (No Specific Name Given) Link: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/10/27/prwebprweb4702104.DTL This Article was about how genetically altered crops have impacted the world. These crops have been genetically altered to benefit mankind. Over 14 million farmers have adapted to these altered seeds, and they covered over 333 million acres of land in 2009. These crops are altered to have increased pest protection, and extra nutritional value. This relates to what we’re learning, because genes are what make up the characteristics of a living organism. If mankind can alter these genes to our benefit, then our civilization would thrive. This also relates to the file presented in class today, seeing how the genes altered can negatively affect the simple lives of innocent farmers, by being oppressed and charged extra for jobs they received from past generations of their family line.
"1000 Genomes pilot a hit with geneticists"
ReplyDelete-by Tina Hesman Saey .
In this article, researchers explain that 75 diseases, that influence diease. A gene is the data code, and the infected disease doubles every time. There is research behind it,for looking at mutated genomes.
This article teaches me about the bad dieases that are spreading, and growing everyday. All of the different groups are put trough expierements based on their projects, and different stages of them.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/29/health/29cancer.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=dna%20&st=cse
ReplyDeleteThe article: New DNA testing aimed to reduce colon cancer, By Nicholas Wade Explains the development in a new technology That is a simple DNA test that looks for four altered Genes that are present in Colon Cancer. This relates to our topic as we study because the tests revolve around the mutation in the Dna gene