Re-think Genes: New Mechanism of Gene Expression Discovered

December 7, 2013 / esfein / Leave a comment

If I removed once cell at a time from your body, at what point would you not be you? catiestewart.com

Researchers are on a seemingly endless quest to discover precisely how DNA and RNA function. A great deal remains a mystery in the field of genetics. In fact up until around one year ago, when scientists captured a photo of DNA, no one knew with absolute certainty what it looked like. The double helix idea was always just a theory.

In a recent ground breaking discovery researchers from the University of Chicago witnessed a never before scene mechanism of gene expression. The researchers found a single gene that encodes two separate proteins from the same sequence of messenger RNA. Let me explain.

This is from a nucleic acid photoshoot. www.tutorvista.com

This is from a nucleic acid photoshoot. http://www.tutorvista.com

DNA and RNA are similar in that they both contain a genetic blueprint of an organism. They do however differ in several ways. First, RNA comes in three forms: messenger, transfer, and ribosomal.

mRNA (messenger)- The function of mRNA is to carry genetic information from the DNA in the nucleus to the ribosomes of a cell.

tRNA (transfer)- The function of tRNA is to bring the correct amino acid to the ribosomes in the cystosol.

rRNA (ribosomal)- The function of rRNA is to create new ribosomes.

They also differ in that they each incorporate a different sugar molecule in their structure. Also, where DNA has two strands of nucleotides, RNA has only one strand. For the sake of simplicity think of RNA as DNA’s co-conspirator in the continuation of life. In fact, some researchers speculate that life originally depended entirely on self-replicating RNA, rather than the DNA, RNA, and proteins that it depends on to proliferate today.

Related Article: Deep Storage Project

So, up until this point we thought we had a pretty decent, overall idea of how DNA and RNA functioned. This study just came out of left field and whispered into the collective ear of geneticists around the world: “You know nothing…”

This bundle of RNA and proteins is called a Ribisome.www.itsokaytobesmart.com

The study is a big deal because it is the first time that scientists have ever viewed anything even remotely similar. According to Christopher Gomez, MD, PhD, professor and chairman of the Department of Neurology at the University of Chicago, who led the study,

This is the first example of a mechanism in a higher organism in which one gene creates two proteins from the same mRNA transcript, simultaneously. It represents a paradigm shift in our understanding of how genes ultimately encode proteins.

There is a special sequence in the mRNA known as an internal ribosomal entry site (IRES), a site that tells ribosomes to create a protein from the mRNA sequence. The IRES is normally found at the beginning of an RNA sequence, however, in the particular mRNA sequence that the researchers viewed the IRES was in the middle of the sequence, alerting ribosomes to initiate the creation of a second protein from the same sequence.

Related Article: Titan’s Atmosphere Can Make DNA

This is especially exciting news since it creates a beacon of hope for further applicable genetic discovery, not just DNA origami. Just think, we only recently learned in the last couple decades that genetic predisposition isn’t set in stone, and that epigenetics allow us to alter our genetic expression and the genetic expression and predisposition of our children.

You can check your ancestry, health risks, and more through a DNA check that costs $99.

Sources:

http://www.newscientist.com/special/unknown-human-genome

https://wondergressive.com/news/first-time-photo-captures-double-helix-structure-of-dna/

http://www.uchospitals.edu/news/2013/20130703-bifunctional-gene.html

https://wondergressive.com/news/women-who-give-birth-to-men-have-male-dna-in-brain-for-life/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNA

http://sequoyahbiology.webs.com/whatisdnaandrna.htm

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/12/science/space/a-far-flung-possibility-for-the-origin-of-life.html?_r=1&

https://wondergressive.com/news/deep-storage-project/

https://wondergressive.com/news/titans-atmosphere-can-make-dna/

https://wondergressive.com/news/dna-origami-the-art-of-folding-dna/

https://wondergressive.com/news/epigenetics-the-key-to-overcoming-genetic-predisposition

https://wondergressive.com/news/epigenetics-and-altering-your-dna/

https://wondergressive.com/news/dna-ancestry-23andme/

Track Phone First, Ask Questions Later

August 3, 2013 / esfein / Leave a comment

Track Phone http://blog.privacychoice.org

For quite some time it has been apparent that secrets are everywhere. By quite some time, I mean since ages past. From Masons, to Illuminati, to the famous Knights Templar. Many organizations even today keep their secrets: CIA, NSA, etc., etc., etc. The NSA is an organization that takes our information and claims to use it for our safety but in recent news it has been criticized as a cell phone infiltrator. That’s right, though most of you have already heard about this and likely lost interest in it, the fact remains that all of your data are belong to US(A). It is no lie that:

The National Security Agency has provided timely information to U.S. decision makers and military leaders for more than half a century.

and that:

NSA/CSS exists to protect the Nation.

but where do we draw the line? Is it really in our liberty to discuss anything at all without being overlooked or guided? Is there any safe place for our information?

Related Article: Gossip Through the Prism

Apparently nowhere it seems, as a federal appeals court recently ruled that warrants are not needed for tracking cell phones. Yes, this is very serious. Serious because now all of my talks about kittens and dogs will be recorded and every conversation about “how life is going” with my mother will be documented. Joking aside, a lot of people feel threatened by the means of a government, and the display of power that one such government sometimes abuses. What will all this hacking of civilians information yield? Maybe it will help with criminals at large and terrorists that are on the loose. To think, a world where the NSA finds them and the police get them.

Related Article: The Drones Are Coming

In lighter news, NSA chief will soon be at a conference for hackers in Vegas where he will likely speak out about the data mining and collecting that the NSA does. Let him speak, but surely everything he says will be watched and scrutinized. In fact, all we can do is scrutinize and wait to see what the Supreme Court will do and how it will weigh in on the warrant-less tracking. Cheers! But don’t forget, Big Brother is always watching. Or reading, err tracking?

Related Article: Not Another 9-11 Article

Sources:

Time: NSA Chief Speaks

Freemasons

Gawker: Illuminati

Knights Templar

Central Intelligence Agency

National Security Agency

Youtube: All Your Base Are Belong To US

Warrantless Cellphone Tracking is Upheld

Wondergressive: Gossip Through the Prism

Wondergressive: Not Another 9-11 Article

Wondergressive: The Drones Are Coming

Child’s Cells Found in Mother After Birth

July 11, 2013 / esfein / Leave a comment

According to Scientific American, a woman, after giving birth, retains some of her child’s cells in her brain. Did you ever wonder why your mom knows exactly what you’re thinking or what you are about to do? Well this is not the answer to that question, she just knows. This has to do with your DNA and what it can do for your mother. More specifically, these left over cells can both help and harm the mother through lung, liver, kidney, heart, and skin defects. This process is known as microchimerism, where cells that are left over are adapted naturally by the mother and used for different reasons. Scientists are still unsure whether or not these cells are actively being used or if they are participating in harming or helping the mother.

Why is this relevant? Let us imagine they are indeed harming the mother after birth, in fact that they are affecting her lifestyle and worsening her response to disease. Maybe the cells are increasing the mother’s risk for cancer, or maybe they are simply causing a slower response time to what would be an easily curable sickness. In this case it is extremely important to help find a way to get rid of the cells after a female gives birth, rather than waiting on a side effect to develop. Side effect, only of course, if it in fact deals with harming the mother.

On the flip side, lets say its not a side effect but a blessing; some research suggests that the mother benefits from having cells left over after birth. They can even help with autoimmune disorder and rheumatoid arthritis. There is some research being done that suggests it may be similar to stem cells in that they help with regenerative properties. In fact, these stem cells may even help with the creation of new eggs for future births.

The biggest thing to gather from all of this is that it isn’t just males that are thought to imprint themselves on women’s brains because of their rowdy and reckless behaviors. Now all of you girls are also held accountable for actively being on your mother’s mind. Literally.

Research:

PLOS ONE: Male Microchimerism in the Human Female Brain

Beyond Birth: A Child’s Cells May Help or Harm

Scientists Discover Children Cells Living in Mother’s Brain

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Autoimmune Disorder

The otherness of Self: Microchimerism

Women Can Make New Eggs

Wondergressive: Women have Male DNA in Brain