October 21, 2004
Humans Have Same Number of Genes as Pufferfish
How can it be that humans, seen by some as the apotheosis of creation, have the same number of genes (as the fish)?
Human Gene Total Falls Below 25,000. While this news in and of itself is not news (the lowered gene count was first mentioned well over a year ago), this article does (indirectly) point to some major problems with the scientific underpinnings of genetic research. What do I mean problems with the scientific underpinning? To answer that, you have to know where researchers got the idea to look for 100,000 genes in humans.
The prevailing theory for over 25 years was that the number of genes was linked to the number of proteins that a species produces. If you identified 40,000 proteins, then you went looking for 40,000 genes. It was also assumed that "complexity" was linked to genes. Since it was assumed that humans were the most "complex " species, then humans should have the most genes.
Let's look at the hints in the article I've linked to.
The 30,000 figure was itself a surprising downgrade from the 100,000 human genes commonly said to exist as recently as five years ago, before the exact sequence of DNA units in the genome was decoded.
Attempting to explain the discrepancy:
One such feature is alternative splicing, the mechanism through which a single gene can generate several kinds of protein by selecting different combinations of the same set of building blocks. More alternative splicing occurs in human cells than in those of lower animals like flies and worms, Dr. Crollius said.
At the time of its first report, the consortium that decoded the human genome had failed to close 147,821 gaps in the DNA sequence of the 24 pairs of human chromosomes. These gaps, stretches of DNA resistant to the usual sequencing methods, have now been reduced to just 341. The total size of the human genome is 3.08 billion units of DNA, the consortium now estimates. Besides the 341 gaps, a special structural DNA at the center and tips of each chromosome continues to defy current sequencing.
Why is this a big deal? Well, it's big because the dominant theory of genetics has been the protein theory. That was the basis for virtually all genetic research (and experimentation. That (faulty) paradigm is the basis of genetic manipulation and tailoring that is now hitting the market. It is somewhat similar to the belief that the Earth was the center of the universe with everything else orbiting it, and the proof that this was not at all the case. Though I must say that since we are mucking with the stuff of life (and those experiments have the ability to contaminate all life on the planet) that the implications of the faulty paradigm might be a bit bigger.
Knowing this, Dr. Axel's comment below seems particularly disingenuous to me.
The lower number of human genes "doesn't disturb me in a conceptual way at all," Dr. Richard Axel, a biologist at Columbia, said.Posted by rowan at October 21, 2004 8:50 AM | TrackBack | [eMail this article!] |
Objectivity is a very subjective, what else can it be ?
Perhaps our greatest enemy is arrogance.
Posted by: Bill Whitlatch at October 21, 2004 10:44 AMthe irony of the toxicity of humans and puffer fish is not lost on me
Posted by: goesh at October 21, 2004 11:11 AMNice catch goesh.
Posted by: rowan at October 21, 2004 12:02 PMJust when I was starting to feel good about myself! :-)
Posted by: Pamela at October 22, 2004 12:38 AMWhat Would Karl Think?
More bad news for the die-hard Marxists of the world - Hooters is opening in China
Posted by: goesh at October 22, 2004 4:36 AMHarpo or Groucho
Posted by: Bill Whitlatch at October 22, 2004 6:11 AMhmmm - i have no rebuttal - you clearly haven't been eating puffer fish, that's for sure - no dulled sense of humor, response time and wit quite strong -
Posted by: goesh at October 22, 2004 8:58 AMThanks...I have never read Marx..Karl that is, I have watched the Marx bros...espcially Freedonia...I find the political humor some of the best. I tried to read Marx but it simply is very dry....I spent my college years reading Sarte, Camus and that crowd....then ended up with Alan Watts, Krisnamurti, Suzuki, the Dali Lama....Vonnegut, De Lillo, Hyak and other assorted people on left, right, middle and upside down.
As to Hooters....I think capitalism is alive....not well...but alive in China and the World....I don't know that socialism can exist unless the whole world is socialistic and I don't see that happening anytime soon...the power structrure is too strong...what I do absolutely believe in is: Majority Rule and minority rights...and that I believe is slipping on both sides of the equation...
I have never been in a Hooters, don't plan on going....nothing agsinst it....I just think women look much sexier fully clothed...
Finally, I am always amazed at the so called Christain Right...wouldn't you think they would be upset about Hooters and like places...what if they start a club and call it Long Dong Silver's....with a special discount for Supreme Court Judges.
Posted by: Bill Whitlatch at October 22, 2004 9:42 AMSalvation Is Around The Corner:
Regarding Hooters and Christians, well, these are Heathen Chinese after all - of course they would be lusting after the flesh of young women. Once salvation is attained, they will be faithful to their wives no doubt and if some profit can be made along the path to salvation, the Lord approves I'm sure. Look at it as ongoing penance on the part of the Heathens, a form of trial by fire if you will - it eases the conscience when depositing the cash and makes the labor of Missionaries much easier.
Posted by: goesh at October 22, 2004 10:00 AMSpeaking of Supreme Court Judges:
Ol' Bill is on a tear, ain't he?
I would like to see the rascals alternately appointed by the Dems and Repubs - come a vacancy, they each take a turn - each must come up with 4 good candidates and haggle amongst themselves for a month, then vote on it with a simple majority candidate filling the vacancy - come the next vacancy, the other party follows the same procedure - start the whole procedure by the President flipping a coin to see who goes first - how about them apples??
I would also like to see term limits on them - if the President can only have a maximum of 8 years, then it should be the same for them, and term limits on congressmen too - and age limits - impliment the No Old Devil Rule - where at age 75 that's it - out to pasture with them - It was Rep. Natcher a few years back that had to wheeled in on a gurney to vote! He was about 180 years old and didn't even know where he was at for cryin' out loud!
Posted by: goesh at October 22, 2004 10:24 AMI think your idea has real merit....I just want somebody to inpsect the coin the President uses....sometimes politicians don't like to play fair....if you can believe that god-fearing men would cheat.
Posted by: Bill Whitlatch at October 22, 2004 11:25 AMSpeaking of toxicity....just finished watching Super Size....would love to hear comments about this movie....especially from people who say the movie is some sort of marxian plot against capitilism.
Posted by: Bill Whitlatch at October 22, 2004 3:18 PM