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Rockefeller researchers discover a biological clock within a clock
Eurekalert ^ | 1/12/06 | Joseph Bonner

Posted on 01/13/2006 7:25:46 AM PST by Michael_Michaelangelo

Just as a pocket watch requires a complex system of gears and springs to keep it ticking precisely, individual cells have a network of proteins and genes that maintain their own internal clock -- a 24-hour rhythm that, in humans, regulates metabolism, cell division, and hormone production, as well as the wake-sleep cycle. Studying this "circadian" rhythm in fruit flies, which have genes that are similar to our own, scientists have constructed a basic model of how the cellular timekeeper works. But now, a new report in this week's issue of the journal Science turns the old model on its head: By providing a glimpse into living cells, Rockefeller University researchers have uncovered a previously undetected clock inside the circadian clock. The scientists made the finding with a rarely used technique called FRET, which enabled them to follow circadian proteins over an extended period of time and watch the clock as it ticks away in a living cell.

[snip]

The movie allowed them to follow the interactions between Period and Timeless with a resolution never before possible. They discovered that, rather than randomly colliding, the two proteins bind together in the cytoplasm almost immediately and create what Young and Meyer refer to as an "interval timer." Then, six hours after coming together, the complexes rapidly break apart and the proteins move into the nucleus singly, all of them within minutes of each other. "Some switch is thrown at six hours that lets the complex explode. The proteins pop apart and roll into the nucleus," Young says. "Somehow, implanted within the system is a timer, formed by Period and Timeless, that counts off six hours. You have a clock within a clock." He notes that this precise timer shows how carefully orchestrated interactions between proteins really are.

(Excerpt) Read more at eurekalert.org ...


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: creationisminadress; crevo; crevolist; goddooditamen; idtalltales; intelligentdesign
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To: Flightdeck; PatrickHenry

Regarding your post #27...tho it is addressed to PatrickHenry I will give you my answer..I do accept, as you, the scientifically accepted evolution of humans and animals through time, and I also believe that God set it in motion...Many on the evo side may be atheists, and they many will tell you if they are...but you will find that there are many, such as you and I, who do believe in both the process of evolution, and believe in God...

Belief or non belief in God, does not exclude anyone from the group that believes in evolution...all are welcome(I dont want to speak on PatrickHenrys behalf, thus I have pinged him, tho since I have not read the whole thread yet, but stopped to respond to you, perhaps PH has already answered)...in that event, sorry to have pinged you, PH...


121 posted on 01/13/2006 5:14:49 PM PST by andysandmikesmom
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To: furball4paws
Start at post 382 to about 390.

It seems like he really doesn't think it's possible.

Lichens needing pine needles ?!

122 posted on 01/13/2006 5:26:59 PM PST by Virginia-American
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To: Physicist

There must be.. Amazing that it just happens to coincide with the 24 hour rotation of the planet.. There is no such thing in the natural universe as "random"


123 posted on 01/13/2006 5:27:09 PM PST by Havoc (President George and King George.. coincidence?)
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To: UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide
"That is illogical. The set of unknowns is infinite. The set of knowns will always be finite. Therefore what is known will never reduce what is unknown."

inf = infinity

inf1 = The real number line x from 0 to inf

inf2 = The real number line y from 0 to inf

inf1 = inf2

inf1 + inf2 = 2*inf1 = 2*inf2

inf1 - inf2 = 0

inf1 - some subset < inf1

124 posted on 01/13/2006 5:31:04 PM PST by spunkets
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To: will of the people

Interesting response.

"What I wouldn't want is for my doctor to ignore the natural and inject my baby with saline."

So, you would want your doc to believe in true science, and not dwell into magic. If they believe in magic, then they would be shamans.

Similarly, I would want scientists and physicists to explore true science, and not dwell into magical creation by the supernatural force. That is the job of religious leaders and astrologers.


"If you're right about the origins of life; how long do you think it will take to come up with a natural resistance to abortion? "

Abortion is death. What kind of evolutionists believe in resistance to death? That is the job of eternal-life folks, aka creationists.


125 posted on 01/13/2006 5:41:55 PM PST by sagar
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To: sagar

So what caused the universe? Is all of the universe as science knows it just a random happening from nothingness? Nothing was ever created? I just don't understand how it all just randomly happened. It's logical there must at some point been a creator of something.


126 posted on 01/13/2006 5:57:54 PM PST by mlc9852
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To: RadioAstronomer
The last paper I read about this in "Physics Today" said the evidence was leaning towards elves instead. Angels are so yesterday.

Because the answer "nothing" explains so much...
127 posted on 01/13/2006 6:10:21 PM PST by mike182d ("Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?")
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To: mlc9852
"So what caused the universe?"

I am not a scientist. But, from intro Astronomy class I took last year, I read about Big Bang, not God pointing his finger and *poof* the universe came into being.

"Is all of the universe as science knows it just a random happening from nothingness?"

If I were a practicing Hindu, I would believe that universe came from nothingness (ala Rig Veda 10:191).

Scientists, on the other hand, believe in a burst of energy from the point of Singularity. They say they have evidence of expanding universe from the images taken by space telescopes. I would rather believe in learned scientists rather than 4,000 year old religious manual, or 2,000 year old religious scripture for that matter.

128 posted on 01/13/2006 6:19:57 PM PST by sagar
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To: Havoc
Amazing that it just happens to coincide with the 24 hour rotation of the planet.

Fine tuning, huzzah! And my legs are just--I mean just--as long as they need to be to reach the ground. Miraculous.

129 posted on 01/13/2006 6:21:09 PM PST by Physicist
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To: Physicist

LOL

I also find it amazing that my eyes are in front, not on the back. God knew I needed forward facing eyes, otherwise I would be walking backwards.


130 posted on 01/13/2006 6:30:52 PM PST by sagar
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To: Michael_Michaelangelo

Thanks for the link. Much appreciated.

Saved and will read at my leisure.


131 posted on 01/13/2006 6:38:05 PM PST by Baraonda (Demographic is destiny. Don't hire 3rd world illegal aliens nor support businesses that hire them.)
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To: will of the people

No, it's a Christian miracle.

In hoc signo vinces.


132 posted on 01/13/2006 6:41:03 PM PST by Baraonda (Demographic is destiny. Don't hire 3rd world illegal aliens nor support businesses that hire them.)
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To: Physicist

Could be.

God is marvelous.

"My granddad was no monkey."


133 posted on 01/13/2006 6:42:53 PM PST by Baraonda (Demographic is destiny. Don't hire 3rd world illegal aliens nor support businesses that hire them.)
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To: spunkets
inf1 - some subset < inf1

Depends on how you define "<" of course. Subtracting a countable subset from an uncountably infinite set (such as you describe) still leaves an uncountably infinte set. Taking all the rationals out of the reals still leaves a set as big as the original reals (in the sense that the sets can be put into 1-1 correspondence.)

Also note that 2*inf1 or 2*inf2=inf2 as does inf2*inf2. It takes power to become bigger.

134 posted on 01/13/2006 6:44:52 PM PST by Doctor Stochastic (Vegetabilisch = chaotisch ist der Charakter der Modernen. - Friedrich Schlegel)
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To: Physicist

"And my legs are just--I mean just--as long as they need to be to reach the ground."

Isn't that a Lincoln paraphrase?


135 posted on 01/13/2006 6:52:51 PM PST by Baraonda (Demographic is destiny. Don't hire 3rd world illegal aliens nor support businesses that hire them.)
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To: Baraonda
Isn't that a Lincoln paraphrase?

Not to my knowledge, but I'd be thrilled to hear so.

136 posted on 01/13/2006 7:03:02 PM PST by Physicist
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To: Physicist

When Lincoln was asked how long should a man's legs be, he responded that they should be long enough to reach from his waist to the ground. I read this long time ago in a sex book.


137 posted on 01/13/2006 7:31:16 PM PST by Baraonda (Demographic is destiny. Don't hire 3rd world illegal aliens nor support businesses that hire them.)
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To: Virginia-American; Ghost of Philip Marlowe
VA mentioned to me that you do not think chemoautotrophs exist (another thread).

I assure you that there are not only obligate chemoautotrophs, but that they are quite common. Probably 80% of the microbes I grow in the laboratory are chemoautotrophs.

Life requires, at a minimum:

1. an oxidant - for aerobes that's oxygen, but under anaerobic conditions assorted things can also be used, such as sulfate, elemental sulfur, nitrate, nitrite, carbon dioxide - ALL inorganic.

2. a reductant - for heterotrophs like us - sushi. For autotrophs, hydrogen gas, hydrogen sulfide, nitrite, ammonia, other reduced metals - ALL inorganic.

3. source of carbon. For heterotrophs like you - sushi. For autotrophs, carbon dioxide, sometimes carbon monoxide. You can quibble about CO, but carbon dioxide IS inorganic.

Classes:

Photoautotrophs. Plants, Cyanobacteria and assorted anaerobic sulfur bacteria. Light is the source of energy, oxygen is evolved and carbon dioxide is fixed to organic carbon.

Chemoautotrophs. Assorted bacteria - some aerobic and some anaerobic. Nitrifying bacteria, assorted sulfur bacteria, iron oxidizing bacteria, methanogens, etc.

All of these can be grown quite well in media containing NO organic carbon.

Get an Introductory Microbiology book and read the sections on autotrophs (I suggest The Biology of the Prokaryotes). I hope this will help to educate you concerning autotrophy.

This medium will successfully grow Nitrosomonassp.

Ammonium sulfate 2 g/l

Magnesium sulfate 0.5 g/l

Ferrous sulfate .03 g/l

NaCl .3 g/l

Magnesium carbonate 10 g/l

dipatassium phosphate 1 g/l

water 1 liter

adjust pH to 7.3

There are NO organic ingredients for this culture medium. In addition, and especially for Nitrosomonas, organic chemicals are often inhibitory for autotrophic growth.

In addition, I think you should check out lichens. They are a symbiotic relationship consisting of a fungus and an alga. The fungus makes up most of the thallus but relies on the autotrophic activity of the alga for nutrients. And, BTW, there are many places where lichens grow, where there are no pine trees, i.e. tundra.

138 posted on 01/13/2006 7:33:04 PM PST by furball4paws (The new elixir of life - dehydrated toad urine.)
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To: furball4paws
adjust pH to 7.3

Leave me out of it.

139 posted on 01/13/2006 7:35:37 PM PST by PatrickHenry (Felix, qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas.)
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To: PatrickHenry

So you admit to being a negative logarithm?


140 posted on 01/13/2006 7:39:08 PM PST by furball4paws (The new elixir of life - dehydrated toad urine.)
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