Scientists Vie To Break Junk DNA's Secret Code

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | Roger Highfield

[blam]

Scientists vie to break junk DNA's secret code

By Roger Highfield, Science Editor
(Filed: 06/10/2003)

Huge tracts of human DNA, previously written off as meaningless junk, have been found to contain a hitherto unrecognised "genetic grammar", making the language of our genes much more complex than previously thought.

The discovery is of potentially huge significance, since it could lead to an entirely new explanation for certain diseases and symptoms. A race is now on among teams of scientists worldwide to investigate this cryptic code.

While the genetic recipe of a human being is spelt out with three billion letters of DNA code, only about two per cent of these correspond to the genes - the DNA that describes the proteins that build and operate bodies.

In the latest issue of the journal Science, Prof Stylianos Antonarakis of the University of Geneva Medical School, Dr Ewen Kirkness of the Institute of Genomic Research, Maryland, and colleagues have reported compelling evidence that up to three per cent of our genetic material has a crucial role that is not understood.

They made the unexpected discovery that some DNA regions of humans, dogs and species as distant as elephant and wallaby are nearly identical. These regions of what were once called junk have been dubbed "conserved non-genic sequences", or CNGs, a reference to how they are not conventional genes.

Prof Antonarakis said: "I suspect that mutations in CNGs may contribute to numerous genetic disorders." Defects in CNGs could result in illness while the symptoms of Down's syndrome, caused by an extra copy of a chromosome, might be linked to the presence of additional CNGs.

"Many laboratories are now working on identifying pathogenic mutations," he said.

[js1138]

Why don't you mention the other sites you work for ... ?

I'll tell. Please post your phone number so I can call you privately.

[NewLand]

"...is it Yippy....or is it Memorex??"

We all know who it is, the deceit is in full alignment with the lack of character, courage, and credibility of that individual, the one who is a front line representative of his PHony cronies.

What is so humorous here is that these PHonies blamed it all on poor ALS...now he is gone and many others have left or disengaged...but the same name calling and childish behavior is exhibited on every thread.

Lets see...who or what has remained the same...hmm, could that be the cause?

Certainly, there has not been any evolution to adult behavior...

[js1138]

Why is it so surprising that true statements could be uttered by more than one person?

[f.Christian]

j8 ...

I'll tell. Please post your phone number so I can call you privately.


381 posted on 10/09/2003 12:02 PM PDT by js1138


fC ...

science anarchy ... moral perversion --- I can imagine pretty easily from the evidence I see here !

[js1138]

Note to our new anti-blue crusaders: you would be smart to retain html references to arguments you've spent some fair amount of energy on, because the blue guy is non-retentive, and will be making these exact same arguments the next time you meet him.

It will be smart to save the source for some of these key pages so they will be available after the thread gets pulled. I have, however, noticed that management has taken to banning posters rather than pulling threads. That's a good sign.

[PatrickHenry]

I have, however, noticed that management has taken to banning posters rather than pulling threads. That's a good sign.

They've noticed that pulling threads accomplishes nothing; but each time they ban a disruptor, the work of the moderators becomes far less demanding. The trend is probably irreversable. And they know who the disruptors are. Everyone knows.

[Ogmios]

I was under the impression that we were discussing science, not laymen's science.

Gore3000 seems to be under the impression that we were discussing real science, I am not sure exactly what he was discussing, but that is what I was discussing.

Would you care to create a list of terms or definitions? This way we will know exactly what it is you people are actually debating? Perhaps you would rather not, that way the definitions can change to your liking, as the debate goes against you. That is what you have been doing, is it not?

[Ogmios]

Certainly, there has not been any evolution to adult behavior...

And your posts are an example to us all...

[Sentis]

I'll discuss science when you learn some. Otherwise I'll just point out what a fool you are in fact I'll ask the Christian scientist a question again. How old is the Universe and the Earth?

[js1138]

How old would you like it to be?

;^)

[f.Christian]

Funny how when the Berlin wall - communism fell ...

evolutionists - leftist had to find another god to hang their God - Truth hating false science - ideology on ---

islam - pc brotherhood - liberalology !

They have the ... wishy (( dnc)) - washy (( rnc )) --- psuedo christians - catholics to help them !

[js1138]

How old is the Universe and the Earth?

On a more serious note, for those lurkers who might be new, there will be no straight answer to this simple question. The man who understands the facts of science better than the folks who make their living at it and wo collect the data and formulate the theories -- this man will never give a straight answer to this simple question.

[Ogmios]

It seems rather obvious to me. He does not have to answer the question, his pseudoscience makes it very clear.

He is YEC (Young Earth Creationist), with ID(Intelligent Design)tossed in there to make him seem intellectual and credible to his creationist holy warrior ilk.

Problem is that he really is ignorant as far as what science actually is, or what it is actually trying to do. Science to him has an antireligious agenda, and therefore it is evil, and he will do everything within his power to ignore, misrepresent and lie about what it actually is doing.

Such ignorance can be fought in one of 2 ways, it can be ignored, which does not help those that do not understand and take him as some kind of authority on the subject. Or it can be fought, in order to save those that might believe him, from falling for such obvious scamming and ignorance.

Science takes the evidence that it finds and builds a theory around it, Creationists take a theory, or in this case, the written bible, and pick and choose the evidence to fit the theory. It is what I call Antiscience.

Matter and antimatter, when they are brought together, they annihilate each other, but in this case, the creationists or antiscientists get annihilated. Scientific evidence that is left out, always comes back to bite them. So, not only do they destory their own theory, they destroy any credibility that they had at the beginning of the conversation.

[f.Christian]

Does your mind ever exit it's own universe - skull ... cult ?

[f.Christian]

Asteroid
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.


An asteroid (minor planet or planetoid) is a relatively small "planet-like" object which orbits within a solar system; generally less than 1km in diameter. They are believed to be remnants of the protoplanetary discs; which were not incorporated into planets during the system's formation. Most asteroids will align themselves within an asteroid belt and some have moons; asteroids (like most celestial objects) tend to have elliptical orbits. "Small" asteroids (generally fragments from collisions) which are approximately boulder-sized or less, are known as "meteoroids". Asteroids composed largely of ice are known as comets. Some asteroids are the remains of old comets that have had most of their ice driven away by close proximitiy to the Sun, leaving behind only the heavier mineral


fC ...

space junk ... leftovers --- wastes !

[PurVirgo]

I dunno... I took a biotech class that taught me some pretty fascinating stuff. For instance, have you heard of "knockout mice"? They "create" mice to have genes, or in this case, seemingly nonsense DNA excluded from it's genome. The results were fascinating.

One mouse could not walk forward, only backwards. One mouse consumed (ate) itself. One mouse could not stop eating food. One mouse seemed to lack mating instinct, although physiologically normal.

Based on this data, it would seem to me that introns control behavioral (instinctual) aspects that we take for granted. One theory we talked about was mental health, personality disorders, addictive habits. Things seemingly beyond conscious control.

I am continually fascinated by this research... ethically notwithstanding. I'm not sure if we are supposed to tamper with genes in this regard. But the more I learn about biology, chemistry and genetics, the more I believe in God's Creation. It is hard for me to believe that billions of combinations of only four nucleic acids can produce such wide variation among all species, could happen by chance.

I wasn't raised to be spiritual, I've always relied on logic and science. It's pretty cool to have an epiphany in a science class, you know??

[PurVirgo]

no, no, no... you got it all wrong. A Ferengi would ask - "What's in it for me?"

[PurVirgo]

please see my post #396

[Ogmios]

I think that it's great, it is wonderful to have faith.

[PurVirgo]

gee... alot like democrats, no??

Seriously though, they ruin civil discussion for everybody.

My solution? Don't give them the pleasure of a response.

BTW - good to see you, haven't talked to you in a while