Genetics

Nancy Gibbs wrote an article for Time magazine entitled "The Secret of Life." Some of her points were: James Watson and Francis Crick did not discover the existence of DNA, they discovered its structure. A strip of DNA contains a code written in words of four chemical letters: A, T, G, and C. Uncoiled and stretched out, it would be six feet long: folded back up, it would be small enough to fit into one of our cells. DNA carries within it, instructions for making a human. The instructions are similar to everythng that lives; we are cousins to the insects and small mammals.

Some of these genes trace back to a time whenn we were fish. More than 200 come directly from bacteria. Our DNA provides a history book of where we came from and how we evolved. Every human being on the planet is 99.9% the same.

Evolution makes more sense with a basic knowledge of genetics. Chromosomes carry genes which carry DNA. DNA is in the genes, which are on chromosomes that are in every cell in our bodies. Human DNA is basically the blueprint for a person, including all behaviors and traits. Essentially the building blocks for making a human being.

Alles are different forms of the same gene contributed to the offspring of each parent. Parents only transmit half their genes to each offspring. These genes are in different combination in every sibling, except in the case of identical twins.

A mutation is any altercation of genetic information. Mutations occur when any change is made to the DNA. Change a T to a G in the strand of DNA or change the length of a strand of DNA and abnormal biochemical reactions start happening. A delicate system can easily be thrown out of whack. Any change in these complex instructions can cause many problems: cancer, digestive tract problems, emotional problems, HSP, etc. Mutations can also be beneficial; they can help an organism adapt more easily to their environment.

Jackie Wellman
www.jackiewellman.com