In the Natural History Museum is displayed the growth rings of a Sequoia. The growth rings indicate time, going back thousands of years = dendronchronology. Major events in the tree's life, e.g., fires, volcanic eruptions, droughts, drastic climate change, etc. are noticible in the growth rings. Now scientists predict that all those changes would be transcribed in the DNA, from there DNA cell memory, assisting future generations to adapt. The fact that not all of the information in the DNA has been translated, should make one wary of calling it junk.
Largest Genome Ever Sequenced - and it's 82% Junk
by cofty 37 Replies latest social current
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Vidqun
Snare, wondered where you were? Sorry to disappoint, but the appendix is a very useful little appendage. I still have mine, and I will hold onto it until it goes wrong. Vestigial/junk, same difference, very short-sighted, for later one must eat one's words.
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snare&racket
Vid, your perspective on why it is termed junk is out of context.
I remember the first time I saw the left recurrent laryngeal nerve. Nerves simply conduct a charge. Because of how we evolved from a fish history, our nerve passes its end point and wraps under the aorta (blood vessel from the heart) and then goes back up to where it is supposed to go. It is 11 inches longer than it needs to be. It would be ridiculous to claim it was designed, we can see from evolution exactly why it follows an illogical silly path.
When I mentioned this to JW family and pals etc at the time, they all without hesitation said we obviously dont yet understand why it is that longand in the future scientists may just find out.....
This backward, ignorant thinking, would be harmful to progress and science, but thankfully we don't think like that.
As for your appendix.......facepalm and sigh.
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jgnat
Whaaat?
Creatures that live the longest don't have the longest DNA strands.
Sanicula - 84-100 Mbp http://www.pnas.org/content/95/1/235.full.pdf
Pando (Trembling Aspen) - 500 Mbp http://literatur.ti.bund.de/digbib_extern/dk041050.pdf
Aldabra Giant Tortoise (still looking).
Genome size might be related to the relative hostility of the environment. In the case of plants, the soil. The more hostile the environment, the smaller the genome.
Sanicula does not age; it is practically immortal. The Pando trembling aspen colony is estimated to be 80,000 years old. Some Aldabra Tortoises are thought to be over 200 years old.
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snare&racket
jgnat is here now, you are in the shit dude....
no more pseudo b.s.
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Vidqun
I would rather trace the path of the left laryngeal nerve to the development of the embryo, than to an evolutionary throwback. Those that have a problem with the design of the body, ought to try and do better, or is that too much to ask? For the moment, mine works fine (bad design or not), so I'll stick to what I've got. Junk bonds, junk DNA, it's a misnomer whichever way you look at it.
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jgnat
I'd like to see scientists develop a few artificial organs to augment what we are missing. For instance, our fat generating mechanism doesn't have an "off" switch. A better eye would be nice, without the blind spot. Also dual piping so we don't eat and drink down the same tube we breathe.
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cofty
There is a species of rice with a genome many times larger than ours.
Now scientists predict that all those changes would be transcribed in the DNA, from there DNA cell memory, assisting future generations to adapt. - Vidqun
No. Changes may occur to proteins that bind certain genes but this would has no effect on the size of the genome.
.to be fair PZ myers is a bit of a dick.... - Snare
I agree. I stopped reading pharyngula a while ago, couldn't stand it anymore.