Adventure Ausrama Blog

It was thought that once the human genome was known "interpreting" how things work would be easy. However, this is not the case. The hereditary sequencing in our genes is not the only factor determining what we are and what we do. Only 3 per cent of human genes are actually involved in the "code". Little is known about what the rest do. It has been discovered recently that these "dumb" genes turn the letter genes on and off. They determine whether a cell becomes a brain or kidney cell, for example. There are 3 billion base gene structures, so there is a long way to go in understanding basic functions. At any one time 80 per cent of genes are active. Some are triggered by proteins. Others change into RNA that regulate letter genes. In regard to understanding human health, many bases just keep chromosomes quiet. A complicating factor is that genes overlap and have many end points - not singular. Over 4 million gene triggers have be found and they

It seems the level of intelligence is determined by a few genes.  This must surely be too simplistic, particularly because specialists cannot agree on what intelligence is.  How do you compare memorizing general knowledge to the skill of knitting a fine jumper?  There are people who know just about everything about Australian rugby league, but this is their only area of expertise. Finding will be made easier, apparently, by questioning the crowd rather that by brain scans, etc.  It is believed that the sought after genes affect brain size.  Considering that Neanderthals had larger brains than modern man, this seems to be the wrong hypothesis to start with. While "the team" is sure they will find the genes they do admit that culture, education, health and upbringing can affect intelligence.  How are they going to filter these things out?  Obviously they can't.  Twenty one thousand subjects were catalogued and brain imaging was used.  Strangely, when the team was r

It was thought that bees were like robots who went about their work on instinct alone, but some bees have "curious" genes. The scouts who find sources of food are actually mischievous seekers. Their genes give them a brain structure similar to humans. Scout bees are independent creatures who don't go along with the mob. They find new food sources by intuition and pure skill. Being female, they go back to the hive do a wiggle dance to pass on directions, then go out again to find a new source. Tests were done on a hive of bees. The hive was put into an enclosure and food was put out in different colored jars. Bees that located the jars were collected and marked with a dot of paint. Later the brains of these scout bees were removed and compared with the brains of normal hive bees. Brain activity in the genes of the two types of bees differed by 16 per cent. The brains of scouts could change the levels of neurotransmitters dopamine and glutamate. Another test w

New work on old bacterium shows promise. Bacillus subtilis has been used as a base organism to make vitamins and enzymes for washing powder. Nine countries including Australia have taken an in-depth look at Bacillus subtilis and the way it can survive in different environments. Evolution has made B. subtilis thrive and have a strong metabolism. The findings will enable the creation of metabolites for chemical and pharmaceutical industries. There is greater understanding of how bacteria survive when infection changes the environment. This bacterium is now much more useful in producing enzymes. In the study 512 new genes were identified in B. subtilis . These were added to the 4,200 previously known genes. It was believed that only a few genes needed to be modified to makes changes, but it was found that up to half of the genes needed to be targeted. Despite this it has been a great leap forward in science. http://www.adventure--australia.blogspot.com/ http://www.tysau

No wonder West Indians had a rough time when they moved to the UK in the mid-twentieth century: with the polluted atmosphere common at that time many suffered from a vitamin D deficiency. Their children born in the UK had more problems than their parents because growing up in a sun depleted climatic environment with a dark skin led to long term lung problems. Australian research shows the lack of vitamin D leads to altered lung structure, with the lungs partially shutting down. In adult life people of West Indian heritage have decreased lung function. Mice were tested with some being made deficient in vitamin D while others had an adequate level. Tests with a plethysmograph showed lung obstruction was markedly greater in mice lacking vitamin D. Overall, lung volume was reduced. Lungs were also smaller than average. It was unclear as to whether the problem was basically due to heritage, or mothers being deficient during pregnancy, because test mice had to be bred to have low sun-to-vita