DNA mapping (Creator, contradiction, evolution, myth, sexuality)

[Bright-ness' Shadow]

Much of evolution simply raises more questions. What we do know is sufficent in scientifically defining the process in direct contradiction to any "science" based on Biblical myth.

Some of the questions and analysis current today are discussed in Dr. Karl's article/radio show

Some quotes:

As of February 2001, we had mapped a bit over 90% of the human DNA. "Mapping" means working out what every "rung" in the DNA Ladder-of-Life is. But also by February 2001, we had begun to interpret what we had found - and there were many surprises

Now you might think that if an animal is very big, then its DNA will be very big. But no. It turns out that a very simple, single-celled, amoeba called Amoeba dubia has 200 times more DNA than we humans have. And that we humans, with our very complicated internal organs and brains have roughly the same number of genes as some simple flowers.

It's foolish to think that one gene will do one job. They're now beginning to find out that most genetic diseases happen because different genes interact with each other in ways that we really don't understand at all. We used to call the human DNA a blueprint. But that concept is very primitive, and wrong. We're better off thinking of it as a network, from which life arises in much the same way that art and culture arise from that complicated thing we call society.

This, above, has great implication in the causation of differing sexuality in humans

By February 2001, the group opinion of the scientists was that we humans had about 30,000 genes in total. This was a real surprise. Before this, scientists had estimated that we had about 100,000 genes. So it seems that what makes a complicated creature like a human, is not how many genes we have, but how our bodies read these genes, and act on them. For example, we do know that some genes can be read, or interpreted, in at least five different ways - so that means you can get five different sorts of information out of the same little block of the DNA.

If you look at the human DNA, it has only three billion bits of information. But a new-born human baby, fresh out of the uterus, has much much more than three billion bits of information. How can something as "simple" as DNA make something as complicated as a baby? The answer seems to be that the DNA can be read in many different ways.

First, out of our 30,000-or-so genes, over 200 seem to come from bacteria. It's as though the bacteria attacked our ancestors a long time ago, and enjoyed us so much that they decided to move in. It also seems that some viruses had the same idea in our distant past, and also set up house in our DNA. In fact, some parts of the human genome look like a sea of viruses, with a few occasional genes thrown in here and there. When we look at those sections, we have a museum of the various viral infections that our long-dead ancestors suffered. These viruses have helped make us what we are today.

Second, about 45% of our human DNA is made up of seemingly free-loading parasites, who have a life of their own. They don't appear to do anything to benefit us humans. As our human DNA goes through its regular process of being copied, these free-loaders get copied as well. And occasionally, these free-loading tenants swing into action and copy themselves. We know very little about these strangers.

Third, another 35% of the human DNA is purely repetitive stuff. It has just the same rungs of the DNA (A, T, C, and G) being repeated, in some obscure order, over and over again. We have no idea what this repetitive DNA does. In fact, over half of Chromosome 19 is made of this repetitive "junk" DNA.

In the begging was God (maybe) and the amoeba
-pah-

[anders]

The "junk DNA" is a powerful argument against "an intelligent creator".

[Bright-ness' Shadow]

Originally Posted by anders

The "junk DNA" is a powerful argument against "an intelligent creator".

A little "off-topic" but the "design" from the DNA leaves much to be desired though it is sufficent to survive as a species.

-pah-

[Ceridwen018]

That's all very interesting, pah. I have a question: It says how the way our bodies read the genes determines how they affect us, whatever. What controls how our bodies read the genes, though? It seems that that would be something contained in the genes as well, but then that wouldn't make sense.

[Bright-ness' Shadow]

Originally Posted by Ceridwen018

That's all very interesting, pah. I have a question: It says how the way our bodies read the genes determines how they affect us, whatever. What controls how our bodies read the genes, though? It seems that that would be something contained in the genes as well, but then that wouldn't make sense.

Unless it has something to do with proteins, I'm completely ignorant of how the body "reads" the genes.Specific proteins do control specific genes and there are genes that control other genes probably by creating a protein. Whether these "controlling" genes have a "default" state or some protein turns them on or off - I have no idea.

-pah-

[Ceridwen018]

Ah! The mystery of life!