Epigenetics redux

My last post introduced the idea of epigenetics as a prime component of how physical traits in an organism are determined by much more than just our DNA. It also happens to influence greatly the evolutionary development of species. Evolutionary Development (scientists are calling it Evo devo for short) is not a new area of research, but it has recently been put on the front burner for very good reasons. In short, it is research that asks questions pertaining to how the development of organisms and the changes to how organisms develop (i.e. grow) can lead to a new species. I mentioned in my last posting that I will continue to discuss epigenetics, and though I intend to do this, it is pertinent that I discuss another subject that you may not be familiar with before diving into the discussion. This other discussion is illustrated in the diagram above, it is a diagram of hox genes and how they influence evolutionary development of species. The thing to take specific note of in this illustration is the similarities between the lines marked with different colors. Each line represents a short DNA segment for different species. That they are similar is significant. That they represent genes that control development of each of these species is ground breaking. These genes are called Hox genes, for reasons I will not address here. What scientists are discovering is that these relatively important genes are similar across most of the genetic spectrum of animals. This similarity translates to similar looking embryos found in nearly the entire animal kingdom (a subject I will address in the future). In other words it is the same genes orchestrating the puberty of a young human as that of physical maturation in a fly. Even more thought provoking is that the number of hox genes are few. Their power seems to come in part by replicating themselves within a DNA strand, creating a string of identical or nearly identical genes back to back. Development of an organism is determined by which of these genes are turned on and when. In other words it is timing. Genes produce specific protiens. When those protiens begin to be produced by a cell are determined by influences outside DNA strands. In other words physical traits are determined in large part by entities other than DNA. This is just one strand of research that is based on the increasingly realized importance of the study of epigenetics. This is just one tip of a very large iceberg. An iceberg that is being dutifully explored by people like Sean B. Carroll, whose book, Endless Forms Most Beautiful, I highly recommend.
There is much more to discuss on this subject, much more for researchers to discover in fact. As a result this is a topic that I will regularly return to, in direct proportion to it's importance. This is cutting edge. This is the reason for the seemingly endless beautiful forms we encounter in the biological world.

DNA. These three letters have a significance amongst our collective imaginations when the word evolution is bantered about. DNA. A scientific lovefest of all that explains evolution.
Hardly.
Google the word epigenetics. As seems to invariably be the case, the wikipedia site pops up, read and remember what it states as the definition of epigenetics. This will be a word that you will hear increasingly as the years drift by forming decades that trickle into centuries. I will dive further into this subject in the near future, but for now read what wikipedia has to say. For it is a decent introduction to a new understanding of how organisms are not just determined by their genetic make-up, nor are their evolutionary paths determined solely by genetic changes to chromosomes, etc. . . The study of epigenetics will be a subject taken up regularly by yours truly. Stay tuned . . .

Current Event

Everyone has cancer! That is not the explicit message in a new article I read this morning; however, the evidence presented provides evidence for this declaration that has been ruminating in my understanding of cancer. A scary thought until, as this article from the New York Times science section explains, we realize that most cancerous growths are small, benign, and in many cases temporary hiccups in an organisms natural, mistake prone, though inherently self correcting network of systems. (to read article click here: Cancers Can Vanish . . . )
The word cancer is a fear filled word that, for reasons that are just now trickling through the experimental and observational processes in the medical field, may be over blown--at least more often than not.
It appears that our bodies are constantly policing and fighting off rogue, cancerous cell growths. As organisms age or their immune systems become weak our bodies are less efficient at this task.
This relatively new understanding is a boon to the medical field in that we now realize that what has been accomplished with expensive procedures can often times be done with the aid of time and healthy lifestyles. A caveat: some cancers are not treatable this way; however, doctors are getting better at discerning which ones need serious medical attention (i.e. surgery, chemo, etc . . ) An understanding that, if validated, will help decrease the amount of money funneled into our health care system; and in turn, help consumers of health care prevent what can often be debilitating costs.

Mission Statement

In the event that people will want to follow the path (however temporarily and/or sporadically) I lay down, to follow where I have cut swaths of understanding amongst the complex terrain of our world, it is my self-given purpose to explore, analyze, describe, and build academic bridges within and amongst the broad collective field of science. I intend to be judicious with my opinions and, more than less, provide a mental playground of current scientific discoveries, observations of phenomena, and professional diagnostic tools in hopes of allowing readers to make their own conclusions; furthermore, I wish to provide access to aforementioned information so as to better prepare oneself against the onslaught of complexities that this world throws at us. In sum: I hope to empower readers with an increased means to enjoy, understand, and make good decisions as they make their way.