Biology in Action » Molecular Biology

Genetic Basis for Phobias

biologystudent — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 19:04:52 +0000

by Chalee Chaput

A new study conducted by Kenneth S. Kendler M.D. from the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine in Richmond, Virginia discovered that genes contribute to the fears of children and adolescents. He found that “genetic factors linked with fears appear to change as children and adolescents age.” It is said that the importance of some genetic factors are lost over time, but there are others that increase as a child ages into adolescence.

Kendler M.D. began this study with two hypotheses, the “developmentally stable” and the “developmentally dynamic.” The “developmentally stable” hypothesis stated that one set of genes were the cause of the level of an eight year-old child’s fear and it are these genes that influence a person’s fear throughout their life. The “developmentally dynamic” hypothesis stated that the genes that influence childhood fears will change over time as a person ages into adolescence.

Dr. Kendler conducted this study by having researchers studied 2,490 Swedish twins born between 1985 and 1986. Researchers assessed these children’s fears four times thorughout their lives. The first time was between the ages of 8 and 9, the second was between the ages of 13 and 14, the third was between the ages of 16 and 17, and the fourth one was between the ages of 19 and 20. The first evaluation was done through a questionaire given to the children’s parents, the second and third evaluations were done through questionaires given to both the parents and the children. The last evaluation was done through a questionaire given only to the children.

From the data received, researchers found that their were three categories in which the fears could be separated. First there are situational fears, which include fear of the dark, tight/closed spaces, and flying. Next there are animal fears. Lastly there are blood/injury fears, which include the fear of the dentist.

Their data suggested that genes played a role in all three fear categories, but they do not “remain stable over time.” Researchers found that there are a set of genetic factors that influence children’s fears, but these decrease quickly as they age. Although, they also found new sets of genetic factors that activate at different moments in a person’s life; early adolescence, late adolescence, and early adulthood.

I thought the research that Dr. Kendler conducted was quite interesting because people always associate a person’s fears with childishness and irrationality. No one ever thinks that fears are related to a person’s genes. This finding is amazing because it shows that people cannot necessarily help when they are afraid of something; no matter how hard they may try to overcome it, they may always be afraid of it. I do think that Dr. Kendler could’ve gone deeper with his reasearch by studying how each child reacted to their individual fears. There may be connections between genetics and reactions to fears.

I decided to blog about this article because it related closely to what my neurologist said about stress. I was diagnosed with calcifications on the brain at the age of 15 and doctors said that I probably had them since I was born. Recently, my neurologist was asking me about my stress levels and how easily stress affects me and my health. I do get stressed out easily, but I’ve learned how to cope with it over the years. My doctor said that the reason I get stressed out easier than most people is because the calcifications that sit on my brain sit directly on the stress inducing area of my brain. He said that this extra pressure on this part of my brain is what stresses me out faster than the average person. I found it both interesting and a relief to know that fear is affected in a similar way.

Source:

Reactivated “Junk” DNA

biologyblog — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 23:12:41 +0000

by Stephen F

As we begin to map out the human past and present genome, we have discovered many new and exciting discoveries. One particular discovery that has hit scientists is the reactivation of a ‘dead’ gene. A truncated IRGM gene, one of two, that was thought to be derelict, has been found to be able to produce proteins once again. This gene, known as Immune-Related GT Pases, is a gene that allows the immune system to help resist an array of heavier germs and diseases, such as tuberculosis and salmonella, which invade cells.

Interestingly, it is found that other mammals have a vast abundance of these genes active within their systems. Mice have 21 versions of this gene. As this gene’s new attention expanded, it is now thought that its mutation could be a cause of Crohn’s disease.

This opens the door to many new theories on our evolutionary processes. As the gene has passed down through the generations through millions of years, scientists have focused on tracing its path back through our closest primate ancestors. It is thought that after the gene was shut down, a ‘series of structural events’ reactivated the gene, possibly due to more resistant and stronger viruses and bacteria. This is a remarkable theory in that it suggests that our genome is very malleable over time, and adapts to our environments. With the resistance of viruses and bacteria to our drugs, our immune systems also have ways of becoming stronger and more adaptive over time.

Critical Thinking Questions:

Why do we only possess two of these genes as other mammals possess over 10?

Is there any correlation to our use of drugs to alter, assist, or destroy our own immune systems and our natural ability to cure infection?

Is this possibly evidence that we can, through powers of thought and mind, as well as our own biological processes, have more potential than previously thought?

Source:
Public Library of Science (2009, March 11). Dead Gene Comes Back To Life In Humans. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 12, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2009/03/090305204321.htm

The Future of Medicine

biologyblog — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 17:17:39 +0000

by Stephen F

The future of medicine has begun to focus on the mapping and understanding of biological interactions between molecules as systems. By mapping out biological systems at the cellular level, scientists hope to understand the causes of disease processes as they occur. One theory focuses on the idea of nanotechnology. The underlying idea behind this theory is that each system that regulates our body is based upon a series of interactions between molecules, cells, and environmental influences, much like we know how our brain processes occur by the interactions between firing neurons. It is thought that by some outside influence, or pattern of information failing to occur normally, this upset in the system will trigger incorrect processes to occur within the system, therefore causing the disease. As our telephone game in class displayed, if one sequence is off, the normal coding process is flawed, which can cause multiple defects. For example, an incorrect encoding of our DNA can cause the biological system to incorrectly process the information, and like a chain reaction, cause other incorrect patterns for form, leading to disease. Environmental influences also can have a profound effect. Ultraviolet radiation from prolonged sun exposure can cause DNA damage, thus causing an incorrect pattern to be encoded within the skin cells, producing cancer. By mapping out our biological systems at the most basic level, cellular and molecular, we can understand the normal processes that take place in the biological system for normal and healthy operation. Moreover, when there is an incorrect process occurring, causing cancer for example, scientists can identify this incorrect process at a very specific and focused point in our system, at the genetic, cellular, and molecular level, and correct or remove this damaged cell or DNA sequence, thus returning the system back to equilibrium and curing the disease.

The mapping out of our entire genetic system and each interaction that occurs within a healthy person for example is a large undertaking. The task is to computer generate a model that understands and records EVERY DNA to RNA, cellular, molecular, and environmental influence that can alter the body’s functioning, both in a perfect and healthy setting, and those that will cause damage or dysfunction; of those in which cause dysfunction and ultimately disease or failure in the biological system, scientists will need to generate a model of each dysfunction, of each environmental influence on every interaction and how they cause the dysfunction, and finally what disease or failure will occur, and come up with a solution.

“In the next 10 to 20 years, predictive and personalized medicine will be revolutionized by at least two new approaches. The sequence of individual human genomes will permit us to determine with ever increasing accuracy the probable future health of an individual. Inexpensive measurements of blood proteins will permit us to assess, regularly and comprehensively, how that individual’s health is evolving.

Preventive medicine starts with the identification of proteins within a diseased network that, if perturbed, will restore network behavior to normalcy, and will eventually lead to prophylactic drugs that prevent disease. For instance, a woman at increased risk for ovarian cancer, who at age 30 starts taking a nanotherapeutic that is specially designed to offset the molecular source of the risk, might lower her lifetime chance of developing ovarian cancer from 40 to 2 percent.” (Heath, Davis, Hood, 2009).

QUESTIONS

Are there any implications or side effects of using nanotechnology that would cause a dysfunction of the systems itself?

What would this mean for the world population if many of our diseases would become cured?

Can this be considered our first step in fighting aging as a disease process in itself?

Source: Scientific American

The Meaning of Life – In a Sequence of Code

biologyblog — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 16:27:41 +0000

by Garret M

The newest form of studying DNA is through two different types of biochips; nucleic acid and protein. This helps scientists with many different kinds of laboratory experiments with the use of micro-fluidics. This study is one of the leading technological advances in the field today and with this process people of science are hoping for a new age in medicine.
This article breaks down the study of the DNA double helix and explains the purpose that is in process. For someone who is unfamiliar with these ideas I was able to gain great understanding of this new technological advance. In my opinion I believe that this research could be very important in the near future and will help medicine in the 21st century.

Source:
Jain, K.K. “Biochips for Gene Spotting.” (Washington: Oct. 19,2001. Vol. 294, Iss 5542), 621-624.
http://www.Proquest.umi.com/pqdweb

A Genetic Map of the Cold Virus

biologyblog — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 15:59:55 +0000

by Karina C

Research teams from the University of Maryland and the University of Wisconsin-Madison reported that the generic map for the common cold has been completed. By mapping the genome of the common cold, scientist can now see how the virus strains are related or differ from one another. It is estimated that about $60 billion annually are spent in over the counter medicines, doctor visits and missed sick days at work. By mapping the genome for the common cold, drugs companies can now develop new treatments to stop the spread of the common cold virus, that has shown to be a factor in developing asthma and bronchitis sinusitis. Investigators predict that new drugs could come out in two to five years depending on the Food and Drug Administration approval, meaning that sooner than later, runny noses would be a piece of the past.

Source: CNN

Related Sources: University Health Systems

Superbowl Footballs Marked With Synthetic DNA

biologyblog — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 21:49:27 +0000

In an effort to thwart sports memorabilia counterfeiters, the 120 official footballs made for Superbowl XLII are marked with a synthetic DNA ink that can be read under a specific frequency of light.

Source:
http://www.redorbit.com/news/oddities/1627656/footballs_marked_with_synthetic_dna/index.html?source=r_oddities

More Superbowl Science

The following articles are from superbowls past

Top Role of Microbes in the Superbowl

Scientific American – The science of Superbowl fandom and it’s effect on your testosterone.