Genome Summary #8 Chromosome 19 Prevention

Diseases that had no cure and now do, there is a responsibility for us to treat and prevent those diseases when we now have to knowledge to. With the example of coronary heart disease, Ridley explains that the disease develops and integrates the APO genes and APOE which helps control the metabolism of fats and cholesterol and the genetic testing could help doctors to suggest healthy eating and exercise habits depending on the person's APO genes. Alzheimer's disease has a large connection to APOE and the E4 allele, it contributes to the buildup in brain cells. Doctors will be able to use genetic tests for diagnoses and prescriptions but it can be harmful when releasing genetic information to insurance companies and the government.

Genome Summary #7 Chromosome 18 Cures

Ridley talks about genetic manipulations with the experiments involving recombinant DNA. Paul Berg made the first man-made recombinant DNA by using restriction enzymes and ligase. The experiments using recombinant DNA where a retrovirus would be stripped of its infectious genes and replaced with a desired gene, then injected into the body, directly or through cultured cell, trying to cure carious diseases through gene therapy. From the use of embryonic stem cells and recombinant DNA there are possibilities of human cloning with genetic improvements.

Genome Summary #6 Chromosome 6 Intelligence

The search for the intelligence gene was done by a study done on the genes of a group of high IQ children. There was a difference on the gene IGF2R on chromosome 6. Intelligence genes do not need environmental stimulation for them to work. In the chapter, Ridley discusses that there were studies done on separated twins which shows that there is heritability to intelligence and personality, and no correlation between IQ scores of adopted children living in the same family. Intelligence genes are also more expressive later in life because people start choosing their own environments and comfort zones so they have more ways to express themselves.

Genome Summary #5 Chapter 5 Environment

Genetic inheritance can be based on the environment of the individual. Chromosome 5 includes the asthma gene  and it can't be simplified to a genetic level. Asthma can be related to allergies and the disorder has been increasing. Factors that are making asthma increase can be because of pollution from synthetic chemical and excessive hygiene. Many have been looking for the asthma gene and the closest genes to an asthma-causing gene are the two genes that produce immunoglobulin-E. the protein comes in different forms and is involved with the release of histamine in the body. The genes linked to asthma are a different gene for each ethnicity and the cause of the disorder is attributed most to the environment of the one carrying it.

Genome Summary #4 Chapter 4 Fate

In Chapter 4 Ridley compares identifying genes by the diseases that they can cause to identifying organs by the disorders they can suffer in order to show the differences of a gene and a mutation. For example, the Wolf- Hirschhorn is when individuals with the gene are healthy and those without the gene have Wolf- Hirschhorn syndrome and those with the mutated gene have Huntington's chorea. In 1993 the gene that was responsible for the mutation for Huntington's disease was found and it carried a repetition of the codon CAG. The number of repetitions tells what age the carrier gets the symptoms. When excess CAG repeats, five other neurological disorders and twelve known human diseases can occur. In sperm production the number of repetitions can increase over time.

Pick 3 invertebrates Compare them in terms of physical features and systems. Identify at least 3 similarities and 3 differences.

Abalone
The abalone has a flattened spiral shell that protects the muscular foot. Abalones are permanently attached to their shell by the muscle attachment. It also has holes on the edge of the shell that release eggs or sperm, discharge metabolic wastes and allow water to flow out after passing through the animal's gill chamber. The abalone feeds by clinging onto rocks, waiting for a piece of kelp to drift by. It then clamps down on the kelp with its foot and chews on it with its radula- a rough tongue with many small teeth.


Starfish
The starfish has arms attached to the body. Under the bottom of the starfish are tube feet that help with movement and feeding. The starfish has a water vascular system.

Genome Summary #3 Chapter 3 - History

     Dr. Archibald Garrod is introduced in the book. He published an accurate hypothesis in 1902 called the "inborn errors of metabolism." He thought that each gene produced one chemical catalyst, and the inborn mistakes were caused by genetic mutations, and proteins manage practically every function of the body. Garrod's theory did not resurface until thirty five years later though. Mendel and Darwin's theory of "the atomic theory of biology" and natural selection, respectively, were combined in 1918. Discoveries about mutations showed that genes were recipes for proteins and mutations were "altered proteins made by altered genes". Watson and Crick discovered the structure of DNA. Crick also discovered the twenty- three words that the genome uses.