Tag: Genome
Decoded Genome Gives New Hope in Confronting Diseases
By NICHOLAS WADE March 10, 2010.
Print: New York Times
The falling cost of genome sequencing is allowing scientists to begin studying the complete genomes of sufferers of genetic diseases.
A caring god would not have designed us like this
Michael Le Page February 17, 2010.
Print: NewScientist
Our genome is an unmitigated mess. The replication and repair mechanisms are inadequate, making mutations commonplace. The genome is infested with parasitic DNA that often wreaks havoc. The convoluted control mechanisms are prone to error. The huge amount of junk, not just between genes but within them, wastes resources. And some crucial bits of DNA are kept in the power factories - mitochondria - where they are exposed to mutagenic byproducts.
Lesch-Nyhan syndrome causes compulsive self-mutilation. Children eat their lips or fingers, and stab their faces with sharp objects. They feel the pain, but they cannot stop themselves. Why would a loving, all-powerful creator allow anyone to be born with such an awful disease?
