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ALLELIC SETS. “When neo-Darwinists refer to the ‘genes’ for any particular phenotype on which selection may act, they are not referring to complete protein-coding sequences of DNA, they are really referring to differences between alleles. The ‘gene’ is, therefore, defined as this inheritable difference in phenotype.” http://rsfs.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/2/1/55 View in LinkedIn

EMERGENT BEHAVIOR. “Of course, all the proteins involved in cardiac rhythm are encoded by the genome, but these alone would not generate rhythm. This is the sense (see above) in which I maintain that there is not a program for cardiac rhythm in the genome. The non-genomic structural elements are also essential. Similar arguments apply, for example, to circadian rhythm and, indeed, to all functions that require cellular structural inheritance as well as genome inheritance.” http://rsfs.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/2/1/55 View in LinkedIn

FRAGMENT FROM NATURE concludes this weekend on the thoughts of Professor Denis Nobel, one of the outstanding biological thinkers today. He moves biology forward by challenging older dogmas, in particular, the centrality of the genome. We are watching history unfold as a new set of paradigms replaces the previous leap forward in molecular biology. View in LinkedIn

CELLULAR ECOSYSTEMS. "The coupling of the fate of each cell to the nature of the interactions it can establish with other cells has led to the concept of 'social control' of cell survival and cell death, allowing a stringent regulation of cell numbers, of their geographic localization, and a constant adjustment of the different cell types that constitute our organs and tissues." https://lnkd.in/ditmMXA View in LinkedIn

WHY IS SEXLESS advantageous from a lifespan perspective? View in LinkedIn

SOMATIC CELL DEATH PREROGATIVE. "In multicellular organisms (and also in multinucleate ciliates), with a Weismannist development, that is, with a division of labor between mortal somatic (body) cells and "immortal" germ (reproductive) cells, death becomes an essential part of life, at least for the somatic line." https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death View in LinkedIn

SEXLESS IMMORTALS. "Organisms showing only asexual reproduction (e.g. bacteria, some protists, like the euglenoids and many amoebozoans) and unicellular organisms with sexual reproduction (colonial or not, like the volvocine algae Pandorina and Chlamydomonas) are "immortal" at some extent, dying only due to external hazards, like being eaten or meeting with a fatal accident." https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death View in LinkedIn

BIRTH-DEATH BALANCE. "The cells of a multicellular organism are members of a highly organized community. The number of cells in this community is tightly regulated—not simply by controlling the rate of cell division, but also by controlling the rate of cell death. If cells are no longer needed, they commit suicide by activating an intracellular death program." https://lnkd.in/eaj7Brc View in LinkedIn

BALANCING ACT. "The balance between cell proliferation, differentiation and death is strictly regulated during development. Genetic or epigenetic disruption of this balance has severe consequences, including both degenerative and hyper-proliferative diseases." https://lnkd.in/eq8cbHC View in LinkedIn

DEATH OF DE NOVO GENES. "The high rate of de novo gene birth in combination with a rather constant number of genes over time predicts that many of the de novo genes have only a short lifetime." http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168952515000347 View in LinkedIn