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ONLY 26,000 GENES. "There is good evidence for 26,383 protein-coding genes, according to J. Craig Venter and colleagues at Celera Genomics. Based on a combination of computer data and human analysis, there is some evidence that the genome may contain another 12,731 or so genes, but it is too early to know for sure; some of the predicted genes may be overestimates." https://lnkd.in/ex9kCjU View in LinkedIn

ONLY FOUR NUCLEOTIDES BUILD DNA. "There are basically four nucleotide bases, which make up the DNA. Adenine (A), Guanine (G), Thymine (T) and Cytosine(C)." (You knew that, but I am building my case). https://lnkd.in/e7TPGqw View in LinkedIn

FRAGMENT FROM NATURE this weekend covers the zany world of cellular proteins, from a 24,000 feet perspective. Exquisite simplicity on one level leads to a multiplying complexity on another. The limited number of chemicals that make up genes, and the limited pallet of amino acids have actually produced a large number of proteins, and groups of proteins that work together. View in LinkedIn

98% GENETIC JUNK? This is a completely preposterous idea to biochemists, who are used to the intricate, efficient, and multilayered elegance of metabolic pathways and their regulation, with failsafe pathways guarding essential functioning. Just because we do not understand its function, this is not a reason to call the majority of our DNA "junk", and simply reflects a fundamental disrespect for nature from scientists who should know better. View in LinkedIn

WHOPPING AMOUNTS. "The proportion of coding versus noncoding DNA varies significantly between species. In the human genome for example, almost all (98%) of the DNA is noncoding, while in bacteria, only 2% of the genetic material does not code for anything." https://lnkd.in/eZHPYqA View in LinkedIn

UNKNOWN FUNCTION. "Some of this noncoding DNA is used to produce non-coding RNA components such as transfer RNA, regulatory RNA and ribosomal RNA. However, other DNA regions are not transcribed into proteins, nor are they used to produce RNA molecules and their function is unknown." https://lnkd.in/eZHPYqA View in LinkedIn

SEEKING FUNCTION. "In genetics, the term junk DNA refers to regions of DNA that are noncoding. DNA contains instructions (coding) that are used to create proteins in the cell. However, the amount of DNA contained inside each cell is vast and not all of the genetic sequences present within a DNA molecule actually code for a protein." https://lnkd.in/eZHPYqA View in LinkedIn

"JUNK DNA" is a term that has absolutely no respect for the raw ingenuity or the awesome splendor of nature. 'Vestigial' (or in the process of evolving), or 'fossil' (as in an ancient fingerprint), could be conceivable terms when faced with unknown functionality, but nature is not in the habit of creating molecular junk yards with no utility. View in LinkedIn

TWO MILLION PROTEINS. "It is also estimated that human body has the ability to generate 2 million different types of proteins, coded by only 20,000 - 25,000 of our genes. The sum of proteins in biological organisms exceeds 10 million, but nobody has a clear picture of this." https://lnkd.in/eWShf4J View in LinkedIn

SASUMO ONO, at the City of Hope National Medical Center apparently coined the term "junk DNA" in 1972. Despite no support, the term lingered for decades. "The reason is, that "facts don't kill theories, only theories that exceed obsolete dogma can kill old theories." Time to expunge an ugly idea. https://lnkd.in/eWKpGqJ View in LinkedIn