epigenetics
sa smith | January 21, 2010My god, epigenetics is a woo-magnet.
Its not epigenetics fault, its just science.
But the word 'epigenetics' gets put on this ('chambery thing' heh.).
And this.
And this.
And... well, just Google it. Find your own favorite bit of self-help/explain all/magic epigenetic crap.
Attention woo-meisters:
STOP WHORING UP EPIGENETICS. IT IS NOT MAGIC. ITS JUST THAT 'BORING SCIENCE CRAP' YOU HATED IN HIGH SCHOOL.
Its science and its cool because its science.
DEAL WITH IT.
THIS is epigenetics:KAP1 controls endogenous retroviruses in embryonic stem cells--
Almost half of the mammalian genome is…
grrlscientist | July 21, 2009tags: TEDTalks, medicine, Psychopathic Killers, epigenetics, brain damage, psychology, MAOA gene, serotonin, Jim Fallon, streaming video
Psychopathic killers are the basis for some must-watch TV, but what really makes them tick? Neuroscientist Jim Fallon talks about brain scans and genetic analysis that may uncover the rotten wiring in the nature (and nurture) of murderers. In a too-strange-for-fiction twist, he shares a fascinating family history that makes his work chillingly personal [4:42]
TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference,…
sa smith | March 17, 2009The worlds most famous living biologist, Casey Luskin, is either an IDiot, or the biggest IDiot in the known universe.
Being an expert in molecular biology, Casey has previously discussed Junk DNA, ie ERVs, at his blog 'Evolution News and Views'. Now hes written a blog post on this paper about Junk RNA:
Chromatin signature reveals over a thousand highly conserved large non-coding RNAs in mammals.
Larry covers all the bases nicely. Now I know, as a fact, Casey does not understand this paper. I know he didnt even read the paper. Larry cites a relevant portion at his blag, but the paper,…
edyong | March 9, 2009Pregnant women are generally advised to avoid drinking alcohol and for good reason - exposing an unborn baby to alcohol can lead to a range of physical and mental problems from hyperactivity and learning problems to stunted growth, abnormal development of the head, and mental retardation.
But alcohol also has much subtler effects on a foetus. Some scientists have suggested that people who get their first taste of alcohol through their mother's placenta are more likely to develop a taste for it in later life. This sleeper effect is a long-lasting one - exposure to alcohol in the womb has been…
edyong | February 22, 2009The trauma of child abuse can last a lifetime, leading to a higher risk of anxiety, depression and suicide further down the line. This link seems obvious, but a group of Canadian scientists have found that it has a genetic basis.
By studying the brains of suicide victims, Patrick McGowan from the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, found that child abuse modifies a gene called NR3C1 that affects a person's ability to deal with stress. The changes it wrought were "epigenetic", meaning that the gene's DNA sequence wasn't altered but it's structure was modified to make it less active.…
edyong | February 3, 2009Our health isn't just affected by the things we do after we're born - the conditions we face inside our mother's womb can have a lasting impact on our wellbeing, much later in life. This message comes from a growing number of studies that compare a mother's behaviour during pregnancy to the subsequent health of her child.
But all of these studies have a problem. Mothers also pass on half of their genes to their children, and it's very difficult to say which aspects of the child's health are affected by conditions in the womb, and which are influenced by mum's genetic legacy.
Take the case…
sa smith | December 15, 2008*sigh*
My swooning over Venter on the cover of the latest edition of SEED was rudely interrupted by Larry Moran. Evidently he really does get SEED 'for the articles'. heh.
Epigenetics at SEED
Yeah, um, this SEED article... this article is not helpful. For you, or me, or the scientific literacy we are fighting for.
If someone held a gun to my head and screamed "DEFINE EPIGENETICS!!!!", this is what I would say:
Histone and DNA modifications that alter chromatin structure--> gene expression. Some people also include siRNA.
I think that is kinda an idiomatic definition of 'epigenetics',…
sa smith | July 27, 2008The discussion PZ and I had a couple of weeks ago sparked a lot of fun questions from viewers/readers. PZ covered a TON of the basics last week, so I figured I better step up to explain my view of epigenetics!
Epigenetics is inherited. Take agouti mice, for an example. If you alter how much folic acid a female mouse eats, you alter the epigenetic profiles of her grandpups. Folic acid starts off a chain reaction that leads to methlyation (silencing) of DNA, leading to different fur colors due to differential 'silencing' of a retroviral promoter and the 'agouti' gene.
No matter how much…
edyong | July 16, 2008Many measures to curb the obesity epidemic are aimed at young children. It's a sensible strategy - we know that overweight children have a good chance of becoming overweight adults. Family homes and schools have accordingly become critical arenas where the battle against the nation's growing waistlines is fought. But there is another equally important environment that can severely affect a person's chances of becoming overweight, but is more often overlooked - the womb.
Overweight parents tend to raise overweight children but over the last few years, studies have confirmed that this…