Freedom of Expression Essay

For years I fell under the falsified vision of wanting to become a doctor. I anticipated myself studying for the MCATs, attending medical school interviews, and fretting over my application until it was perfect in every way shape and form. Why a doctor? The answer was simple, I longed to be the person who could make a difference in not only an ailing individual, but to the world of medicine. I hoped to aid in finding cures to the worlds most complex of diseases and genetic mutations. I was…

Each Rab specifically targets to a membrane compartment and controls several factors, such as protein and lipid composition of the membrane, fusion between distinct compartments, vesicle motility along microtubules, and interaction with the cytoskeleton. The membrane targeting process, as well as specific binding to GDI, requires post-translational isoprenylation (geranylgeranyl moieties) of the two Cys residues at or near the C-terminus of Rab (Chavrier et al., 1991; Ullrich et al., 1993). √…

of the original hypothesis, is through transcriptional malfunctions during mitosis. The tumor suppressors that are used in cellular division lose their function due to mutations, and the genes that have the ability to become cancerous due to over expression and/or mutations become more highly functioning. This gain and loss of function results in the instability of the chromosomes undergoing the process of cellular division. Some genes and proteins that may be mutated or deregulated include,…

I learned that Epigenetic's is the study of changes in organisms caused by modification of gene expression rather than alteration of the genetic code itself. I found it unbelievable that the way you choose to live and eat can effect your grandchildren's genes. I learned that epigenetic's brings both good and bad news. The good news is that scientist are learning to envelope drugs that treat illnesses by scenting bad genes and jump-starting the good ones. The bad news is the life style choices…

GMOs have a direct impact on the environment. Two widely used pesticides, Atrazine and Roundup, have been proven to cause a reduction in survival rates and production of eggs in organisms, such as snails (Barky, 2012). Pesticides can damage the DNA within an organism on a molecular level. It is because of this that Atrazine and Roundup, when polluting the aquatic environment, are able to affect the metabolism and reproduction of organisms. GMOs have the power to aid the environment, as well. For…

The rare disease known as Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) is a genetic disorder that causes newborn children to age more rapidly than normal. HGPS belongs to a group of progeroid syndromes that can classified as segmental disorder that affect many tissues and organs and display symptoms that resemble physiological aging. This disorder unfortunately results in a short life span for those affected. It is reported that it occurs about 1 in 8 million births around the globe. (Arancio,…

Introduction Tafazzin, encoded by the nuclear gene TAZ is primarily found in the inner mitochondrial membrane, where it plays an important role in cardiolipin (CL) remodeling (Xu et al. 2006). Tafazzin shares amino acid sequence homology to acyl transferases (Vreken et al. 2000). TAZ is located on chromosome Xq28 and comprises 11 exons and 2 alternative translation initiation sites (Johnston et al. 1997). Among four major transcripts: TAZ-FL (full-length), TAZ-Δ5 (lacking exon 5), TAZ- Δ7…

A gene knockout is a genetically engineered organism that has one or more genes in its chromosomes that have been manipulated or made. They are also called knockout organisms or knockouts. They are being used to learn about how genes are sequenced, and what unknown functions of the gene are. Researchers analyze the differences between the knockout individuals and normal individuals. Knockouts are accomplished by using a combination of techniques. Single cells are genetically manipulated with the…

levels of gene expression on chromosome 21 tissues are reported in several studies, where increased copy number do not always correspond with increased gene expression level or gene function. DS presents altered pattern of DNA methylation in genes in two or three copies with functional differences in gene expression. Studies show trisomy 21 results in altered expression of microRNAs (noncoding RNA involved in post-transcriptional gene regulation, possibly result in abnormal expression of…

Current understanding of DJ-1 mutations leading to loss of function The PARK7 gene is responsible for encoding the DJ-1 protein. DJ-1 is an oncogene, meaning it is a gene that can potentially cause cancer. That said, it is expressed in almost all cells and provides multiple intracellular functions. It can be noted that, DJ-1 protein provides extracellular protections, suggesting a role for DJ-1 as an anti-oxidative stress and molecular chaperone. In particular, the DJ-1…