Caenorhabditis elegans

Restriction enzymes are used to manipulate DNA sequences to create recombinant DNA by first cutting up the foreign DNA in order to protect the bacteria cell against invading DNA from other organisms. The enzyme is very specific when it comes to identifying a specific DNA sequence. When the enzyme identifies the specific DNA sequence it cuts both DNA strands at specific points at the restriction site. Lastly, the DNA ligase joins the DNA from two different sources and produces a recombinant DNA…

Topic: Molecular mechanism of dietary restriction in ageing Title: Dietary restriction and mTOR signalling pathway in lifespan extension Dietary restriction (DR), which is reduced intake of all dietary constituents except vitamins and minerals, was first shown to extend the lifespan of rats 80 years ago (McCay, 1930). Since then, many studies have proven that DR can extend longevity on wide range of taxa (Fontana et al., 2010). In addition, research done on animal models reveals that there…

Ways to discover biological immortality and slowing down ageing process Ageing is simply the matter of our bodies physically getting old and it has environmental and genetic causes. As we get older we tend to develop and maintain some habits which can affect our health either positively or negatively and this represents the accumulation of changes in a person over time. Biological immortality is a term used by biologists to distinguish cells that are not subject to the Hayflick limit. There are…

Introduction Drosophila melanogaster can be considered model organisms for the study of genetics. Some characteristics that contribute to this status are their quick lifecycles, large amount of offspring, and the presence of only four chromosomes. Drosophila melanogaster contain bristles on the thorax, head, legs, and abdomen. These bristles are used as a sensory mechanism, allowing fruit flies to detect their surroundings as they fly and walk around their environment (Yehuda, 2011). The rate…

An Overview of the Determinant of the Genomic Diversity Genetic diversity provides variation in which that selection can act upon and it determines the response of population towards environmental change. Therefore, knowledge in genetic diversity is crucial for developing breeding strategies and also for the management of endangered species. Understanding the determinant genetic diversity is also essential for resolving the long-standing riddle in population genetics, the disproportionately…

Different gene silencing methods are being used in biomedical research for the development of potential disease therapeutics. Most of these methods are similar in that they involve the disabling of mRNA by preventing it from being translated into a protein. They differ in the type of molecule used to disrupt mRNA. Due to these differences, each silencing method has specific advantages and disadvantages. Two of the most currently understood methods of gene silencing are RNA interference…

Sirtuins and Histone deactylases (HDACs) Eukaryotic DNA is packed in a high level structure called chromatin, resulting from the assembly of an elementary unit, the nucleosome, and an octameric structure obtained from eight proteins called histones [1]. Histone deacetylation is a reversible process whereby histone and non-histone protein transfer the acetyl moiety from acetyl co-enzyme A (CoA) to lysines while histone acetylation is the direct opposite process whereby acetyl groups are removed…

Sexual differentiation in monomorphic avian species Madeleine Evans ID: 213023921, Deakin University Waurn Ponds, Course S323 Biomedical Science, Subject SLE254 Genetic Introduction Sexual differentiation is one of the first biological processes to occur during the development of a foetus. There are a variety of methods for sex determination amongst vertebrates including analysis of primary and secondary differentiations. Primary differentiation refers to the presence of gonads, while secondary…