Genetic code

Phenylketonuria Phenylketonuria, otherwise known as PKU, is a rare genetic condition that induces a buildup of a type of amino acid called phenylalanine. Because amino acids are the basis for proteins, phenylalanine is found in all proteins. The human body needs tyrosine, a type of amino acid, to form neurotransmitters like epinephrine or dopamine. To produce this the body uses the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase to develop into the tyrosine your body needs. When the phenylalanine hydroxylase…

“Tomorrow’s Children” extends the original argument made by Nelkin and Lindee. Like their article, the film raises important questions that go along with genetic essentialism and exemplifies the damage this discriminatory ideology can have on those involved. “Tomorrow’s Children” gives a further example of just some of the adverse effects the concept of genetic essentialism can have on society and its citizens. In the film, protagonist Alice is deemed as lesser by both the legal system and the…

The article “Tweak in Gene Expression May Have Helped Humans Walk Upright” found on Science Daily discusses work conducted by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology. These researchers have been able to distinguish what gave us humans the ability to walk upright through research conducted on the fish threespine stickleback. The fish has evolved multiple times over time in order to match different environments around the world.…

Gregor Mendel was a famous scientist. He was born in Austria in 1822 and died in 1884. He studied peas in his backyard. He had many plants but his favorite one was his pea plants. His parents were pioneers and he lived as a monk his whole life. He was a scientist and grew up loving to study peas. Gregor discovered many things with peas. He learned what forms and colors they could be. He also learned that the outer shells could be smooth or wrinkled. He learned that the inside of the…

The Epigenetics Revolution: How Modern Biology Is Rewriting Our Understanding of Genetics, Disease, and Inheritance, written by Nessa Carey, is a uniquely constructed introduction to the world of epigenetics. Regardless of its recent emergence in science, Carey articulately ties in both historical context and scientific evidence to outline and support the developing knowledge of epigenetics. She uses scientific studies, advances, and even possible future developments of the field to engage and…

Genetic Engineering As technology advances, more opportunities arise. A major developing technological advancement is in the field of Science, more specifically engineering, and it is known as Genetic Engineering. Dictionary.com defines Genetic Engineering as “the development and application of scientific methods, procedures, and technologies that permit direct manipulation of genetic material in order to alter the hereditary traits of a cell, organism, or population.” What this means is that…

How have seahorses adapted to better survive in their habitat? Adaptation is a process by which an organism gradually changes over generations to better survive in its environment. These changes can be structural, or physical; or they may be behavioral, or related to the animal’s behaviors. Spotting a sea horse in its natural habitat is a tricky treat for SCUBA divers. These fish are masters of disguise. They can change colors to camouflage themselves, and feature bumps called tubercles that…

Dimetrodon Response Paper The article “Dimetrodon Is Not a Dinosaur: Using Tree Thinking to Understand the Ancient Relatives of Mammals and their Evolution” by Kenneth D. Angielczyk attempts to demystify the evolutionary history of mammals using evolutionary trees and succeeds in doing so. The author begins with the Dimetrodon as an example to demonstrate the power in using evolutionary trees. It is revealed that the Dimetrodon, a synapsid that closely resembles a dinosaur, is more…

cancer.(simple) Doctors and scientist have been looking for a cure for decades, but they have been neglecting the one right in front of them, genetic engineering. The next generation of this world could be called perfect with just a slight change in a baby’s DNA. No more sickness or deadly(adverb) disease will be in this world anymore because of this method. Genetic engineering should be morale and used in every child. There are more than 10 trillion cells in a human body. With just a slight…

last 12 years when Hitler attempted to eliminate all Jews for the reason that, in his eyes, people with blonde hair and blue eyes would be the superior race. The desire to have one “perfect” race could arise again if science learns how to modify the genetic makeup of babies before they are born. Genetically modifying babies could also lead to a divide in social classes between those that have hand selected traits, and those that were born naturally. There would also be a potential for the class…