Dr. Stamatoyannopoulos ... 'Junk DNA' Debunked

[MindMover]

The deepest look into the human genome so far shows it to be a richer, messier and more intriguing place than was believed just a decade ago, scientists said Wednesday.

While the findings underscore the challenges of tackling complex diseases, they also offer scientists new terrain to unearth better treatments.

The new insight is the product of Encode, or Encyclopedia of DNA Elements, a vast, multiyear project that aims to pin down the workings of the human genome in unprecedented detail.

Encode succeeded the Human Genome Project, which identified the 20,000 genes that underpin the blueprint of human biology. But scientists discovered that those 20,000 genes constituted less than 2% of the human genome. The task of Encode was to explore the remaining 98%—the so-called junk DNA—that lies between those genes and was thought to be a biological desert.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443589304577633560336453228.html?mod=e2tw

[xchrom]

1. Du rec. Nt

[Tumbulu]

2. Whoever came up with the term "junk DNA"

must have been ....a republican perhaps? I never met anyone who did not roll their eyes if they dared refer to this stuff as "junk".

I could never believe that these guys really thought that 98% of the DNA had no meaning. Simply preposterous.

[Odin2005]

3. It was based on the knowledge they had at the time.

There are several processes that can lead to a buildup of useless DNA sequences (like retrotransposons).

[Tumbulu]

4. Yes, but to assume that they had no meaning

was really an outrage, shutting the door on further inquiry and imo a reflection on a sort of thinking system that is dominator biased. Very odd really to have found this in the world of science (more what I expect in religious institutions).

[Odin2005]

5. I think you are reading to much into this.

[Tumbulu]

6. Could be, in fact I often take things

the wrong way. So, thanks for the heads-up.