Genes and the Human Condition Flashcards
What is the central Dogma og biology/ Major information pathway
- DNA replication
- DNA transcribed to RNA
- Information from RNA transfered to protein that specifies amino acid sequence
What is Epigenetics?
Altering gene expression without changing DNA sequence
What is Methylation?
Process in which methyl groups are added to DNA to effect how DNA is transcribed
What can effect your methylation pattern?
- Imprinting - from mother and father
- Lifestyle - smoking and starvation can alter methylation of DNA
- Can also effect your children and grandchildren
How is RNA read?
In 3 letter “words” called codons
What can be the effect of mutations?
- Non-functional protein
- Partially functional protein
- A change in protein function
- No change
- Timing and level of expression
What are the four units that make up DNA?
- A - adenine
- T - thymine
- G - guanine
- C- cytosine
What are the two types of mutations?
- Somatic mutations - Mutations which occur in non-reproductive cells and are not passed to offspring
- Germ line mutations - Occur in reproductive cells
What is an Allele?
The name for a diferent varation of a gene
What is Pleiotropy?
Is when one gene impacts many trais
What is Polygenic Inheritance?
When multiple genes affect a single phenotype
What is Epistasis?
When one gene masks the expression of another gene/s
What are the three steroid hormones?
- Cortisol
- Estrogen
- Testosterone
What is the gene p53?
p53 is an important tumour suppressor
What is the pax6 gene?
Gene which regulates eye development
Are we more like baby chimps than adults?
Yes our spinal structure and skull shape is represented more in baby chimps. Baby chimps also share human curiosity whereas adult chimps lose that.
Process called Paedomorphic
What is lissencephaly?
A cereberal cortex that contains no folds
What are HARs?
Genes defined as “Human Accelerated regions”
What does the ASPM gene do?
It regulated the amount of times cells divide in the cortex. Thereofre increasing brain size.
Those with defects often have smaller brains, the size of a chimp.
What is the FOXP2 gene?
Dubbed as the language gene.
Coordinates jaw movements in chimps and mice.
Two mutations in human variation of gene which allow for complex sounds
What is Oxytocin?
The cuddle hormone.
Important in social bonding
What are chimps immune to that we are not?
- HIV
- Hepatitis
- Asthma
- Acne
- Many cancers
What is the difference between Epidemiologists and Geneticists?
Epidemiologists study environmental causes of disease
Geneticists study genetic causes
What percentage of our genome do we share with other species?
- 99.9% - other humans
- 94% - baboons
