History of Genomics Flashcards
Definition of Genomics
interdisciplinary field of science focusing on the structure, function, evolution, mapping, and editing of genomes
What is the genome?
entirety of an organism’s hereditary information. It is encoded either in DNA or, for many types of virus, in RNA.
what 3 things make up the phenotype?
Genotype
Epigenetics - interface between genome and life experience
Life history - total experience, physical and psychological environment
in what ways is genomics simpler than other ‘comics’?
- only 4 NT, compared to 20 AA and numerous metabolites.
- limited modification, proteins have complex modifications.
- simple molecular structure of the genome, proteins have complex structures.
- no concentration differences (eg between cells). proteins and metabolites have huge conc differences.
who first thought of traits being ‘inheritable’?
Darwin and Wallace - 1858 presented to Linnean society.
Mendel - 1866 published genetic laws of inheritance.
why were development in genetics hindered at first?
Darwin - lack of understanding of mechanisms of inheritance. the answers held in Mendels work which was unnoticed until early 20C.
what were the secrets held in Mendels work?
the discreteness and persistence of the elements of hereditary transmission
who discovered DNA?
1869 Friedrich Miescher, but unknown what it does
what were Griffiths experiments and when?
1931 - studied virulent and non-virulent strains of Streptococcus pneumonia.
Showed that virulent strains contained a substance that could transform a non-virulent strain into a virulent one, and that the induced virulence was heritable.
nonvirulent strain - mouse lives
virulent strain - dies
heat treated virulent - lives
nonvirulent + heated virulent - dies
who furthered Griffiths experiments and
Avery, MacLeod and McCarty 1944 - identified DNA and described horizontal gene transfer.
when was the structure f DNA worked out?
Early 20C
But, significance unknown nor expected, and distribution of bases along the chain unknown.
what was Phoebus Aarons idea?
Tetranucleotide hypothesis
1910
Non versatile, repetitive, 4 NT unit, does not contain hereditary information.
widely accepted.
DNA discovery in 1950s
X ray crystallography
But, DNA molecules are flexible and do not form classical crystals.
Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins
inspired Watson and Crick
What did Chargraff show?
1949 amounts of A and T equal each other
C and G
who showed bases have hydrogen bonding interactions?
John Masson Gulland
titration curves
