Quantum Biology - 3

DNA is not alive

I. Background

The GenBank, which stores microbial and viral DNA/RNA (It's In The GenBank, 2, 3), also stores human DNA (Homo sapiens mitochondrion, complete genome).

Today's appendix shows the extracted genes, tRNA, and mRNA set forth in that GenBank homo sapiens GBFF file (Today's Appendix).

The genes, tRNA, and mRNA are extracted from the "ORIGIN" section of the GBFF file based on the locations set forth in that file.

With one difference, which is that the Thymine ('T' or 't') in the DNA nucleotides is changed into Uracil ('U' or 'u') in the appendix's RNA sequences.

That is because RNA is composed of 'U' molecules rather than 'T' molecules (but both have 'A', 'C', and 'G' molecules) as I pointed out in the nucleotide sequences of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Quantum Biology - 2.

II. Sexy

A prominent microbiology site asked: "Do you consider mitochondrial DNA to be part of a eukaryote's genome?", to which I replied:

Good question. (It might be useful to say DNA is not RNA, i.e ACTG bp is not ACUG bp ... but even the genome databases @ GenBank GBFF files do not make that distinction in their bp data of RNA viruses ...)

But I digress ... so ... "Mitochondrial DNA is the small circular chromosome found inside mitochondria. The mitochondria are organelles found in cells that are the sites of energy production. The mitochondria, and thus mitochondrial DNA, are passed from mother to offspring ... Mitochondrial DNA, unlike nuclear DNA, is inherited from the mother, while nuclear DNA is inherited from both parents." (NIH).

Answer: yes. It is a matter of history and herstory.

 (Talmudic Question #193, Small Things Considered). Beauty may be only skin deep, but sexy goes all the way to the mitochondria and nucleus ... except for a few less sexy realms such as Leiolepis Ngovantrii:

"You could call it the surprise du jour: A popular food on Vietnamese menus has turned out to be a lizard previously unknown to science, scientists say.

What's more, the newfound Leiolepis ngovantrii is no run-of-the-mill reptile — the all-female species reproduces via cloning, without the need for male lizards."

(National Geographic, emphasis in original, cf. PDF here). On with the show:

"A virgin birth is expected this Christmas, though this particular nativity scene will be set in a zoo instead of a stable.

That's because the virgin in question is Flora the Komodo dragon, a giant lizard at Chester Zoo in England that has laid fertile eggs despite never having had a mate.

DNA tests confirmed Flora was the sole parent, says Chester Zoo curator of lower vertebrates Kevin Buley."

(Virgin Birth Expected at Christmas—By Komodo Dragon). Strange.

Getting back to the sexy mitochondrial human DNA:

"The mitochondrial genome is built of 16,569 DNA base pairs, whereas the nuclear genome is made of 3.3 billion DNA base pairs ... The mitochondrial genome contains 37 genes that encode 13 proteins, 22 tRNAs, and 2 rRNAs." (Nature)

"In humans ... mitochondrial DNA is inherited only from the mother..." (Wikipedia)

That's not all, so:

"Nuclear DNA (nDNA), or nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid, is the DNA contained within each cell nucleus of a eukaryotic organism. It encodes for the majority of the genome in eukaryotes, with mitochondrial DNA and plastid DNA coding for the rest. It adheres to Mendelian inheritance, with information coming from two parents, one male and one female—rather than matrilineally (through the mother) as in mitochondrial DNA.

(Wikipedia, Nuclear DNA). This kind of sexy is all about biological history and biological herstory.

III. Forward

Since the mitochondrial DNA (and RNA?) is more likely to experience mutations, let's review the quantum physics involved, an aspect (non-biological quantum photon-tunneling) that is very often overlooked in both human and virus genetic research:

"Furthermore, we find a large tautomeric occupation probability of 1.73 × 10⁻⁴, suggesting that such proton transfer may well play a far more important role in DNA mutation than has hitherto been suggested. Our results could have far-reaching consequences for current models of genetic mutations."

...

"Using both the C-G location and the A-U location in an RNA virus analysis seems quite likely to cut that Cornell University calculation in half or less (1.73 × 10⁻²)."

(Quantum Biology - 2). It is worth considering since the quantity of RNA mutations raises these questions.

IV. Closing Comments

Again, it is way past time to stop wondering "Why are RNA virus mutation rates so damn high" so we can, instead, experience more movements from Newtonian mechanics to Quantum Mechanics in biology.

The next post in this series is here, previous post in this series is here.

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