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| "Parts is Parts" |
I. Background
This series deals with something a lot of biologists, including microbiologists, don't like to consider (Quantum Biology, 2, 3, 4).
More specifically, this series of Dredd Blog posts deals with the DNA and RNA nomenclature used in GenBank and other genomic repositories which fail to properly distinguish between RNA and DNA to the detriment of our understanding (It's In The GenBank, 2, 3, 4, 5).
For example, the professor in the first video (in the first two minutes) at the bottom of the page pooh-poohs the difference between the two (the rest of the video is worthy).
Today I want to criticize that "parts is parts" approach to DNA and RNA molecules, like I would if someone told me that carbon 12, 13, and 14 aren't different enough to consider a big deal (DOE).
Atoms matter!
II. Appendices
The appendices to today's post show mutant codons (Appendix One) and the differences in atom counts (Appendix Two) in one nucleotide of DNA (T, thymine) compared to the relevant nucleotide of RNA (U, uracil).
The codons and amino acids related to mRNA (mRNA codons have "U" instead of "T") in the lines of Appendix Two follow (are on the following line) the codons of the lines of DNA codons.
This (Appendix Two) shows that the atom counts in DNA 'T' do not match the atom counts of RNA 'U' ('T' parts are not 'U' parts).
Considerable skill is required to move atoms out of or into a molecule, yet that happens during DNA -> mRNA transcription (see videos below).
As it were, one carbon atom and two hydrogen atoms are removed from 'T' which results in 'U' during codon transcription processing.
As you can see in those appendices, this is done in the cells of eucaryotes millions and millions of times daily.
III. Closing Comments
The common practice of some scientists these days is to play dolls with microbes (The Doll As Metaphor, 2, 3, 4).
I say that because way too many scientists support the overuse of antibiotics and other chemicals which kill so many beneficial microbes that they pollute the microbiome with chimeric fogs:
"Chimeras arise when a cell undergoes mutation. This mutation may be spontaneous or it may be induced by irradiation or treatment with chemical mutagens. If the cell which mutates is located near the crest
of the apical dome, then all other cells which are produced by division from it will also be the mutated type. The result will be cells of
different genotypes growing adjacent in a plant tissue, the definition of a chimera."
(Origin of Chimeras, cf. Soil Chemical and Microbiological Properties Are Changed, Some Of My Best Friends Are Germs - 2, It's In The GenBank - 4). It is not something to toy around with.
The next post in this series is here, the previous post in this series is here.
"How Microbes Communicate In The Tiniest Language" link
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