DNA

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George Kinley - 26 Feb 2004 15:08 GMT

Hi,
I am non medico personal,
How did they come up with findings that DNA contains some Instruction set,
like Software Code
and if it is really a instruction set for Cell why are we not able to
decipher it I mean what are ours limitations

--Gk

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N10 - 26 Feb 2004 20:13 GMT

> Hi,
> I am non medico personal,
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> --Gk

Hi George

You ask two intersting questions the first of which doesnt really have a
simple comprehensive answer.

May I recommend that as a layman you read a basic book on genetics or
molecular biology, Peguin do a couple
of excellent primers (no pun intended).

As for the human genetic code this is comprehended more every day and much
of the genome has already been fully coded or mapped.

The issues around this resource are ethical,biological and technological.
Again such issues are convered in the popular press.

Hope you have fun

N10

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Bob - 29 Feb 2004 01:39 GMT

>> Hi,
>> I am non medico personal,
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>You ask two intersting questions the first of which doesnt really have a
>simple comprehensive answer.

Well, let's try.

Changing an organism's DNA causes permanent heritable changes in the
organism. Doesn't happen with other chemicals except DNA.

Now, that is simple and substantially correct.

This is the basis of the first expt which showed that DNA is the
hereditary material -- and it is the basis of modern genetic
engineering. Change the DNA, change the organism.

There are complexities one can get into, but I think that should
usefully help the newcomer get started.

bob

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Gautam Majumdar - 27 Feb 2004 07:39 GMT

> Hi,
> I am non medico personal,
> How did they come up with findings that DNA contains some Instruction
> set, like Software Code
> and if it is really a instruction set for Cell why are we not able to
> decipher it I mean what are ours limitations

For your first question I would suggest you look for some books on history
of molecular biology. Genome by Matt Ridley is a good one.

As for the second question - it is being read. But it takes time to read &
understand 3 billion lines of code :-).

Signature

Gautam Majumdar

Please send e-mails to gmajumdar@freeuk.com

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SARIO MARIA MAURIZIO - 27 Feb 2004 22:39 GMT

Who are "they"?

> Hi,
> I am non medico personal,
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> --Gk

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George Kinley - 01 Mar 2004 06:32 GMT

I am certainly not referring to you ?,

> Who are "they"?
>
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> >
> > --Gk

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Natural Science Forum / Biology / Microbiology / March 2004

DNA