IUBio

You Must Remember This

Brian zhil at online.no
Sun Oct 21 13:57:37 EST 2001


"Michael Jameson" <m.jameson at hunterlink.net.au> skrev i melding
news:3BD2FF9F.1E0F6347 at hunterlink.net.au...
> > Then grab a book, and start reading.
>
> It's on the list.
>
> > And no, the neuron doesn't divide (except in certain cases), but it
doesn't
> > mean the
> > DNA is unused.
>
> So, you doubt their assumption that the 'spare room' in DNA is or could be
used
> in the way they suggest, mainly because the assumption that it is 'spare'
is
> not substantiated?

Well, that last was a hard question.
I'll try to answer, the DNA is a substrate that the biological entity is
imprinted upon.
If you infringe on this substrate, how will you knwo which parts are used
and which parts are unused ?
That is why scientists are sceptical about using the 'junk'-DNA, it could
end up on infringing on a function that is not substantially used.

> > RNA-sequencing occur in neurons as in other cells (transcription from
> > DNA->RNA).
>
> I'll have to look this up.

It's quite easy this part, really :-)
Information about a protein goes from the DNA -> RNA (which is the
messenger) and the protein is manufacture by the polymerase on the
RNA-string.

> > I've just begun with declared memory, and so far there's nothing about
> > storing
> > long term memory data onto the DNA-string by reverse transcription.
>
> I think this is both fairly new and highly speculative.

About storing data on the DNA ? Yes, it IS speculative.
Yet, the DNA is not outside the realm of the neuron -it is used as a
template to manufacture proteins for cellular growth (ie. new synapses,
which will strengthen a long term memory).

> > I know it might sound terrific to have such huge quantities of data on
DNA,
>
> Yes, admittedly appealing for elegance.
>
> > but
> > the facts is that it isn't so, memory is stored at the synapses.
>
> This is as I understand it, in that this is the view of scientific status
quo
> from people who know far more than me about it.
>
> > I made the mistake of overlooking this fact, and searched (in a wild
> > goose-chase)
> > after something I termed a 'neo-dendrite' which would have something to
do
> > with
> > long term memory.
> > Don't do the same mistake, please.
>
> Thanks Brian, I'll keep trying to learn about DNA so I can evaluate things
> better for myself.

Do that, there's a great feeling to really understand how things actually
work.

Brian





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