Thursday, April 17, 2008

What's The Worth Of "Junk DNA"?

For years biologists believed that 97% of the genome had no use, it doesn't encode proteins, or even RNA. Now it's believed by many to be mostly used to turn other genes on and off, like a sort of dark matter that is used to explain why the galaxies spin so fast, with a few lights on we see, but many more stored we can't see. Many genes without action could be like a computer where publishing on the web is cheap because it's much cheaper to store a million web pages on one computer than to use a million computers. Junk DNA seems like having all these options of a million websites stored as data without the actual hardware, much easier to carry around the machines just as information (lightweight) than to carry around a million 50 lb machines. Higher evolution would have the option of more computers in more complex ways. If genes always encode the same way there are not nearly so many options. Instead of, Just A and A, or B and B, A and B, A and C, A and D, or A and F would be better just as with the synapses of the brain or chamelion software with more than one use compared to the general way neurons are made, more complex combinations if not harmful may allow more evolution sooner. Though this may not turn out to be the only use of Junk DNA, it may be of import. Life means so much. Evolution wouldn't waste 97% of her time, if she never was an AA coach at a fat farm!
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