On The Life Sciences Scene

Life Sciences Should Enlighten Old Concepts Of "Stem Cells"

A. Recent paradigms of old concepts

I find today, Aug 2 2008, looking at eurekalert, at least three glaring examples that demonstrate clearly and glaringly that it's about time that Life Sciences Should Enlighten Old Concepts Of "Stem Cells":

1- "Survival of the fittest: even cancer cells follow the laws of evolution"

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-08/foas-sot080108.php

Of course, it's the cells' drivers, the genes-genome...

2- "Harvard-Columbia team creates neurons from ALS patient's skin cells"

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-07/cumc-htc072808.php

Of course, the shape and functionalities of the OCM (outer cell membrane) and genes are dictated by their "cultural", survival requirements-experience, circumstances as determined by their genes-genome drivers...

3- "Stanford fruit-fly study adds weight to theories about another type of adult stem cell"

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-07/sumc-sfs072808.php

Of course, it's not about "another type of stem cell" but about the elementary conceptions of what life is and what "cells" are...

B. The OCM, outer cell membrane, is but an organ of the genome, which IS the organism

1- Genes are primal and genomes are evolved multigenes organisms

Earth Life: 1. a format of temporarily constrained energy, retained in temporary constrained genetic energy packages in forms of genes, genomes and organisms 2. a real virtual affair that pops in and out of existence in its matrix, which is the energy constrained in Earth's biosphere.

Earth organism: a temporary self-replicable constrained-energy genetic system that supports and maintains Earth's biosphere by maintenance of genes.

Gene: a primal Earth's organism.

Genome: a multigenes organism consisting of a cooperative commune of its member genes.

Cellular organisms: mono- or multi-celled earth organisms.

2- Update of life sciences conceptions is now feasible and urgently desirable

- Earth's biosphere phenomenon is a distant relative of black holes, a form of constrained
energy pocket.

- First were independent individual genes, Earth's primal organisms.

- Genes aggregated cooperatively into genomes, multigenes organisms, with genomes' organs.

- Simultaneously or consequently genomes evolved protective and functional membranes, organs.

- Then followed cellular organisms, with a variety of outer-cell membranes shapes and
functionalities.

C. It is culture, life experience, that modifies genetics,
not genetics that modifies culture

Genes, Earth's primal organisms even when they are interdependent members of their genome communal cooperative, evolve in response to their survival requirements, which are THEIR CULTURE.

Darwinism started with pre-Archaea individual independent genes, their evolution driven by their culture.

From http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-P81pQcU1dLBbHgtjQjxG_Q--?cq=1&p=409

- Genes are organisms, interdependent members of genes communes, genomes, all continuously undergoing evolution directed towards survival as long as possible, for maintaining Earth's biosphere as long as possible, which is the reason and target-purpose of their, and our, existence.

- Culture is a ubiquitous biological entity and is the major effector of genetic evolution, of capabilities and attributes selected for survival.

- The major course of natural selection is NOT via random mutations followed by survival, but via interdependent, interactive and interenhencing selection of biased replication routes by genes at their alternative-splicing-steps junctions, effected by the cultural feedback of the 3rd stratum celled organisms to their 1st stratum genes organisms via their 2nd stratum genome organisms.

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-P81pQcU1dLBbHgtjQjxG_Q--?cq=1&p=372

Puzzled why even Darwinians do not comprehend that Darwinism starts all the way back with Life's day one, with the pre-archaea not-yet-genomed-celled genes...

D. On natural selection

a- "Comparing Patterns of Natural Selection across Species Using Selective Signatures"

http://genetics.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pgen.0040023

Author Summary

"Natural selection promotes the survival of the fittest individuals within a species. Over many generations, this may result in the maintenance of ancestral traits (conservation through purifying selection), or the emergence of newly beneficial traits (adaptation through positive selection). At the genetic level, long-term purifying or positive selection can cause genes to evolve more slowly, or more rapidly, providing a way to identify these evolutionary forces. While some genes are subject to consistent purifying or positive selection in most species, other genes show unexpected levels of selection in a particular species or group of species—a pattern we refer to as the “selective signature” of the gene. In this work, we demonstrate that these patterns of natural selection can be mined for information about gene function and species ecology. In the future, this method could be applied to any set of related species with fully sequenced genomes to better understand the genetic basis of ecological divergence."

b- From "Life, Tomorrow's Comprehension"

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-P81pQcU1dLBbHgtjQjxG_Q--?cq=1&p=372

Chapter II

Natural Selection Is A Two Level Interdependent Affair

1) Evolution ensues from genome/genes modifications ("mutations"), inherently ever more of them as new functional options arise for the organism.

2) Modifications of genome's functional capabilities can be explained by the 3rd-stratum, cellular organisms' culture-life-experience feedbacks, via its genome, its 2nd-stratum organism, to the relevant gene(s), it's prime-stratum organism. The route-modification selection of a replicating gene, when it is at its alternative-splicing-steps junctions, is biased by the feedback gained by the genome. THIS IS HOW EVOLUTION COMES ABOUT.

3) The challenge now is to figure out the detailed seperate steps involved in introducing and impressing the 3rd-stratum organism's experiences (culture) feedbacks on its founding parents' genome's genes, followed by the detailed seperate steps involved in biasing-directing the genes to prefer-select the biased-favored splicing.

4) I find it astonishing that only very few persons, non-professional as well as professional biologists-evolutionists, have the clear conception that selection for survival occurs on two interdependent levels - (a) during the life of the 3rd-stratum progeny organism in its environment, and (b) during the life of its genome, which is also an organism, 2nd-stratum. Most, if not all, persons think - incorrectly - that evolution is about randomly occurring primal-stratum genes modifications ("mutations") followed with selection by survival of the progeny 3rd-stratum organism in its environment. Whereas actually evolution is the interdependent , interactive and interenhencing selection at all the above levels.

end chapter II

Dov Henis

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-P81pQcU1dLBbHgtjQjxG_Q--?cq=1

Evolution In Expanding And In Impanding System,
Relevance To Life

A. At high pressures, inner electrons begin to affect the structure of lithium

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/34815/title/Chem_101_

B. Systems with increased or decreased degrees of freedom

- Expandable system presents increasing degrees of freedom. In an impanding system the degrees of freedom are decreasing.

- Expandable system presents increasing possibilities of modifications. In an impanding system the possibilities of modification are suppressed under force, the higher the force the higher the suppression and the higher the potential energy straining for release - by evolution or by revolution.

- The obvious example of Strain Release is the Big Bang. It would be wise and prudent to bear in mind that the universe is fractal, and that as it evolves various types* of strained sub-systems or situations arise within it, the strain of which is released in various extents of evolution or revolution.

Dov Henis

* including physical, biological, social, etc.,

Dopamine Imbalance: Technology Or Science?

A. [/b]Dopamine imbalance triggers Parkinson's disease and drug addiction, two opposite diseases

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-08/nu-wdf080808.php

"...explained the phenomenon using the analogy of a car..."

B. The genome is an organism, not a contrivance

I suggest, again and again, that effects of cell's environments on its functionality be considered and assessed with comprehension that the OCM, the multifunctional Outer Cell Membrane, is but an evolved organ of the organism that lives and functions within it, the living team, the genome.

The genome is a multigenes organism consisting of a cooperative commune of its interdependent member genes. Each of its members has its own constitutional-functional background history, and its own tolerance-reaction to environments-signals reaching it via the functional membranes around the genome. Decisions are made within the OCM most probably as conjectured in

http://www.the-scientist.com/community/posts/list/122.page#373

Planning and assessment of research work in life sciences, especially in cell level matters, should take this recent comprehension into account...

One day, maybe soon, science will comprehend life and the nature of genes-genome...

Dov Henis

PS:

2008 Updated Life Comprehension:

1. Definitions Of Earth Life, Organism, Gene, Genome And Cellular Organisms.

Earth Life: 1. a format of temporarily constrained energy, retained in temporary constrained genetic energy packages in forms of genes, genomes and organisms 2. a real virtual affair that pops in and out of existence in its matrix, which is the energy constrained in Earth's biosphere.

Earth organism: a temporary self-replicable constrained-energy genetic system that supports and maintains Earth's biosphere by maintenance of genes.

Gene: Primal Earth's organism.

Genome: a multigenes organism consisting of a cooperative commune of its member genes.

Cellular organisms: mono- or multi-celled earth organisms.

2. Update of life sciences conceptions is now feasible and urgently desirable

- Earth's biosphere phenomenon is a distant relative of black holes, a form of constrained
energy pocket.

- First were independent individual genes, Earth's primal organisms.

- Genes aggregated cooperatively into genomes, multigenes organisms, with genomes' organs.

- Simultaneously or consequently genomes evolved protective and functional membranes, organs.

- Then followed cellular organisms, with a variety of outer-cell membranes shapes and
functionalities.

3. Nature, Origin, Function And Purpose Of Life

Nature of Earth life: a replicating construction temporarily constraining and maintaining energy.

Origin of Earth life: serendipitous energy-induced formation of Earth's primal organisms, individual independent genes.

Nature of Earth's organisms: temporary self-replicable constrained-energy genetic systems that support and maintain Earth's biosphere by maintenance of genes.

Function of Earth life: uphold and maintain as much constrained energy as possible by upholding and maintaining Earth's biosphere.

The purpose of OUR life and its promotion is ours to choose and set. It derives solely from our cognition.

Dov Henis

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-P81pQcU1dLBbHgtjQjxG_Q--?cq=1

Neurons Advised, Decide, And Carry Out Decision

It's Culture That Drives It All

A. Eat less, weigh more, nematode

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/34923/title/Eat_less%2C_weigh_more

It's in your brain. "Separate neurons in the nematode brain control eating and fat-building. The discovery may help explain some mysteries of obesity."

B. Hormones are environment-induced organism's cognitions, its cultural expression

- "Certain peptide hormones tell neurons that control swallowing to speed up or slow down feeding. Fat storage is controlled by neurons that get signals through the neurochemical glutamate."

- “Of course feeding is important to how much energy comes in, but it is up to the nervous system to decide what to do with the nutrients — send it for storage or expend it,” Ashrafi says.

C. What drives production and broadcast of of hormones

What is this vague mysterious "...nervous system...decide what to do.."?

The "vague mysterious nervous system" is CULTURE.

It's culture that drives the production and broadcast of hormones. The organism's culture is the totality of its recognition of and reaction to and exploitation of the environment. It is the life experiences assessed by the organism. Environmental factors are sensed and forwarded into the cell by functional instruments on the Outer Cell Membrane, then messaged to the genome, then the genome's membership decides on a reaction and delegates instructions to the appropriate member genes, who follow up with their tasks and broadcasts...

One day, maybe soon, science will comprehend life and the nature of genes-genome...

Dov Henis
===============
PS:

2008 Updated Life Comprehension:

1. Definitions Of Earth Life, Organism, Gene, Genome And Cellular Organisms.
- Earth Life: 1. a format of temporarily constrained energy, retained in temporary constrained genetic energy packages in forms of genes, genomes and organisms 2. a real virtual affair that pops in and out of existence in its matrix, which is the energy constrained in Earth's biosphere.
- Earth organism: a temporary self-replicable constrained-energy genetic system that supports and maintains Earth's biosphere by maintenance of genes.
- Gene: Primal Earth's organism.
- Genome: a multigenes organism consisting of a cooperative commune of its member genes.
- Cellular organisms: mono- or multi-celled earth organisms.

2. Update of life sciences conceptions is now feasible and urgently desirable
- Earth's biosphere phenomenon is a distant relative of black holes, a form of constrained
energy pocket.
- First were independent individual genes, Earth's primal organisms.
- Genes aggregated cooperatively into genomes, multigenes organisms, with genomes' organs.
- Simultaneously or consequently genomes evolved protective and functional membranes, organs.
- Then followed cellular organisms, with a variety of outer-cell membranes shapes and
functionalities.

3. Nature, Origin, Function And Purpose Of Life
- Nature of Earth life: a replicating construction temporarily constraining and maintaining energy.
- Origin of Earth life: serendipitous energy-induced formation of Earth's primal organisms, individual independent genes.
- Nature of Earth's organisms: temporary self-replicable constrained-energy genetic systems that support and maintain Earth's biosphere by maintenance of genes.
- Function of Earth life: uphold and maintain as much constrained energy as possible by upholding and maintaining Earth's biosphere.

The purpose of OUR life and its promotion is ours to choose and set. It derives solely from our cognition.

Dov Henis

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-P81pQcU1dLBbHgtjQjxG_Q--?cq=1

Life's Chirality And Circadian Rhythm,
Evidence Of Updated Darwinian Evolution
(a recompilation)

A. Updated life's concepts:

http://www.the-scientist.com/community/posts/list/20/122.page#423

- Earth life consists of three strata: genes are primal organisms, genomes are evolved 2nd
stratum organisms, and cellular organisms are evolved 3rd stratum.

- Life's evolution started at genesis.

- Life's evolution is not random. It is biased, driven by culture.

B. Earliest evidences of updated Darwinian evolution:

- Life's chirality

http://www.the-scientist.com/community/posts/list/122.page#387
http://www.physforum.com/index.php?showtopic=14988&st=180&#entry327715

- Circadian rhythm

http://forum.physorg.com/index.php?showtopic=14988&st=135&#entry301299

Suggesting,

Dov Henis

Life's Evolution Drive, Pre Copernicus Inertia

It's Culture, Life Experience, That Drives Life's Evolution

Not Outsized Brains, Physiological Product Of Evolution

A. New, repeated, PR communication

Public release date: 14-Aug-2008, "Big-brained animals evolve faster"

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-08/uocp-bae081408.php

B. "Culture, A Ubiquitous Biological Entity"

http://www.the-scientist.com/community/posts/list/98.page

and

"NO, NO, NO."

http://www.physforum.com/index.php?showtopic=14988&st=255&#entry358989

Respectfully,

Dov Henis
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-P81pQcU1dLBbHgtjQjxG_Q--?cq=1

Reprogrammed Cells, Pre Copernicus Inertia

A. Public release date: 15-Aug-2008, "Cancer signatures uncovered"

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-08/bc-csu081508.php

B. Cancer cells are reprogrammed cells

- "Creating" Stem- Or Re-Programmed-Cells"

http://www.the-scientist.com/community/posts/list/151.page#455

and

- "Life Sciences Should Enlighten Old Concepts Of Stem Cells"

http://www.the-scientist.com/community/posts/list/20/122.page#423

Again, Earth life consists of three strata: genes are primal organisms, genomes are evolved 2nd stratum organisms, and cellular organisms are evolved 3rd stratum. About time that scientists' guilds, their Establishment, shake off their pre Copernicus inertia and reformulate their thinking and work accordingly...

Dov Henis

Evolutionary Biology Of Culture And Religion

A. Culture Is Ubiquitous In Life, It Is A Biological Entity

From
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-P81pQcU1dLBbHgtjQjxG_Q--?cq=1&p=372

... also suggest that general comprehension of evolutionary biology is an essential pre-requisite for the study of cultural anthropology.

- Culture is a basic biological entity. It is a ubiquitous elaboration-extension of genome's activity beyond its outermost cell membrane, and of multicelled organisms' behaviour. It has been selected for survival of genes-genome as means of extending their exploitation capabilities of the out-of-cell environments-circumstances, consequent to the earlier evolution and selection of the genome's organ, its outermost cell membrane, for controlling the inside-of-cell genes-commune environmental circumstances.

- Every cultural element is an artifact which involves biological intra- and inter-cell expression and/or process; biological and cultural domains are not ontologically distinct, but instead culture inheres in biology.

- In the case of human cultures, ethnocentrisms are phenotypic cases of anthropocentrism; biologically both are normal Darwinian biological survival phenomena. Thus ethnocultures are human phenotypic survival tools.

B. Inception And Prevalence Of Western Monotheism
Western Monotheism Is A Progeny Of Science

From
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-P81pQcU1dLBbHgtjQjxG_Q--?cq=1&p=138

I. From old- to new-testament

I do not view cultural-religious affairs through the eyes-conception of historians or theologians, nor do I regard them as "spiritual" matters. For me culture is a ubiquitous biological matter, selected for survival by modes of response to, and manipulation of, the environment. Thus I view and regard cultural-religious affairs through the eyes of an, amateur,evolutionary biologist.

In my compiled OT book Avraham, the immigrant from Ur Kasdim to Canaan, in need of a territorial god protection in Canaan, his new location, "contracted" with Yehovah a "mutual-obligation" covenent. Circa 400 years later Moses extends Avraham's covenant by "obtaining from Yehovah" a refreshed "alliance" even while still not yet resettled in the original covenant-territory, and basing this alliance on an "history-long mutual god-people committments". After additional circa 800 yrs the Judeans in exile in Baylon modify "Yehovah's territoriality", rendering Yehovah omnipresent.

However, through all the above years and through the following development of Christianity, first as a Jewish sect and later, via synthesis with hellenistic culture, as a separate religion, I do not find any record of concepts of monotheism. The Roman empire accepted Judaism as one of the several tolerated "legal" ancient religions within the empire, as the Roman religious culture recognized and accepted age-respectful polytheism.

From a point-of-view of an amateur biology-evolutionist it is rational and sensible and expected that a cultural-religious phenotype will claim for ITS god all the conceiveable and unconceiveable superlatives, for best survival prospects. I started this thread in a sincere attempt-hope to find if and when absolute explicit monotheism was initiated and how prevalent it is. I developed a vague feeling that monotheism, absurdly, is a product of the scientific period and of scientific mentality.

II. Monolatry To Monotheism, A Scientific Transformation?

A.

R.Dawkins: "Carl Sagan put it well: ... if by "God" one means the set of physical laws that govern the universe, then clearly there is such a God. This God is emotionally unsatisfying ... it does not make much sense to pray to the law of gravity."

IMO both of them have stopped short of the cosmic lookout post. NO. Nature's patterns, physical laws and rules at all cosmic levels, have NOT always been there. They have been evolving since singularity, from nil through ever more complexity, at an ever consequent accelerating rate which is typical of an evolving system, through a metastable cosmos probably towards one of its two stable states, to then reverse its evolution back towards singularity....

Thus this their god is an "evolving god"...

B.

In the 17th-18th centuries Western philosophy underwent a most innovative process, in response to intensive intellectual developments in natural science, religion, and politics, changing concepts and doctrines inherited from ancient and medieval philosophy.

The 17th century scientific revolution involved changes in scientific practices and founding of new scientific societies such as the Royal Society and the Academie Royale des Sciences, and was accompanied with change in how natural philosophers described the knowledge that resulted from the new scientific practices.

I conjecture that it was in this era that "scientific monotheism" was seeded and began to take root, as an expression of the then revealed infinite cosmic incomprehensibility.

C.

Of course, with a transformation from Monolatry To Scientific Monotheism the antonym of atheist is not only simply religious, and a believer is not only one who has a firm religious faith in a certain deity...

Dov Henis

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-P81pQcU1dLBbHgtjQjxG_Q--?cq=1

Crystallize Concept of Genes

Eosinophils Mitochondrial DNA defense

By mtGenes, Primal Organisms Of Early Bacteria

A. Immune cell DNA defense

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/35045/title/DNA_defense

Scientists find a type of white blood cell releases its mitochondrial DNA, along with toxic proteins, as a defense against invading bacteria.

But ..."the scientists aren’t sure how the cells catapult their DNA with such force... the mechanism may be similar to how some plants expel pollen. The team also speculates that the DNA-protein nets may actively lasso bacteria, or at least provide a physical barrier to the invasion."

B. Something about mitochondrial mtDNA (wikipedia)

In humans (and probably in metazoans in general), 100-10,000 separate copies of mtDNA are usually present per cell (egg and sperm cells are exceptions). In mammals, each circular mtDNA molecule consists of 15,000-17,000 base pairs, which encode the same 37 genes: 13 for proteins (polypeptides), 22 for transfer RNA (tRNA) and one each for the small and large subunits of ribosomal RNA (rRNA).

C. Most unclear aspects of mtGenes may crystallize if genes concepts are crystallized

mtGenes, all genes, are archaic individual independent genes, organisms, evolved into interpendent members of genomes communes.

mtGenes, specifically, are Primal Organisms Of Early Bacteria...now they are the crack team alarmed to encounter relatively big invaders, bacteria...

I conjecture that also the tRNA and rRNA, all RNAs, were once individual independent organisms prior to their evolution and replacement by the stabler, better survivors next generation DNA versions...

Suggesting,

Dov Henis

Polygamous Outlive Monogamous Men

A. Read the story at:
http://email.newscientist.com/cgi-bin1/DM/y/eBaUz0MjQeZ0mli0FEDK0EK

B. Reminded of the story about this Sheikh who had a harem with 50 wives. At nightfall he'd ring up the eunuch to bring him wife #1, then sometime later he'd tell him to take #1 and bring #2, then sometime later...etc.,. When the Sheikh died he was 97 yrs old, whereas his first Eunuch died when 57 yr old.

The moral of the story ?!

It's not sexing with women that kills men, but the chasing of them...

Dov Henis

Patenting Implications Of Genes Are Organisms

Wondering what, if any, should be the patenting implications of updated life definitions, with the comprehension that Earth life consists of three organisms strata: genes are primal organisms, genomes are evolved 2nd stratum organisms, and cellular organisms are evolved 3rd stratum.

http://www.actionbioscience.org/genomic/crg.html

http://www.answers.com/topic/gene-patent

Gene patent: The controversial legal practice of patenting a newly discovered gene. It allows unique segments of DNA, which perhaps code for a certain disease or a certain protein, to be owned by an individual or corporation.

Gene: A hereditary unit consisting of a sequence of DNA that occupies a specific location on a chromosome and determines a particular characteristic in an organism. Genes undergo mutation when their DNA sequence changes.

Wondering,

Dov Henis

Understand Genes Grouping In Genomes?

A. "Humans share elements with the lowly beast..."

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-08/ru-gos082008.php

- "... many large collections of genes...group together on both the Trichoplax and human chromosomes..."

- "What purpose do these large, conserved groupings of genes serve? "Well, that's one of the main questions I'm going after now that I'm setting up my own lab," he said. "Is there a reason they're together? And if they get separated by a mutation, does that disrupt some mechanism of gene regulation, or cause some other problem for an organism?"

B. To understand "Genes Grouping In Genomes" understand what life is...and understand:

- That Darwinian evolution, as now redefined, started at life's day one on Earth...

- And that Earth life consists of three strata: genes are primal organisms, genomes are evolved second stratum organisms, and cellular organisms are evolved third stratum...

About time that scientists guilds, their Establishment, shake off their pre Copernicus inertia and reformulate their thinking and work accordingly...

Dov Henis
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-P81pQcU1dLBbHgtjQjxG_Q--?cq=1

Life Evolution And Gene Expression

A. Nerves Precursors In Marine Sponge.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-08/ra-urt082008.php

"What we found in sponges though were the building blocks for nerves, something we never expected to find."

B. Genes are life's primal organisms even if, in pre-Copernicus concepts, termed 'building blocks'.

Organism's evolution is driven by its culture = its response to its circumstances-environment. Its response is its 'expression'.

About time that scientists guilds, their Establishment, shake off their pre Copernicus inertia and reformulate their thinking and work accordingly...

Dov Henis
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-P81pQcU1dLBbHgtjQjxG_Q--?cq=1

PS:

Earth Life: 1. a format of temporarily constrained energy, retained in temporary constrained genetic energy packages in forms of genes, genomes and organisms 2. a real virtual affair that pops in and out of existence in its matrix, which is the energy constrained in Earth's biosphere.

Earth organism: a temporary self-replicable constrained-energy genetic system that supports and maintains Earth's biosphere by maintenance of genes.

Gene: a primal Earth's organism. (1st stratum organism)

Genome: a multigenes organism consisting of a cooperative commune of its member genes.(2nd stratum organism)

Cellular organisms: mono- or multi-celled earth organisms.(3rd stratum organism)

DH

Neurodegenerative Diseases, Prions, And Life Genesis

A. Involvement of misfolded proteins

http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/targettau.htm

- Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia among older people. It initially involves the parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language

- In other neurodegenerative diseases, the deposition of aggregates enriched in certain tau isoforms has been reported. When misfolded this otherwise very soluble protein can form extremely insoluble aggregates that contribute to a number of neurodegenerative diseases.

B. Prions, Normal and Pathogenic.

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-P81pQcU1dLBbHgtjQjxG_Q--?cq=1&p=125
and
http://www.the-scientist.com/community/posts/list/122.page#348

- Infectious prions And misfolded proteins. The infectious isoform of normal PrPC, known as PrPSc, is able to convert normal PrPC proteins into the infectious isoform by changing their conformation.

- "Scientists are learning more about the protein behind mad cow and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, including how to interfere with the proteins' production in the brains of mice. "

- "It’s also a mystery how prions replicate — they seem to do it without DNA — and they are difficult to kill."

- But, then, it’s also a mystery how at Genesis RNA-related oligomers replicated without DNA!...

C. Again, a phenomenological relationship...

IMO there is a definite, even if yet vaguely understood, relationship between CJ and Life Genesis phenomena parallel to the phenomenological relationship between black-holes and biosphere phenomena.

Black-holes and Biosphere(s?) are both phenomena of constrained energy pockets within a universe of an expanding energy matrix.

CJ and Life Genesis are both phenomena of serendipitous occurrence of 'favourably-directed' energy potential:

- in the case of life genesis, between incoming sun's radiation and RNA-related oligomeric configuration, and

- in degenerating proteins replication, between specific protein-forming-folding-enzymes and enzymes-protein complexes.

musing,

Dov Henis

[quote=nullTS1019153
"It’s also a mystery how prions replicate — they seem to do it without DNA — and they are difficult to kill."

PS: Ease-of-kill is test of lifeness

"It’s also a mystery how prions replicate — they seem to do it without DNA — and they are difficult to kill."

Re the 'uncertainty' about the lifeness of prions or viruses, this is philosophic and factual 'proof' that viruses are alive and prions are not...

DH

Life Sciences, Enlighten Old Concepts Of "Cells"!

More samples of old, pre-Copernicus concepts of "Cells"

I.

I find today, Sept 2 2008, looking at sciencenews, three fresh samples demonstrating clearly and glaringly that it's about time that Life Sciences Should Enlighten Old Concepts Of "Cells" And Of "Stem Cells":

(1) Stem cells, show your face
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/35776/title/Stem_cells%2C_show_your_face
As researchers develop ways of reprogramming adult cells, such as skin cells, to have the same flexibility as embryonic stem cells, this new test shows that the reprogrammed stem cells are truly capable of becoming any cell in the body.

(2) Potent Promise: Essential Stemness
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/feature/id/35962/title/Potent_Promise_Essential_Stemness
Scientists move closer to understanding the dual fates of embryonic stem cells?€‰?€”?€‰to divide or develop

(3) Potent Promise: Back to the Womb
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/feature/id/35978/title/Potent_Promise_Back_to_the_Womb
Reverting adult cells to an embryonic state without creating embryos is a tricky business

II.

These most recent samples belong with the following earler samples and with the call to Life Sciences To Enlighten Old Concepts Of "Cells"

A. Recent paradigms of old concepts

I find today, Aug 2 2008, looking at eurekalert, at least three glaring examples that demonstrate clearly and glaringly that it's about time that Life Sciences Should Enlighten Old Concepts Of "Stem Cells":

(1) "Survival of the fittest: even cancer cells follow the laws of evolution"

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-08/foas-sot080108.php

Of course, it's the cells' drivers, the genes-genome...they're doing best to survive...

(2) "Harvard-Columbia team creates neurons from ALS patient's skin cells"

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-07/cumc-htc072808.php

Of course, the shape and functionalities of the OCM (outer cell membrane) and genes are dictated by their "cultural", survival requirements-experience, circumstances as determined by their genes-genome drivers...

(3) "Stanford fruit-fly study adds weight to theories about another type of adult stem cell"

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-07/sumc-sfs072808.php

Of course, it's not about "another type of stem cell" but about the elementary conceptions of what life is and what "cells" are...

B. The OCM, outer cell membrane, is but an organ of the genome, which IS the organism

1- Genes are primal and genomes are evolved multigenes organisms

Earth Life: 1. a format of temporarily constrained energy, retained in temporary constrained genetic energy packages in forms of genes, genomes and organisms 2. a real virtual affair that pops in and out of existence in its matrix, which is the energy constrained in Earth's biosphere.

Earth organism: a temporary self-replicable constrained-energy genetic system that supports and maintains Earth's biosphere by maintenance of genes.

Gene: a primal Earth's organism. (1st life stratum)

Genome: a multigenes organism consisting of a cooperative commune of its member genes. (2nd life stratum)

Cellular organisms: mono- or multi-celled earth organisms. (3rd life stratum)

2- Update of Earth life evolution is now feasible and urgently desirable

- Earth's biosphere phenomenon is a distant relative of black holes, a cosmic form of constrained energy pocket.

- First were independent individual genes, Earth's primal organisms.

- Genes aggregated cooperatively into genomes, multigenes organisms, with genomes' organs.

- Simultaneously or consequently genomes evolved protective and functional membranes, organs.

- Then followed cellular organisms, with evolved variety of outer-cell membranes shapes and
functionalities.

C. It is culture, life experience, that modifies genetics, not genetics that modifies culture

Genes, Earth's primal organisms even when they are interdependent members of their genome communal cooperative, evolve in response to their survival functionalities, which are THEIR CULTURE.

Darwinism started with pre-Archaea individual independent genes, their evolution driven by their culture.

From http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-P81pQcU1dLBbHgtjQjxG_Q--?cq=1&p=409

- Genes are organisms, interdependent members of genes communes, genomes, all continuously undergoing evolution directed towards survival as long as possible, for maintaining Earth's biosphere as long as possible, which is the reason, drive, and target-purpose of their, and our, existence.

- Culture is a ubiquitous biological entity and is the major effector of genetic evolution, of capabilities, functionalities and attributes selected for survival.

- The major course of natural selection is NOT via random mutations followed by survival, but via interdependent, interactive and interenhencing selection of biased replication routes by genes at their alternative-splicing-steps junctions, effected by the cultural feedback of the 3rd stratum celled organisms to their 1st stratum genes organisms via their 2nd stratum genome organisms.

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-P81pQcU1dLBbHgtjQjxG_Q--?cq=1&p=372

Puzzled why even Darwinians do not comprehend that Darwinism starts all the way back with Life's day one, with the pre-archaea not-yet-genomed-celled genes...

D. On natural selection

a- "Comparing Patterns of Natural Selection across Species Using Selective Signatures"

http://genetics.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pgen.0040023

Author Summary

"Natural selection promotes the survival of the fittest individuals within a species. Over many generations, this may result in the maintenance of ancestral traits (conservation through purifying selection), or the emergence of newly beneficial traits (adaptation through positive selection). At the genetic level, long-term purifying or positive selection can cause genes to evolve more slowly, or more rapidly, providing a way to identify these evolutionary forces. While some genes are subject to consistent purifying or positive selection in most species, other genes show unexpected levels of selection in a particular species or group of species—a pattern we refer to as the “selective signature” of the gene. In this work, we demonstrate that these patterns of natural selection can be mined for information about gene function and species ecology. In the future, this method could be applied to any set of related species with fully sequenced genomes to better understand the genetic basis of ecological divergence."

b- From "Life, Tomorrow's Comprehension"

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-P81pQcU1dLBbHgtjQjxG_Q--?cq=1&p=372

Chapter II

Natural Selection Is A Two Level Interdependent Affair

1) Evolution ensues from genome/genes modifications ("mutations"), inherently ever more of them as new functional options arise for the organism.

2) Modifications of genome's functional capabilities can be explained by the 3rd-stratum, cellular organisms' culture-life-experience feedbacks, via its genome, its 2nd-stratum organism, to the relevant gene(s), it's prime-stratum organism. The route-modification selection of a replicating gene, when it is at its alternative-splicing-steps junctions, is biased by the feedback gained by the genome. THIS IS HOW EVOLUTION COMES ABOUT.

3) The challenge now is to figure out the detailed seperate steps involved in introducing and impressing the 3rd-stratum organism's experiences (culture) feedbacks on its founding parents' genome's genes, followed by the detailed seperate steps involved in biasing-directing the genes to prefer-select the biased-favored splicing.

4) I find it astonishing that only very few persons, non-professional as well as professional biologists-evolutionists, have the clear conception that selection for survival occurs on two interdependent levels - (a) during the life of the 3rd-stratum progeny organism in its environment, and (b) during the life of its genome, which is also an organism, 2nd-stratum. Most, if not all, persons think - incorrectly - that evolution is about randomly occurring primal-stratum genes modifications ("mutations") followed with selection by survival of the progeny 3rd-stratum organism in its environment. Whereas actually evolution is the interdependent , interactive and interenhencing selection at all the above levels.

end chapter II

Dov Henis

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-P81pQcU1dLBbHgtjQjxG_Q--?cq=1

Extra, Extra Read All About It !
Researchers Uncover DNA Mystery !

A. Mystery uncovered!

Yale researchers:" 'junk DNA' may have triggered...evolution of..."

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-09/yu-yrf090208.php

"... evolution may have been driven not only by sequence changes in genes, but by changes in areas of the genome once thought of as "junk DNA"..."

B. Mystery uncovered?

NO NO NO

DNA does not "trigger" nor drive anything.

DNA is a component of life's prime organism, the gene. The gene, the organism, is "driven" to acquire new capability. The driver is the ubiquitous biological entity, culture.

C. Mystery uncovered. Evolution recomprehended.

Genes, Earth's primal organisms even when they are interdependent members of their genome communal cooperative, evolve in response to their survival requirements, which are THEIR CULTURE.

Darwinism starts with pre-Archaea individual independent genes, their evolution driven by their culture.

From http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-P81pQcU1dLBbHgtjQjxG_Q--?cq=1&p=409

- Genes are organisms, interdependent members of genes communes, genomes, all continuously undergoing evolution directed towards survival as long as possible, for maintaining Earth's biosphere as long as possible, which is the reason and purpose of their, and our, existence.

- Culture is a ubiquitous biological entity and is the major effector of genetic evolution, of capabilities and attributes selected for survival.

- The major course of natural selection is NOT via random mutations followed by survival, but via interdependent, interactive and interenhencing selection of biased replication routes by genes at their alternative-splicing-steps junctions, effected by the cultural feedback of the 3rd stratum celled organisms to their 1st stratum genes organisms via their 2nd stratum genome organisms.

Dov Henis

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-P81pQcU1dLBbHgtjQjxG_Q--?cq=1&p=372

Puzzled why even Darwinians do not comprehend that Darwinism starts all the way back with Life's day one, with the pre-archaea not-yet-genomed-celled genes...

Protein Networks' Weaknesses Principle

A. From "Finding health in fragility"

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/35783/title/Finding_health_in_fragility

"A unifying principle for protein networks' weaknesses could aid development of new drugs"

Westerhoff adds that looking at fragility within a network, rather than just considering individual proteins, could be fruitful for finding new drug targets for a number of hard-to-treat conditions such as obesity, arthritis and even aging. “Humanity’s been able to find treatments for a lot of other, simpler diseases,” he says. “These harder diseases remain unsolved because they aren’t caused by individual proteins. They’re diseases of the network".

B. What are "diseases of the network"

How Decisions Are Made Within The OCM (outer cell membrane)

http://www.physforum.com/index.php?showtopic=14988&st=180&#entry325606
or
http://www.the-scientist.com/community/posts/list/122.page#373

The proteins, the many "individual proteins", are tools, tools produced by the primal 1st stratum organism, the gene, per directive of the 2nd stratum organism, the genome, consequent to a thorough crisscross checklisting of decision by the members of the genome. The need for a decision is prompted by a signal reaching the genome from within its 3rd stratum organisms, the cells, the network.

In "simpler diseases" there are either fewer proteins involved and their effect on the "network", on the 3rd stratum organisms, the cells, is "direct" and/or there is no involvement of cells-multiplication.

In "harder diseases" there are involved many more proteins and/or also cells multiplications.

C. About time

About time that scientists guilds, their Establishment, shake off their pre Copernicus inertia and reformulate thinking and work accordingly...

Dov Henis

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-P81pQcU1dLBbHgtjQjxG_Q--?cq=1

Optics-less vision?
Steer Spaceships Beyond Our Galaxy?

Embarassing self-undermining own scientific respect:

A. From http://www.aftau.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=7653

"...to steer spaceships to stars beyond our own galaxy..."

From http://blogs.earthsky.org/dsfportree/

- T. J. Cox and Avi Loeb of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics have calculated what will happen to our Sun when Andromeda and the Milky Way collide. They found that the Sun will move outward until it orbits about 100,000 light-years from the heart of the new elliptical galaxy. We orbit about 30,000 light-years from the center of the Milky Way today.

B. Self-undermining own scientific respect

- Don't we “see” today without the use of eyes...? Of course we do... who can count the ways...?

- Humans will despatch spaceships beyond our galaxy...?

With respectful embarassment,

Dov Henis

Evolutionary Biology: Culture, Ethnicity And Ethics

A. On bioethical questions, from "Ethics, shmethics"

http://www.the-scientist.com/community/posts/list/197.page;jsessionid=603383B62106A5823C0D931AFC2BE364

"Given the convergence of scientific investigations, it is not logical to... (treat) separate(ly) ...(subjects')...associated ethical inquiries."

B. On Culture, from "Culture, A Ubiquitous Biological Entity"

http://www.the-scientist.com/community/posts/list/98.page

"In human cultures ethnocentrisms are phenotypic cases of anthropocentrism; biologically both are normal Darwinian biological survival phenomena. Ethnocultures are human phenotypic survival tools"

C. Shmetics for some Ethnics is Ethics for others

This statement does not need any elaboration...

D. When might ethnics co-live peacefully with universal ethics?

Co-living is hell for just two different non-compatible ethnocultures as long as both regard their cultural tradition "holy".

Co-living of many different ethnocultures is possible and compatible when all accept, with scientific rational understanding, concurrent adherence of members to some of their ex-religious customs-traditions stripped of their sacred-belief elements.

H. When things are boiled down they end up in the bottom line that IT IS ALL A MATTER OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY...

Dov Henis

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-P81pQcU1dLBbHgtjQjxG_Q--?cq=1