The human genome is littered with selfish genetic elements, which do not seem to benefit their hosts, but instead seek only to propagate themselves.
Evolution
Nov 11, 2021
0
126
Human cells are usually diploid—they contain two sets of chromosome. Cells in which one chromosome is missing from the duplicated chromosome set are generally not viable. For a long time, the mechanisms responsible for ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 24, 2021
0
53
Many human diseases can differ between males and females in their prevalence, manifestation, severity or age of onset. Examples include Lupus, where more than 80% of patients are females; Alzheimer's disease, where females ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Sep 8, 2021
0
53
Eggs and sperm are special cells for many reasons, but one of the characteristics that sets them apart is that unlike other human cells, which have two copies of 23 chromosomes, one from the mother and one from the father, ...
Cell & Microbiology
Aug 24, 2021
0
604
The release of the draft human genome sequence in 2001 was a seismic moment in our understanding of the human genome, and paved the way for advances in our understanding of the genomic basis of human biology and disease.
Biotechnology
Jun 9, 2021
0
0
The mass of human chromosomes, which contain the instructions for life in nearly every cell of our bodies, has been measured with X-rays for the first time in a new study led by UCL researchers.
Biotechnology
Jun 1, 2021
1
15
The full assembly of human chromosome 8 is reported this week in Nature. While on the outside this chromosome looks typical, being neither short nor long or distinctive, its DNA content and arrangement are of interest in ...
Biotechnology
Apr 8, 2021
0
183
Not all species need sperm to fertilize an egg for sexual reproduction. Some species need sperm in order to induce completion of egg nucleus development, but then never use the sperm's DNA. I describe how this self-sexual ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 19, 2021
0
7
In high school textbooks, human chromosomes are pictured as wonky Xs like two hotdogs jammed together. But those images are far from accurate. "For 90 percent of the time," said Jun-Han Su, "chromosomes don't exist like that."
Cell & Microbiology
Nov 18, 2020
4
3117
In 1997, the very first Neandertal DNA sequence—just a small part of the mitochondrial genome—was determined from an individual discovered in the Neander Valley, Germany, in 1856. Since then, improvements in molecular ...
Archaeology
Sep 24, 2020
7
885
