Comments for The Evolution & Medicine Review

Comment on The Power of Graur to Explode ENCODE Using Incision and Derision by Dr Gordon Burton

Dr Gordon Burton — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 08:28:53 +0000

I am a simple physician and do not have the understanding of the finer details of how to identify functionality from the human genome. I find this fascinating and difficult to get my head around. I do have a few questions if anyone can answer:
It appears that instructions for specific areas of the chromosome eg genes, come from somewhere that is specific for a particular species of life form. It does not appear to be from a master plan for all life forms. Although there must have been an original simpler set of instructions for all the very early life forms.
Is there an area in the newly formed cell at the outset of development ie just after the final stage of mitosis, where the order or sequence of events to form a specific cell for a specific species originates ? If so is this within the chromosome compliment of the nucleus of the cell or outside the nucleus ? (ie there must have been an instruction to form the initial gene from the sequence of A T G & C which could not have come from the chromosome becuase chromosomes had not developed yet.)
Another question is – at what stage is the sequence of instructions started ?
Perhaps we should be looking for a specific substance that is unique to a species that initiates the whole process by switching on a gene that has the sequenced instructions to access other genes already on the genome in a specific way for each species. This may explain why alleles are switched on for specific species, but lie dormant in different species .
In my simple understanding I would equate this to a catalyst such as an enzyme that would be specific for each species.
Can anyone help ?

Comment on Joe Alcock on Nutrient sgnaling model for immune-modulating effects of dietary fat by Empty calories | Evolutionary Medicine

Empty calories | Evolutionary Medicine — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 08:48:03 +0000

[...] explained the nutrient signaling hypothesis, a new model for the the inflammatory effects of food. The basic idea is that foods that encourage [...]

Comment on Evolution and Medicine Symposium at SSE June 19 by At the Interface of Evolution and Medicine – NIGMS Feedback Loop Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 17:54:38 +0000

[...] last week’s Evolution and Medicine Symposium at the Evolution 2011 meeting in Norman, Oklahoma, experts from around the country came together [...]

Comment on Nutrient Signaling: Evolutionary Origins of the Immune-Modulating Effects of Dietary Fat by Chocolate follows the predictions of the nutrient signaling hypothesis | Evolutionary Medicine

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 03:39:29 +0000

[...] year, we published Nutrient Signaling: Evolutionary Origins of the Immune-Modulating Effects of Dietary Fat, which hypothesized that nutrients with beneficial effects on the microbiome will evolve [...]

Comment on Joe Alcock on Nutrient sgnaling model for immune-modulating effects of dietary fat by George Henderson

George Henderson — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 02:33:11 +0000

The Harlan TD:06414 diet used by Mujico et al. has the following features:
the fat is a mixture of lard and soybean oil; the fibre is significantly lower than in the control diet and unlike the control diet is only cellulose; the carbohydrate is sucrose and maltodextrin; the protein is casien plus cysteine. These diifferences, besides the fat, might all be expected to influence the microbiome.
If it resembles any human meal at all, it is icecream, or maybe an industrial cheese cake filling.

Comment on Behind Blue Eyes by anisia padurean maria

anisia padurean maria — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 17:38:50 +0000

I have a iris like final iris. Amazing!

Comment on A comeback for antibiotic cycling? by Killer bugs on NPR | Evolutionary Medicine

Killer bugs on NPR | Evolutionary Medicine — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 02:40:00 +0000

[...] attendant-borne opportunities for transmission. Listen to the NPR piece and then scroll over to the Evolution and Medicine Review to read about one potential solution: sequential selection from antibiotic cycling leading to [...]

Comment on A comeback for antibiotic cycling? by A new study on antibiotic cycling by Miriam Barlow in PLOS One | Evolutionary Medicine

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 21:31:07 +0000

[...] a new methodology to reverse resistance evolution in E. coli. Read my synopsis of this article at the Evolution and Medicine Review. Share this:FacebookTwitterStumbleUponLinkedInRedditLike this:Like [...]

Comment on Marlene Zuk on Paleofantasies by This is a cool piece by Marlene Zuk about evolutionary misfits | Evolutionary Medicine

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 12:20:43 +0000

[...] important is mismatch anyway. The editors at EM Review brought my attention to this article by Marlene Zuk. Well worth the read. Share this:FacebookTwitterStumbleUponLinkedInRedditLike this:Like [...]

Comment on Two new articles on how evolutionary understanding can advance cancer research by Malignancies and High Birth Weight in Humans » Free Bloggers Alliance

Malignancies and High Birth Weight in Humans » Free Bloggers Alliance — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 21:21:08 +0000

[...] The Journal of Evolutionary Medicine is a relatively new source of information on the application of modern evolutionary theory to issues regarding health and disease. Often called “Darwinian Medicine”, this application of evolutionary biology falls within five basic categories: evolved defenses, conflicts with other organisms, novel environments, trade-offs, and design flaws. One of the major areas of inquiry is in cancer research. [...]