EvC Forum: Is Human DNA as good as it gets?

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Topic: Is Human DNA as good as it gets?

Mespo

Member (Idle past 2906 days)

Posts: 158

From: Mesopotamia, Ohio, USA

Joined: 09-19-2002

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Message 1 of 25 (279909)
01-18-2006 4:35 PM

Actually a two-parter if possible

I was scanning through information on ther Human Genome Project and was wondering...

1. If humans are at the top of the food chain, is our DNA as complicated as it gets? Are there any plants or animals with more complicated DNA?

2. Does human DNA contain the sum total of all the DNA that has gone before us. In other words, can human DNA be "read" as the greatest Natural Biology history text of Earthly fauna there is?

(:raig

Replies to this message:
	Message 3 by NosyNed, posted 01-19-2006 12:13 AM	Mespo has not replied
	Message 4 by Parasomnium, posted 01-19-2006 4:13 AM	Mespo has replied
	Message 6 by crashfrog, posted 01-19-2006 11:13 AM	Mespo has replied
	Message 25 by Dubious Drewski, posted 03-30-2006 1:29 PM	Mespo has not replied

Mespo

Member (Idle past 2906 days)

Posts: 158

From: Mesopotamia, Ohio, USA

Joined: 09-19-2002

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Message 5 of 25 (279987)
01-19-2006 10:45 AM

Reply to: Message 4 by Parasomnium
01-19-2006 4:13 AM

Re: DNA: complexity and history

But contrary to what you might think, this has nothing to do with our place in the food chain. For example, humans have 3 x 109 (3 billion) units in their DNA, whereas a certain amoeba (Amoeba dubia) has 67 x 1010 units. That's 223 times as 'complex' as a human. Not bad for an amoeba.

WOW. Great response. Obviously there is no evolutionary pressure to clean house. No "Mr. Clean Gene". I guess shutting off genes not necessary for an organism's survival is easier than dropping them off at the Salvation Army Thrift Store.

DNA obesity apparently is not an issue, either.

(:raig

This message is a reply to:
	Message 4 by Parasomnium, posted 01-19-2006 4:13 AM		Parasomnium has not replied

Replies to this message:
	Message 9 by mick, posted 01-19-2006 4:09 PM		Mespo has not replied

Mespo

Member (Idle past 2906 days)

Posts: 158

From: Mesopotamia, Ohio, USA

Joined: 09-19-2002

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Message 7 of 25 (279999)
01-19-2006 11:26 AM

Reply to: Message 6 by crashfrog
01-19-2006 11:13 AM

No DNA First Edition

Every single living organism on the planet has gone through just as much evolution as we have; in most cases, considerably more. That's a considerable amount of time for them to develop genetic sequences that have nothing to do with ours.

So, if I'm understanding you crashfrog, the DNA of the most primitive organism alive today doesn't even come close to resembling the DNA of that same organism when it evolved eons ago. Combined with Parasomnium's response, there is no back-tracking to that organism's DNA First Edition?

(:raig

This message is a reply to:
	Message 6 by crashfrog, posted 01-19-2006 11:13 AM		crashfrog has replied

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	Message 8 by crashfrog, posted 01-19-2006 11:38 AM		Mespo has not replied

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