by Institute of Cancer Research Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Scientists have found that non-coding “junk” DNA, far from being harmless and inert, could potentially contribute to the development of cancer. Their study has shown how non-coding DNA can get in the way of the replication and repair of our genome, potentially allowing mutations to accumulate. It has...
Fear is a natural phenomenon, known personally to each and every person in the world. However, in some cases fear can be a huge limiting factor in someone’s life. For example, in cases of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or phobias, fear can prevent people from doing something they want to do. This is why researchers...
by University of Rochester Medical Center Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Rochester biologists show how selfish genetic elements that can cause tumors may also trigger the death of cancer cells. Selfish genetic elements were once thought to be merely parasites of the genome. But researchers at the University of Rochester have discovered that this so-called “junk DNA”...
by Washington State University A double-stranded DNA fragment. Credit: Vcpmartin/Wikimedia/ CC BY-SA 4.0 The human body is essentially made up of trillions of living cells. It ages as its cells age, which happens when those cells eventually stop replicating and dividing. Scientists have long known that genes influence how cells age and how long humans live,...
by Keck School of Medicine A depiction of the double helical structure of DNA. Its four coding units (A, T, C, G) are color-coded in pink, orange, purple and yellow. Credit: NHGRI If you’ve ever had a bad case of jet lag, you know how a disruption to your body’s circadian rhythm makes it difficult...
