Genetics is a weak spot for me. I took the requisite courses in college, but still get woozy headed when wading too deep into the topic. If anyone has recommendations for a basic refresher text, I’d be obliged. And feel free to correct me if I get any of the following wrong.
Part of my problem is the whole new level of jargon required to comprehend the subject. Take the word gene itself. It is a term many people use but don’t always understand. We say, “it’s in our genes,” or, “he’s wading in the shallow end of the gene pool.” But a gene is not something we can easily point to or see. Instead, the common usage is more of an abstraction. It is the notion that there are characteristics that we inherit from our parents, like being tall or short, blonde or brunette, or predisposed to cancer.
More precisely, a gene is a portion of a DNA molecule that actually means something. Like the number of pages that make up a chapter in a book, the amount of a DNA molecule that makes up a gene can vary. It can be a small portion or a large portion. How do we map out a gene and know where a sequence begins and where it ends? That’s part of what I need to go back and review.
Genial Expressions
When geneticist do identify sequences of DNA that correspond to a gene, they usually give them names. There are formal guidelines for doing so, but as Jack Shedd notes, there are still some strange results:
- tribbles: related to cells that divide uncontrollably
- Cleopatra: The Cleopatra mutation is lethal only if Asp gene is also present.
- Grunge: a regulator of the teashirt gene
Further reading
Genetic is a messy business, and scientist still struggle with a precise, technical definition for a gene.
Also, here is a more in-depth posting on the Sonic hedgehog gene.
In addition to curiosities of genetic nomenclature, biologist also have fun with species’ names too.
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