Ape-Human DNA Split

M. Boss writes "CNN is running a story about a gene split between humans and the apes. This is the second major DNA article regarding human evolution published in the last month (the first being about the FOXP2 gene, possibly responsible for human speech and comprehension). This second story is about a gene missing in humans that is responsible for production of a sugar acid, and possibly human brain expansion."

Comments

there really is only one quote that sums this up

[Treeluvinhippy]

"Get your stinking paws off me you damn dirty ape!"

Sialic Acid

[masterkool]

Here is a site about the pathway sialic acid took through human cells. Its a bit confusing, but informative never-the-less. And here is a PDF of the basic functions of sialic acid. It also has a bit on directed evolution.

Re:Sialic Acid

[nucal]

Probably the major role for sialic acid is to control how cells interact with each other. For instance, the ability of Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule (NCAM) to allow cells to specifically communicate and attach to each other depends on how much sialic acid is added to the NCAM - more sialic acid makes NCAM less sticky and vice versa. Controlling whether cells stick together or not helps determine tissue organization. This is part of the interest in the gene concerning apes vs. humans, since a relatively small change in sugar metabolism might have a large effect on brain development and function.

Re:should this be published?

[hoggoth]

> Cannibalism [...], why is it that we as human beings find it so distasteful? Same-species protein is wrong simply because it comes from the same species.

Incorrect.

Cannibalism is wrong because same-species flesh carries bacteria, viruses, prions, concentrated toxins, and all sorts of nasty stuff that is bad for us.

Many seemingly senseless taboos have a basis in fact.

Why is it we eat lots of herbivores (chickens, pigs, cows, etc), but we don't eat carnivores (dogs, cats, tigers, lions)? Is it because it doesn't seem "right", or because carnivores being higher up the food chain concentrate toxins?

Why don't Jews eat pork? Is it because God said so, or is it because God (and his numerous assistants down here) noticed that before refrigerators you got Trichinosis from eating pork?

Why do many organized religions have taboos against sex outside of marriage? Is it because you will go to hell if you have sex, or perhaps it is because people recognized that lots of promiscuous sex was correlated to diseases?