The 'macho' gene that makes men aggressive has been found. By Tamara Cohen Updated: 00:49 GMT, 8 March 2012 Scientists believe they have found the ‘macho’ gene which makes men behave more aggressively than women under stress.
They say this one gene could explain why men have a ‘fight or flight’ response while women are more likely to try and defuse the situation, a response known as ‘tend and befriend’. Australian researchers have studied the chemicals secreted by men when they react to stress – and how this influences their behaviour. Rage against the machine: Anger in men is the fault of the SRY gene, say researchers (file picture) And they propose that the SRY gene – only found on the Y chromosome – and the proteins it activates in the body, are the key. This gene was previously thought just to be involved in the development of male characteristics in the womb. Good spread: The SRY proteins were found all over the body In women, psychologists believe this behaviour is countered by the release of oestrogen and the ‘cuddle hormone’ oxytocin. Cartilage Healing Genes Protect Against Arthritis.
In mice with ears that heal rapidly, cartilage (shown in the thick blue border) also regenerates and heals more quickly.
Washington University researchers found that the same genes that promote healing after cartilage damage also appear to protect against osteoarthritis. Sandell Laboratory Joint pain is common among older adults and osteoarthritis is something many active people will face as they age. Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine hope to put an ease to that pain and have discovered that the same genes that promote healing after cartilage damage also appear to protect against osteoarthritis in mice. The same genes that promote healing after cartilage damage also appear to protect against osteoarthritis, a condition caused by years of wear-and-tear on the cartilage between joints, new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St.
Although the research was conducted in mice, the genes also are likely to be important in people. How a gene duplication helped our brains become 'human' A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute has shown that an extra copy of a brain-development gene, which appeared in our ancestors' genomes about 2.4 million years ago, allowed maturing neurons to migrate farther and develop more connections.
What genetic changes account for the vast behavioral differences between humans and other primates? Researchers so far have catalogued only a few, but now it seems that they can add a big one to the list. A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute has shown that an extra copy of a brain-development gene, which appeared in our ancestors' genomes about 2.4 million years ago, allowed maturing neurons to migrate farther and develop more connections. Surprisingly, the added copy doesn't augment the function of the original gene, SRGAP2, which makes neurons sprout connections to neighboring cells. Polleux is the senior author of the new report, which was published online ahead of print on May 3, 2012 by the journal Cell. Blogging the Human Genome: Did STDs help human beings evolve? Illustration by Andrew Morgan Geneticists in the early 1900s believed that nature—in an effort to avoid wasting precious space within chromosomes—would pack as many genes into each chromosome as possible.
So when these geneticists started mapping genes—that is, determining where exactly genes sat along the length of chromosomes—they assumed that genes must almost bump up against each other in a tight archipelago, like Alaska’s Aleutian Islands. Not so. In reality, protein-producing DNA is exceedingly rare, scattered like the Micronesian islands across vast chromosomal Pacific Oceans. Close Ups of the Genome, Species by Species.
Born to win! The drive to success is in our genes, say scientists - and DNA dictates if we triumph or fail. Identical twins are genetically different, research suggests. Identical twins not as identical as once thoughtAverage twin set carries as many as 359 genetic differences By Daily Mail Reporter Published: 07:01 GMT, 13 November 2012 | Updated: 07:01 GMT, 13 November 2012 Identical twins may be less alike on a genetic level than previously thought, new research suggests.
Although identical twins share the same DNA – essentially carbon copies of each other – scientists have discovered new evidence that tiny genetic changes can occur on a cellular level early in development, allowing for differences as twins grow older. The findings, presented Friday at the American Society of Human Genetics in San Francisco, California, may offer a glimpse into why one identical twin will develop a disease like cancer, while the other will stay healthy, according to LiveScience.com. Are we getting more stupid? Researchers claim we no longer need intelligence to survive. By Mark Prigg Published: 18:57 GMT, 12 November 2012 | Updated: 19:10 GMT, 12 November 2012 Our intelligence and behaviour requires optimal functioning of a large number of genes, which requires enormous evolutionary pressures to maintain.
Now, in a provocative theory, a team from Stanford University claim we are losing our intellectual and emotional capabilities because the intricate web of genes which endows us with our brain power is particularly vulnerable to mutations - and these mutations are not being selected against our modern society because we no longer need intelligence to survive.
But we shouldn't lose any sleep over our diminishing brain power - as by the time it becomes a real problem technology will have found a solution making natural selection obsolete. Genetic engineering. Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct manipulation of an organism's genome using biotechnology. New DNA may be inserted in the host genome by first isolating and copying the genetic material of interest using molecular cloning methods to generate a DNA sequence, or by synthesizing the DNA, and then inserting this construct into the host organism. Genes may be removed, or "knocked out", using a nuclease. Gene targeting is a different technique that uses homologous recombination to change an endogenous gene, and can be used to delete a gene, remove exons, add a gene, or introduce point mutations.
An organism that is generated through genetic engineering is considered to be a genetically modified organism (GMO). The first GMOs were bacteria in 1973 and GM mice were generated in 1974.