29 March 2005

Plant Fixes Its Flawed Gene

This could prompt a minor shake up of genetics and certainly could mean a more convoluted explanation of the mechanisms of heredity. Th epoint is that it's afurther deomonstration that it's not just DNA that's involved. Genetics is not as deterministic as some would have us believe. "The finding implies that some organisms may contain a cryptic backup copy of their genome that bypasses the usual mechanisms of heredity. If confirmed, it would represent an unprecedented exception to the laws of inheritance discovered by Gregor Mendel in the 19th century. Equally surprising, the cryptic genome appears not to be made of DNA, the standard hereditary material."
The New York Times > Science > Startling Scientists, Plant Fixes Its Flawed Gene:

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"Spend and tax" not "tax and spend"

 I got a response from my MP which got me kind of mad. You'll see why as I reproduce it here. Apologies for the strange changes in types...