Jump Into The Gene Pool Summary

The chapter Jump into The Gene Pool tells us about the random modifications that genetics and DNA, suffer due to mutation or gene jumping. Exist several causes by which gene can jumping occur: environmental stress genes or a disorder affecting their motion. At the same time, through this reading I have gotten a better understanding about the jumping DNA, which is a small sequence of DNA that move itself within the genome of the cell. Also, I found very interesting the creation of the first vaccine by Edward Jenner, theories like the Weismann Barrier and other concepts that helped scientists to have a better understanding of antibodies, genes and viruses.
According to this chapter, it is said that all human cells are like a soup made of mammal, bacteria, and virus ingredients, since the human cells contain different bacterias that perform several helpful functions in our body; also, scientists believe that ⅓ of human DNA is from viruses, which shows that as viruses as bacterias have helped in the evolution of human cells.
Viruses can be very simple, however there have
been cases where a viruses have change its hereditary material due to mutation. Flu viruses are the most common infective agent, nevertheless they can cause many problems because of their peculiar relationship with sunspots activity. As the time goes by, scientists have seen that “6 out of the 9 sunspot peaks occurred in tandem with flu epidemic at the time”, meaning that solar radiation can make viruses to alter their DNA(mutation) therefore, when they enter our body, the antibodies are not able to fight them, reason why the viruses spread easily, forming a epidemic due to the antigenic drift.
Viruses can also suffer mutation caused by other kind of factors. A transposable element can lead a virus to mutation; this one is a DNA sequence that change its position in a genome. Transposons and viruses, according to the book, are jumping DNA that alter the DNA inside a living organism, therefore can be said that transposons and viruses help with process of evolution and play a critical role in development
In the book is also discussed that humans have around 25,000 genes and more than a million antibodies. The B-cells are the main component for antibodies and also the reason why human body can make big amounts of antibodies. The B-cells seek out the instructions for antibodies to make a unique antibody everytime, process called V(D)7.
In the past years, it has been discovered that “Junk DNA” is no longer “junk”. The junk DNA makes up a big part of our genome and it has stayed in the gene pool for years with no consequence at all, and has helped with the process of evolution. Currently, this junk DNA is called “non-coding DNA” since “a large part of noncoding DNA is made up of jumping DNA, or sections of DNA that mutate purposefully in order to help an organism to adapt quickly to their environment within their own lifetime” (Sharon Moalem-148).
Out of all the interesting facts and theories found in the chapter “ Jump into a gene pool”, the sunspots and the flu epidemic was the most impressive for me, I did not have any idea that this phenomenon can occur occur.
The sun radiation caused a mutation in the flu strand and consequently, no vaccines were ready to treat this new type of mutated virus, in other words, it is very curious how new viruses or modificated viruses can be formed by environmental causes. At the same time, I would research about the Weismann Barrier, which consists that the inheritable characteristics are transmitted by the somatic cells and those characteristics are obtained in the lifetime of the organism are not inherited. I found this theory a little confusing but at the same time curious, so I would research this theory to answer questions such as “What would happen in the process if retroviruses take
action?”.
The chapter “Jump into the Gene Pool,” was very interesting It started providing information about virus and our genes. Then, it provided facts about “junk DNA,” which is currently no longer “junk” since scientists discovered that the Junk DNA plays a really important role in our development, and about 1/3 of our DNA comes from viruses. Throughout the time, bacterias and viruses have had to adapt to the changing environment and other factors to defend themselves and stay alive. This chapter also talks about the jumping genes and how the have changed through evolution, and the different theories that may be the key to answers all the doubts about genetic evolution and that way having a better understanding of the matter.