Scientists find second, 'hidden' language in human genetic code

[IDemo]

SEATTLE, Dec. 12 (UPI) -- U.S. geneticists say a second code hiding within DNA changes how scientists read its instructions and interpret mutations to make sense of health and disease.

Since the genetic code was deciphered in the 1960s, scientists have assumed it was used exclusively to write information about proteins, but University of Washington scientists say they've discovered genomes use the genetic code to write two separate "languages."

One, long understood, describes how proteins are made, while the other instructs the cell on how genes are controlled. One language is written on top of the other, which is why the second language remained hidden for so long, a university release said Thursday.

"For over 40 years we have assumed that DNA changes affecting the genetic code solely impact how proteins are made," UW genome sciences Professor John Stamatoyannopoulos said. "Now we know that this basic assumption about reading the human genome missed half of the picture. These new findings highlight that DNA is an incredibly powerful information storage device, which nature has fully exploited in unexpected ways."

http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2013/12/12/Scientists-find-second-hidden-language-in-human-genetic-code/UPI-31071386889956/?spt=rln&or=1

[JEFF9K]

1. Crap! I just finished learning the FIRST language!

[BadgerKid]

11. But it's easier to learn the second one.

[longship]

2. It's a palimpsest! nt

[matt819]

5. Palimpsest should be against the law (nt)

[truedelphi]

3. Up untill about 11 years ago, a lot of geneticists were saying that

Over half the genetic material was "junk code." And what is especially troublesome about this is that this was the period of time when a lot of the work on Genetically modifying our plants and crops was accelerating.

Anyway I am glad the experts in the field are figuring out that these geneticists don't know as much as they think they know.

[Aldo Leopold]

8. The experts being, of course, geneticists.

[DhhD]

4. Epigenome is explained below and is rather long. The review has subtitles and is a good read

from the National Institute of Health.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3034450/

[Bossy Monkey]

6. Mine clearly is pig latin n/t

[Uncle Joe]

7. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, IDemo.

[mainer]

9. It means we're not entirely a slave to our genes.

We can "turn on" and "turn off" aspects of the genes just by changing our lifestyles.

[DavidDvorkin]

10. Dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/122825386