DNA - Basic Structure

DNA serves to carry information from the parent cell to the daughter cell and is only two nanometres wide. Synthesis is when the DNA is replicated – DNA is a double helix, each turn of the helix is ten base pairs, made up of nucleotides which consist of nitrogenous bases. The two visible peaks between the curvatures of the helix are dubbed the major and minor grooves and have alternating lengths.

Supported by a sugar phosphate backbone; the 3’ carbon of the ribose link to the adjacent deoxynucleotide 5’ carbon by phosphodiester bridges during polymerisation. During this synthesis helicase unzips the DNA and polymerase utilises triphosphate Okazaki fragments whilst synthesising the leading 5’ carbon stand - the lagging 3’ carbon strand with the use of primers. The bases pair up: adenine (A) to thymine (T) and guanine (G) and cytosine (C). A to T has two hydrogen bonds and G to C has three hydrogen bonds.

RNA has uracil instead of thymine. During synthesis DNA can only be replicated in a 3’ (phosphate) to 5’ (hydroxyl) carbon direction and serves as the coding template, the double banded structure is called reverse complimentary. DNA’s structure is stabilised by a thousands of hydrogen bonds, Van der Waals’s forces also contribute. 5’ to 3’ serves for RNA synthesis coding.

Bases can exist in two tautometric forms, the standard enol from and rare keto form. Tautomers are a type of isomerism. Other types of isomerism include geometric isomerism, cis meaning on the same side and trans meaning across. Optical isomers are non-superimposable mirror image enantiomers. Tautometric isomerism leads to mispairing of bases. DNA’s structure is best retained at high humidity and low salt known as B-DNA. Denaturisation may occur at high temperatures, within alkali solution and in concentrated methanal (formaldehyde) or urea.

Various DNA structures may exist due to local-sequence dependant modulations of structure. Circular genomes occur in prokaryotic genomes and plasmids and well as viral, chloroplastic and mitochondrial DNA. However animal DNA is stored in chromosomes, DNA is wound around histone proteins to form nucleosomes. An entire chromosome forms during metaphase. The genetic code is made up of codons, which are triplets of bases. 

Frank Herbert's Dune

Copy write 1965, Frank Herbert's Dune captured my imagine nation from start until finish and truly had me in suspense at the end which is rare, for all my effort to avoid plot spoilers I must admit I accidentally read some. Dune captures so much epicness! In this book you observe a son of a murdered father and his mother first be indoctrinated into perhaps the most violent community imaginable. Then face the empire that ha done wrong to them in a tale that is political as much as it is amazing. The planet Akkaris where most of the happenings take place has a diverse history an even an fictional ecosystem. I enjoyed this book so much I also got the film as to hang on to its essence a little while longer. I know it wont be as good but it should be a fun night in.

Posthumanism

Originally uploaded by Caspar William

The British Broadcasting news web site openly speaks of the reality of the right wing results in of current class structure.

The divide in the human race in this article is said in principle to be due to a over reliance on technology. However the tendency for like-minded to have children together plays a large factor in modern human sexual selection. People of similar intelligence, attractiveness and social standing are far more likely to have children together. This will therefore have its effect on future generations. Especially in the upper classes consisting of the greatest minority’s of people of the world and often composed of ‘intellectuals’ will see the greatest divergence in their biology in the coming centuries.

Foundation by Isaac Asimov, 1951

foundation
Originally uploaded by Caspar William

Truly epic story capturing in exiting realism the speculated sociopolitical and economic crises in a distant future of an entirely populated galactic empire. The book is set over a vast space of time and the foundation covers 3 generations of characters. Asimov isn't the heavy weight in science fiction.

Their is a movie set to be directed by Michael Emmerich and i have fears that the holly wood cinema will not do the full content justice. I found this book impossible to put down, the copy i had was missing a few pages however I am buying the entire saga with a replacement on ebay.com and look forward to my next installment. the cover is by tim white and the art really capture my imagination! i refuse to buy any other publishing exempt for the the ones sporting this dated but awesome design.

George Orwell's - 1984

past, present or future?
Originally uploaded by view-askew

I was in a book shop in Muswell Hill today and over heard a the employees, (among poorly explained warnings of a coming world economic superstate) a female employee was asking a male working at the till weather he has read 1984. She hasn't and has only seen a small part of the film and actually thinks its good. the attitude of the people working in the shop I want to work in, towards the books they're selling made me very angry while trying to read the forward to Asimov's robot series. so i have decided to write a little about it.

Nineteen-eighty-four is the classic dystopia scifi novel it encapsulates a love storey between to non-conformist lovers. In a socialist war torn future the the life style of the individuals life is dictated by Nazi regime and ever scrutinised by ever present cameras. A personal favourite touch of detail in the book is when a fictional manifesto of a revolutionary. The book includes some interesting concepts of mind control such as limiting the language of a people as to limit their capacity for though and population control facilitated by children trained to spy on their parents, much like the Nazi youth. This was a great book and is a classic for I reason would recommend it to anyone! A female friend of mine read it and greatly appreciated my recommendation (a very rare thing fro her I assure).

Today in East Finchley I also picked up a copy of Our Post Human Future by Francis Fukuyama, which in the opening paragraph parallels 1984 (published 1949) to Brave New World (published 1932). Fukuyama's book is mainly focused on the impact of biotechnology. however the dystopian world of 1984 is world in which there is propaganda and surveillance are the only weapons of the state. Set in world of ceaseless war to wain the over productivity of the worlds labour forces. Orwells 1984 is socialist world with no privacy, I think it was brave of him to speculate so close into the future. The book is also a beautiful romance novel is defiantly a must to readers.

A Hive Of Rats

The heterocephalus glaber is the only mammal to live is eusocial social group. Eusocial species like wasps and ants by definition are communities of including asexual workers that aid in rearing children. The evolutionary rout to such behavior confounded the Darwins vision of evolution. however modern gene selection theory now incorporates kin selection as the key influencing factor.

The naked mole is attracting scientific attention with a lifespan in captivity of 28.3 years (oldest of any rodent) the naked mole rat can greatly subsidize its metabolism and therefore has a great resistance to oxidative damage. They also have almost lack the ability to feel pain, its though this is an adaptation to cope with the lactic acid build up in the body due to high carbon-dioxide levels in poorly ventilated living conditions.

Hetercephalus glaber is also thought to be cancer resistant, so a lot of work is currently being invested in mapping their genome. The common eusocial social structure incorporating a signal breeding female, limited breeding males, workers and guard roles are all expressed in mole rat behavior. Sexual behaviors are controlled by hormonal messaging from the queen. However brian structure play its role, oxytocin and vessopressin receptors are situated in the same part of the brain as monogamous voles.

Imagine a human working population that was completely controlled in number, was resistance to pain and any harsh working conditions including cold temperatures and even radiation!

My Message To Hawking

Stephen Hawking NASA 50th (200804210010HQ)
Originally uploaded by nasa hq photo

11:30 PM Yesterday I composed an email singing the Mr Hawking' praises and a big question i have to put to him; what your favorite science fiction book or movie? A reply is fractional chance however and i perhaps should have invested the time to proof read. the message goes as follows:

Dear Mr Hawking,

I am huge admirer of your scientific mind, your literary humor and your perseverance. I'm studying bioscience at westminster, if i can mature be be half of any of the great things you are i would have great pride. I'm a heavy metal fan and I would love to support you asa brand by wearing your merchandise but i am having great difficulty finding a source that dispatches from the UK, i cannot get your t-shirt in the uk and you live here. please, please, please rectify this! the reason i started this email was because i really wanted to know what your favorite science fiction book or movie. I wish the greatest wishes to your family and i have my fingers crossed for your plans to go to space. I'm routing for you!

yours unworthily

Caspar Zialor ^_^

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Originally uploaded by Studies in Solitude

I have just finished reading brave new world. The book is a dystopian sci-fi novel that captures a prophetic speculation of the distant future. Written by Aldous Huxley in the 1930 the book covers themes like the limits of mass production and the teachings of Freud.

Huxleys preface states his stance on the choice between the two lunacys of social [dis]order of civilisation or savagery. The book is a tried an tested classic that brings home both the horrors of narcissism in human civilisations. Its amazing how good his scientific predictions mirrors todays reality.

Aldouse Huxley is the grandson of Thomas Henry Huxley or other wise know 'Darwins Bulldog'. And this is reflected in the concise scientific dialogue. Aldouse also co-existed with his grand fathers close associate Darwins nephew Francis Galton. Galton who wrote 'Hereditary Genius', inspired the nazis and englishmen to support them like Bernard Shaw and is the founder of eugenics. Huxleys fear of such excessive intervention in human breeding and sexual propaganda are great. I found this book inspired, I may one day read it again!

Throw Away Your Television

Its 2011, the world is set to end next year according various modern and ancient religions. The conspired reality of americas plutocracy and integration into the common wealth is of no real concern. In the sickening state of the depression that is caused by the inflation the privately owned banks of the west caused, we are still not hindered by the mass 'relocation' of worlds wealth to very same people responsible. Here in london, government cuts are making the living conditions and opportunities to the commoner ever more limited and awkward; soon to be unbearable

The title of the 2008 number one album 'Age Of The Understatement' by Last Of The Shadow Puppets for me, permeates the current mindset among the majority of people. They say don't believe everything you read, but it is common practice to make up your mind social matters by conforming with television. The biggest joke in this age of the understatement is that peripheral motives of government that can be inferred from the BBC and channel four news and other such television channels.