A tiny test and a reading from Genome

Today you had a 'tiny test' (30 minutes) on restriction enzymes, gel electrophoresis and the relationship between genes and proteins.

After the tiny test we started to read chapter 5 from Matt Ridley's book Genome.

Below is a cheat sheet for words / concepts which he mentions.  Your homework is to read this chapter for class on Thursday.  As you read, annotate the chapter.

Consider the various hypotheses Ridley suggests for the prevalence of asthma.  On page 73, Ridley says "That same year a study of a mixed-race population in America...."  after you have read that paragraph, ask yourself "How could this be?!"  Write down your ideas and bring them to class on Thursday.

Page 65:
alkaptonuria - also known as black urine disease. The excessive acid produced by the body can cause damage to cartilage and heart valves.  It is most common in Slovakia and the Dominican Republic.  It is autosomal recessive (meaning it is not found on a sex chromosome and you need two copies of the recessive allele to have it).

Huntigton's chorea - a neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by involuntary writhing movements.

"your peas are either wrinkled or smooth" - a reference to Mendel's genetic experiments

Page 66:
pleiotropy - the term for multiple effects of multiple genes,

Page 67:
atopy - a predisposition to a hypersensitivity to certain allergic reactions

eczema - the general term for swelling of the skin, sometime characterized by red, itchy skin

anaphylaxis - a serious allergic reaction that can result in death

immunoglobulin-E molecules - a class of molecules in the immune system that are only found in mammals.  They confer an immunity to parasites, especially worms.  They are a class of antibodies associated with allergic reactions.

asserts: to state or declare forcefully

illusory: based on illusion

Page 68:
isocyanates - highly reactive chemicals

trimellitic and phthalic anhydrides - chemicals used in the manufacturing of plastics

Page 69:
mycobacteria - a genus of bacteria known to cause disease.

Page 70:
non-specific urethritis - an inflammation of the urethra

histamines - released by your body when there is an 'invader.' Histamines can cause you to have a runny notes, watery eyes etc, basically it is your body attempting to flush out the foreign substance.

mast cells - part of your body's inflammatory response.

concatenation - series