Imagine yourself unable to speak English. If you cannot understand what you say or what is being said, how would you communicate with others around you? In all facets of our daily lives, our language plays an essential role whether you are quietly reading a novel at home or discussing the newest project at your workplace. Why do we communicate, or why do we need to communicate well? The simplest answer is to minimize misunderstanding and maintain normal lifestyle. This is also true for approximately 100 trillion cells that make what you are.
Inside each cell, there is a spherical “information control center” called a nucleus. Inside the nucleus resides the genome, the language used in heredity. The genome consists of a pair of 23 chromosomes that contain numerous genes, which encode various structural and functional proteins. These genes are made up of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) or more loosely called bases including adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T). Matt Ridley in his book, Genome, provides the best analogy describing this seemingly painful and complex concept. He compares his book as the genome, chapters as chromosomes, stories as genes, and letters as bases.
Why should we care about each gene or the genome? Why do we need to learn the language of heredity? From an academic standpoint, basic research on cells and cell communication should provide us with in-depth knowledge of how these cells maintain normal functions. From a more practical perspective, applied science, such as medical research, has significantly contributed in providing us with the cure and treatment of diseases as well as finding new drug targets or a novel approach to detect and perhaps prevent them.
Medical researchers have identified numerous mutated genes associated with diverse forms of diseases including cancer (BRCA1 in breast cancer), cystic fibrosis (CFTR), and Parkinson’s disease (SNCA). These mutations, which range from alteration of a single DNA to deletion of a partial or even entire gene, may cause the cells to miscommunicate, misunderstand, and ultimately, malfunction. There are additional mutated genes that require thorough analysis and characterization not only as disease-causing genes but genetic susceptibility factors. In short, the language of heredity must be decoded for us to improve our health, and perhaps to attain a more fulfilling quality of life.
Curiously, what occurs inside the microscopic cell seems to also take place in our macroscopic society. In our lives, we all have witnessed varying degrees of misunderstanding and subsequent dysfunction. One intriguing example is the media coverage of science. Perhaps the misunderstanding is rooted in the public's fascination of science from the movies, such as Jurassic Park. Another possibility is what I call a “lost in translation” phenomenon. Scientists frequently use specialized terminology that is incomprehensible to those who are not familiar with their studies. The general public reads about their work through a reporter’s perspective, and we all end up not understanding each other. To overcome this, we need to communicate more often and fearlessly discuss important issues ranging from cloning and stem cell research to evolution. You need to know what science can and cannot do.
Similar to traveling to a foreign country, let’s not allow our lack of understanding their native language prevent us from visiting! I will be writing a series of blogs covering various aspects of science. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and insights!
Shu
Shu Hamamichi is a 5th year PhD student at The University of Alabama and is serving as APR's science advisor for the DNA Files series.
