GMOs, perinatal diagnostics, DNA decoding, cloning - a lot of technologies of the present and future are connected with this science. Classification of genes made it possible to study their functions and possibilities of change. So what is known about them today?
Genes
Each cell of any living organism contains all the information about it. In theory, this should be enough to be able to reproduce its exact copy. And all thanks to DNA, which is actually a genetic passport. With its samples, you can bring out the long-extinct species of animals and plants and stop the extinction of those who are at risk.
A gene is an elementary unit of hereditary material. They form in some larger parts, and those, in turn, make up DNA molecules. In fact, each piece of it is an element of code in the form of a sequence of nucleotides, in which all information about the body is encrypted. And the science that studies what this information is, what are the functions of individual units, what is the structural and functional classification of genes and other related issues, is relatively young, but has already managed to prove its necessity and show great potential.
The study
The fact that children inherit some features of their parents and more distant relatives has been known for a long time. However, for a long time it was absolutely unclear what the mechanism of transmitting information about the appearance, nature, diseases from parents to children, grandchildren and further descendants. At this stage, it is worth mentioning the famous Mendel, who formulated the laws of inheritance of certain signs, although he did not know how this happens.
A breakthrough in the study of genes has become a matter of time since the advent of microscopes. Nuclei were discovered in the cells, into which mankind was able to peek after dozens of years. The most interesting thing is that for a long time the discovery was literally under the nose of scientists, but they stubbornly did not notice it.
The fact is that DNA was first isolated in 1868. But until the beginning of the 20th century, many biologists were sure that this substance has the function of accumulating phosphorus reserves in the body, and does not play the role of a repository of complete encoded information about it. Around the middle of the century, some experiments were carried out, proving what exactly is the main purpose of DNA. But the mode of transmission and the structure of the substance remained unknown.
Genome decoding
Based on research by Maurice Wilkins and Rosalind Franklin in 1953, Francis Crick and James Watson suggested that DNA is a double helix. This hypothesis was later proved, for which scientists received the Nobel Prize.
Now, science has faced the task of deciphering the genetic year, which would answer many questions. And here, not only biologists, but also physicists and mathematicians entered into the matter. The coding method remained a mystery for a decade, it was only clear that it was triplet, that is, it included three nucleotide components. In 1965, the meaning of all units called codons finally became clear. The cipher was cracked.
However, this does not mean that there are no mysteries left for scientists. Research is still ongoing, but the classification and study of genes has provided more insight into the nature of certain diseases and their treatment. Now, people who donate blood can find out what illnesses they are at risk of, whether there is a high risk of inheriting certain health problems from their parents and passing them on to their children. This has contributed to serious progress in many areas of medicine.
Gene function
When the purpose of DNA became obvious, scientists were interested in the question of what meaning each unit of code has, for which it is responsible, what processes in the body it starts. And for several decades now, many researchers have been searching for answers. During all this time, it became clear, firstly, that the gene is not an indivisible unit of hereditary information, and secondly, that the conceptual apparatus of scientists is in great need of addition.
A few more terms were introduced that made it possible to more verbally reflect the processes that are observed in practice. But the gene functions still remained in a rather vague formulation - the synthesis of proteins and polypeptides. Each DNA segment is responsible for its specific substance, and in most cases it is difficult to say how this affects the body. Researchers still have to work hard to say that certain genes, for example, are responsible for eye color, good skin and some features in the work of the heart. Everything is complicated by some of the properties of DNA.
Classifications
Obviously, each unit of DNA performs some specific tasks, even if they are not yet known to mankind. Based on this premise, a modern structural and functional classification of genes has developed. It is used most often, but there are other, more highly specialized and taking into account some specific properties of certain DNA sections. By and large, this classification of genes is implied: structural and regulatory (functional). Each of these varieties, in turn, can be divided into groups. For example, modifiers, suppressors, inhibitors, etc. are distinguished among regulators.
Also used is the division of genes according to the criterion of influence on viability, implying lethal, semi-lethal and neutral units.
Principal differences
A little higher was considered the generally accepted classification of genes. The structural and functional parts of DNA, according to it, are opposed to each other, but in reality everything is completely wrong. They cannot work separately, and each of these groups is important in its own way.
Structural genes are responsible for the direct synthesis of basic proteins and amino acids. Regulators affect their work, control their on and off during the development of the body, and are also engaged in the creation of other excipients. By the nature of their effect on the structural part, they are divided into inhibitors, suppressors, intensifiers and modifiers. Their activity allows you to accelerate or slow down the development of certain signs.
The properties
Each DNA unit has a number of characteristic features that make it possible to encode all information about the body in a relatively small protein molecule:
- Discreteness. Each gene acts as an independent unit.
- Stability. If mutations are not present, certain parts of the DNA are passed on to future generations unchanged.
- Specificity. Each gene acts on the development of a particular trait.
- Dosage. A change in the amount of a gene in the body leads to abnormalities (for example, Down syndrome - an increase in the number of chromosomes).
- Pleiotropy. The ability of one gene to contribute to the development of several traits.
There is still a lot to learn. Yes, scientists have achieved a lot by reading DNA, understanding has improved even when a gene classification has been formed. The structural and regulatory parts working together, the awareness of the coding mechanism - the last century has become a real boom in the development of biology. But there is still much to learn.
Prospects for the Development of Science
Despite the fact that genetics is a relatively young science, it is now obvious that it has a great future. The treatment of diseases considered hopeless, the improvement of the properties of plants and animals, which allows the development of agriculture, restoration of biological diversity - all this is possible now. The main factor holding back further study, experimentation and implementation is ethics. The moral problems that humanity will face in learning to manage information encoded in DNA are not yet fully understood.