DARK MATTER

     There are many mysteries in the human biology of complex diseases. A challenging question is why an individual, that has an identical twin, who develops a chronic disease such as cancer however, the other remains perfectly healthy. Scientists have discovered indications to these mystifying questions lying within the human genome: DNA. This genome has close to four million gene switches that exist in bits of DNA that were previously discarded (like “junk”) however, these gene switches are vital in the control process of cells, organs, and how other tissues function. The discovery of the “junk” gene switches has opened a new door in the scientific community and the medical field towards identifying and treating these complex diseases. Another factor contributing to slight alterations in gene switches can be exposures to different environments (climate, living area, exposure of chemicals etc.) As scientists analyzed the “junk” divisions of the DNA, not actual genes containing instructions for proteins, they determined that this sector controls which genes are used in a cell and when they are used. A researcher for the project at Stanford University, Michael Snyder, stated “most of the changes that affect disease don’t lie in the genes themselves; they lie in the switches” (Snyder). This ultimately lies in the challenge to discover which changes, within the gene switches, drive cancer growth. 

* Information obtained at www.nytimes.com

* Pictures obtained at www.news.cincinnati.com & www.scientificamerican.com

Figure 3.1

Figure 3.2