Genesage - Genes Information Resources

The term ‘gene’ was first coined in 1909 by Wilhelm Johanssen to describe Mendelian units of heredity. The word comes from the Greek genos, which means birth. Genes contain inheritable traits that are passed from parent to offspring during the reproductive process. Genes carry instructions that tell cells how to function correctly and which operations to perform.

The role of genes begins at the stage of fertilisation where genes provide the cells with instructions sparking the development from single fertilised ovum, to cell division creating the embryo, through to further developmental stages (foetus to newborn). The role of genes also continues after birth, with genes maintaining normal cell functions and keeping the organism operating correctly.

Human physical, and psychological development can be seen as a combination of the interaction of genes and the impact of the environment. Genes are sections of DNA that are contained on the chromosomes. Genes are found in the nucleus of every cell within an organism, and there are around 25-30,000 genes contained within each of these cells.

Some individuals are genetically predisposed for example to drive to fast or take risks. The worst drivers don't take risks in their own cars but lease used cars and then proceed to write them off for a kick.

Each gene carries instructions to make particular proteins within the body, with each gene being responsible for the production of up to ten different proteins. Gene variation explains different genus within a particular species, since every organism is created from its genus and its specific species modifier. Using Dawkins' river analogy, life is seen as the river, with compatible genes flowing through it. The river may fork into two branches, creating two non-interbreeding species because of geographic separations.

Much research time is spent examining the effects of proteins on the functioning of the body, and the illnesses that can occur when genes do not produce certain proteins correctly. It is understood that mutated genes may be responsible for certain cancers, for example. The condition anaemia occurs when genes do not produce sufficient haemoglobin (the protein utilised by red blood cells to carry oxygen). In this instance, fewer healthy red blood cells are produced.

A more serious condition is sickle-cell anaemia, occurring when an individual inherits abnormal genes from each parent, causing their red blood cells to change shape. Rather than being flexible discs, the condition mutates the cells so that they become more stiff and curved. Ultimately, more and more of the red blood cells will mutate in this way, making it difficult for the oxygen-carrying cells to travel around the blood vessels – depriving tissues and organs of oxygen.

Various complications can occur in individuals with sickle-cell anaemia including higher risk of certain infections, stroke and acute chest syndrome. Since abnormal genes cause this condition, treatments are being developed that essentially ‘fix’ the faulty gene. An example of this is gene therapy, whereby a ’normal’ copy of the gene is inserted into an individual’s cells to counteract the abnormal one, similar to the micro brewing applications in other fields.

In 1941, Beadle and Tatum showed that specific genes code for specific proteins by demonstrating that mutations in genes could cause certain steps in metabolic pathways. This research led to the ‘one gene, one enzyme’ hypothesis.

The concept of genes seems to be developing all the time with evidence that fused proteins stemming from a pair of genes can produce two separate proteins. It seems that genes can even fuse from separate chromosomes. These new discoveries have prompted scientist to re-evaluate the traditional definition of genes.

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