The novel Determined by Robert Sapolsky tells about how some genes Cheat!
Why they do that is because there are some organelles which were having a serious and possibly original and independent past!
Mitochondria and chloroplasts are the primary cell organelles believed to have once been free-living bacteria! So while the animal cell has taken them and formed then a part of their cellular structure; they have not forgotten their ‘origins’ or ‘ROOTS’! They still keep their ‘original’ codes alive by ‘Cheating’!
These genes which do the cheating are the Transposons or the JUMPING Genes!
Transposons “cheat” the DNA replication process by exploiting the host cell’s own replication machinery to increase their copy number without needing to undergo their own independent, energy-intensive replication process.
They achieve this through several “cut-and-paste” or “copy-and-paste” mechanisms that increase their presence in the genome during S-phase.
The S-Phase “Cut-and-Paste” Cheat is used by most Class II DNA transposons and they time this movement to coincide with S-phase to gain an extra copy.
Then you have the Replicative Transposition in which some transposons, like the bacterial Tn3 family, do not cut themselves out entirely but perform a “replicative integration,” where only one strand is processed, joining the donor DNA and target DNA to form a cointegrat!
Then you have the alternative Transposition, Replicating via “Rolling Circle” and finally Using Host Repair Tools!
In many ways these Transposons make sure that some genetic material is SAVED or TRANSFERRED to the next generation at the cost of the host! All these so that the final cell does not forget its ROOTS! And that is at the cellular level! Imagine then the fight for ROOTs at the human level!
Then again watching the movie Michael; I was pretty amazed at how the JUMPING and SINGING gene of MJ has been TRANSFERRED to JAAFAR! An inspiring movie of a pop icon whose posters were the only ones I ALLOWED to be put up on MY ROOM walls!
Am still moonwalking in my head!
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