"The Search for Genes Leads to Unexpected Places"

Key Purpose: The purpose of this article is to show the discoveries that have been made that will eventually be able to save peoples lives.

Key Ideas:

• Dr. Edward Marcotte was trying to create a drug that would be able to reduce and destroy tumors
  
• Marcotte would do this by finding genes that would inhibit the growth of blood vessels that could spread the tumor cells
• Marcotte was able to find the genes that he needed in yeast: the genes are used to repair cell walls in the fungi
  
• In finding that the gene was in yeast, a organism that doesn't even create blood or blood vessels, he discovered that humans have similar genes as yeast but they are organized in a different way. Therefore those genes will have different functions
• This discovery gives some evidence of a common ancestor
• Deep homology: humans have similar traits with thousands of organisms but have evolved and adapted differently over billions of years
• With further research, Marcotte found that we have deep homology with millions of organisms on Earth, even plants

Key Conclusion:
After reading this article, I am really fascinated how a simple discovery could be responsible for thousands, maybe millions of more discoveries. Because we now know that genes that could cure or restrict dangerous health disease are in organisms that we can obtain, I think that in the next couple years, many of the diseases we have today will be cured. This discovery is not just restricted to helping people who are sick. I think this will be able to help all types of people with mental disabilities as well. If we can restrict cells or create cells that can stop mutations that are harmful in the womb, many people will be able to live a better life. I hope that research is put into this subject because of the expansive problems that could be solved because of it.

"The Search for Genes Leads to Unexpected Places - NYTimes.com." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 26 Apr. 2010. Web. 27 Apr. 2010. .

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"Highly Virulent Strain of Killer Fungus Found in Oregon"

Key Purpose: The purpose of the article is to show the new and potentially dangerous virus

Key Ideas:

• A deadly virus has been discovered and is a threat because it can spread to other parts of the world
• Cryptococcus Gattii is the pathogen responsible for the virus and kills 25% of those infected
• The virus travels through airborne spores: this is dangerous because it can easily spread
• The virus is most dangerous when exposed to someone with a weakened immune system, someone with HIV or AIDS
• When the spores are inhaled, they are lodged in the lungs and in the respiratory system
• Symptoms are chest pain, coughing, and trouble breathing
• C. Gattii is a fungus associated with bird poop
• All people are able to contract this virus
• The virus is not contagious from human to human contract but a mutation might cause this to become a problem
• Scientists are monitoring the fungus and trying to keep it contained

Key Conclusion:

This article that discussed a very specific virus can be adapted to fit all types of viruses. Any virus no matter small can become very dangerous through mutations. If a mutation were to happen with this virus and cause it to increase the ferocity of the virus and would also make it easier transmit to other people, the virus would be even more dangerous than the avian flu. Right now most of the information about this virus is unknown, but I think that this virus may become more serious in the future. After several years I think that this virus will become deadly and affect many peoples lives.

Fraudsters, Stung By. "'Highly Virulent' Strain of Killer Fungus Found in Oregon - AOL News." Top News and Analysis From AOL News. Web. 27 Apr. 2010. .

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"Some Weeds, Bugs Grew Resistant to Genetically Engineered Crops"

Key Purpose: The purpose of the article is to show the readers how insects and different weeds are changing due to genetically modified crops.

Key Ideas:

• Different types of weeds have become resistant to herbicides that are distributed to different plants
• Different types of insects have also become resistant to crops that create their own pesticides
• Crops are genetically engineered to resist the herbicide: glyphosate. This allows the weeds to be eradicated without damaging the crops
• A resistance in weeds and insects that have been exposed to the herbicide and pesticide.
• Both the weeds and insects have developed the resistance through evolution: the insects and plants that could survive the herbicides and pesticides lived and passed this trait down through their offspring.
• All of this will save farmers money; farmers will not have to till fields and crops will be healthier without the use of pesticides

Key Conclusion:

A person could react to this article and genetically modified crops in several ways. I see a very large down side, and some very big benefits from this process. The biggest up side to genetically modified foods is that it saves farmers and the people money. Because the farmers do not have to till the fields and buy pesticides, farmers are able to produce more crops. These crops also live longer because of they are genetically modified. But, genetically modified foods do not also just save money, they can be healthier for the people. Because of the lack of pesticides now used, the crops do not contain as many chemicals. While there are several benefits to genetically modified foods, there are some down sides. Possibly the biggest is the fact that it isn't 100% real food. Because the food is modified, many people believe that the food is not safe to eat. Another downside is that we are not certain what can happen with genetically modified foods, if there is a mutation or sudden change in the environment. All of these problems and benefits are needed to be taken into account, but I believe that this is a good thing that can help many people. The problem that farmers have now about the resistances that are occurring in weeds and insects can be solved. There are methods for decreasing the evolutionary processes that are taking place. All in all, I believe that genetically modified foods will be good for the world, but there are some problems that need to be taken care of before we can perfect the production of the food.

"Some Weeds, Bugs Grew Resistant to Genetically Engineered Crops - USATODAY.com." News, Travel, Weather, Entertainment, Sports, Technology, U.S. & World - USATODAY.com. Web. 19 Apr. 2010. .

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"How Malaria Dupes Immune System"

Purpose: This article shows and explains how and why malaria is such a deadly virus.

Key Ideas:

• The insects that inject malaria "turn on" a gene in a humans body that creates proteins that will camouflage the infected cells that enter the body.
• If the body recognize these camouflage protein, the disease can make different kinds.
• Malaria kills about 2 million people each year.
• The disease is good for sneaking into the immune system.
• The disease also has many different forms of camouflage proteins that are dormant until they are needed.
• Because the disease can keep changing, so the immune system does not have time to counter the attack.
• Many scientists are trying to figure out the key for being able to see past the camouflage proteins

Key Conclusion: I think that this is very interesting and quite scary. It is interesting because it is fascinating how a virus can disguise itself with created proteins, but on the other hand, it is scary because of the deadly effect of the disease's abilities. If any other virus were to mutate and be able to have the same attributes as malaria, it would become so much more deadly. Also, this may be something that will be able to help in the medical world. With the problems of autoimmunity diseases, many patients may be able to disguise transplanted cells that would normally be destroyed by the immune system. For example, scientists could insert insulin producing cells in a person with diabetes, and because it is disguised by proteins, diabetes could be cured. All in all, I thought that this article was: scary, interesting, and something that could help many people.

"BBC NEWS | Health | How Malaria Dupes Immune System." BBC NEWS | News Front Page. Web. 19 Apr. 2010. .

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"Fungus Feasted Off the World's Worst Extinction"

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to show that there is more than one theory about the KT extinction and also that the asteriod was not the only factor that contributed to the mass extinction.

Key Ideas:

• A fungus spread across the world that consumed many dead trees and plants that were an outcome of the asteroid impact.
• The fungus was able to spread because of the single contient: Pangea.
• Carbon isotopes inside the fossil of this organism showed that it ate wood, therefore scientists found that it was a fungus.
• If scientists can find the type of fungus, they will be able to find what the environment was during the Permian - Triassic Period
• Because of the harsh conditions from volcanoes and acid rain created from the asteroid, thousands of animals couldn't survive, but the fungus could.

Key Conclusion:

This article teaches a key lesson in any field of science. Anything can be proven wrong. As time goes on and new technologies are invented which allows for new discoveries. Because of these discoveries; hypothesis, theories, etc. can all be proven wrong with the new information that we gather. In this case, because of new technologies to examine fossils, scientists have found a key part of the KT-extinction. With even more reasearch I am sure that there will be new information about the extinction and we will know so much more. People have had misconceptions about the asteroid and how the dinosaurs died, many people believe that the asteroid was responsible for killing the dinosaurs directly, but the theory is that the asteroid caused an environmental collapse that ultimately killed the dinosaurs. With this new discovery the main theory could be wrong, and that is why I think that no theory is final and new evidence may arise to disprove it.

"Discovery Channel :: Interstitial." Discovery Channel : Science, History, Space, Tech, Sharks, News. Web. 12 Apr. 2010. .

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