What is gene expression?
Research at the University of Bristol
In modern society, the ethics involving the use of genetic research are constantly hitting the headlines. Should human cloning be allowed? Should parents be able to choose the genetic make up of their children? Should genetic diseases be screened for and eliminated? Everyone has their own opinion on these complicated issues. The same biological process underlies all of these questions?? the process of gene expression.
What is gene expression?
Every living thing contains DNA. Exactly the same building blocks make up the DNA inside each organism. DNA itself is a rather boring molecule; it doesn??t do anything on its own, it is simply a recipe for life, and the same recipe can be found in every cell in your body.
The DNA in each cell is arranged into regions called genes. Put simply, a gene is the recipe for a cell to make a protein. Proteins carry out the daily work of a cell, and current estimates suggest that in humans, there are between 30 000 and 40 000 genes, suggesting a similar number of different proteins.
When a cell requires a specific protein, the DNA recipe is read and the protein is made. Gene expression is the switching on and off of genes so that proteins can and cannot be made, according to the needs of the cell. The only important factor is that the correct genes are switched on and off at the correct times so that the cell can survive as its surroundings change.
Why study gene expression?
During the development of many diseases such as cancer and diabetes, the pattern of gene expression within certain cells changes. A vital part of understanding these diseases will come from understanding how and why these changes in gene expression occur and the effects that these changes have on the person. Researchers at the University of Bristol are investigating these processes
So what is a genome?
The entire sequence of DNA in one living thing is called its genome. Recently the human genome was sequenced, meaning that the whole sequence has been read. This will help scientists working in different fields; evolution, development, genetic disease, and many others.
Submitted by: Kenny Webster, 14 May 2003
