We each have a complete human genome “on the outside.” But
on the inside we have a separate genome for the very primitive, if not primordial, single cells that dwell in our cells: the mitochondria. We could call them our “mommychondria” because, unlike our outer genome -- half from Mom and half from Dad -- the mitochondria are inherited solely from our
mothers. It seems the mitochondrial bathing suits on the sperm are stripped away and left at
the ovum door. The mitochondria affect vital functions like assisting cells in converting
nutrients to energy and, more strategically, facilitating the body in overall
health, disease prevention, and longevity.
THE MONKEY TRIAL JURY ROOM: A place to deliberate the 1925 Scopes trial that's reimagined in The Hot Monkey Love Trial (Nov. 2016, now available on Amazon), a novel by Lawrence Townsend, and a place for an off-the-record discussion about tampering with genes, especially human genes, and whatever else makes the real world of biotech seem fictional.
Sunday, March 20, 2016
We Each Have A Separate, Primitive, Inner Mitochondrial Genome
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