Category Archives: Science
My Favorite Enzyme Part 3 (Final)
OK readers, here we go. Now that you have the basics, let’s get back to the hero of this series, my favorite enzyme, Aminoacyl tRNA Synthetase (usually referred to as aaRS, not Syzase). Remember that the task of the enzyme … Continue reading
My Favorite Enzyme, Part 2
My favorite enzyme (see previous post about enzymes in general, and why I have a favorite) has a very specific job, as all enzymes do. But my enzyme, Aminoacyl tRNA Synthetase (or Syase for convenience) has a job that is … Continue reading
Replication (Part 2)
In a recent post I said that the replication of cells is required for evolution and the origin of modern life as we know it. While it’s true that the daughter cells of a parent dividing cell end up containing … Continue reading
How to Be a Molecular Biologist
It’s easy. All you need to know about molecular biology is that it’s all about DNA. And you don’t need to know what that stands for, or anything else about DNA except this. It’s a really long molecule, like a … Continue reading
Replication (Part 1)
In the transition from chemistry to biology, many new features had to emerge from an increasingly complex chemical system. Examples include some form of membranous enclosure to allow for appropriate concentration of reactants, thus defining the borders of a living … Continue reading
Did a “Massive Genetic Study Reveal 90 Percent Of Earth’s Animals Appeared At The Same Time”? No, it didn’t.
The declaration in quotes is the title of an article in Tech Times reporting on a paper published in Human Evolution by Stoeckle and Thaler with the title Why should mitochondria define species? Not surprisingly, young earth creationists and others are … Continue reading
Darwin’s Visit
The dentist did his best with my root canal, and I went home, took some pain killers, and fell asleep. I woke up still feeling drowsy, so I went out into the backyard for some fresh air. Sitting at the … Continue reading
Intrinsic Biochemical Intelligence
Another rather interesting trait of slime molds and related organisms is that they are capable of rather impressive feats traditionally thought to be limited to “higher” animals. These include behaviors like problem-solving skills and the ability to learn. Amazingly, they … Continue reading
Darmarckian Evolution
When I first heard about epigenetics, I hated it. I still do, in fact, but I am slowly beginning to accept the fact that epigenetics is a fact. And it’s a terrible fact, like all facts that force one to … Continue reading
How Evolution Works
I have been asked many times to explain how so called “macro-evolution” works. There are of course many excellent books and articles online and off that cover this, but I thought it might be a good idea to have a … Continue reading
