Mapping and Sequencing the Human Genome


Book Description

There is growing enthusiasm in the scientific community about the prospect of mapping and sequencing the human genome, a monumental project that will have far-reaching consequences for medicine, biology, technology, and other fields. But how will such an effort be organized and funded? How will we develop the new technologies that are needed? What new legal, social, and ethical questions will be raised? Mapping and Sequencing the Human Genome is a blueprint for this proposed project. The authors offer a highly readable explanation of the technical aspects of genetic mapping and sequencing, and they recommend specific interim and long-range research goals, organizational strategies, and funding levels. They also outline some of the legal and social questions that might arise and urge their early consideration by policymakers.




Genetic Breakdown


Book Description

We all get sick from time to time and have to go to the doctor. The doctor prescribes medication, we go home and take the medication with trust in their judgment that first we were diagnosed properly and secondly that the medication will work without causing serious bodily harm or even death. In 1999 a pharmaceutical company took on a common problem that affects one in three Americans; arthritis. There are over one hundred different types of arthritis but nevertheless it can be a very painful, debilitating disease and in some cases it can case death. Many were treating the problem with aspirin but they could not tolerate it because it caused gastrointestinal bleeding. After clinical trials the pharmaceutical company discovered that this new drug not only caused sudden cardiac arrest but it also caused a host of other medical problems. The manufacturer decided to market the drug anyway and thousands of Americans died or were injured but sadly enough many don’t know why. This book answers that question and many more. Many people suffer from arthritis which causes an inflammatory response and pain in the joints. There are three common types of arthritis; rheumatoid, osteoarthritis and infectious arthritis although there are over one hundred different known categories. There is no cure for arthritis. This disease attacks the joints and causes pain and stiffness. The difference between Osteo and Rheumatoid is that the latter will not only destroy the joints but it will also affect the vocal cords causing hoarseness. When the disease is finished running its course by systemically destroying the joints and surrounding muscle, it will destroy organs and tissue as well. Osteoarthritis is limited to joint destruction. It will break down cartilage primarily affecting the hands feet and spine. Most people suffering with infectious arthritis already have an existing joint problem that has exacerbated into infectious arthritis. You’ve heard the expression, no pain, no gain. You don’t have to have arthritis to reach for an aspirin. Just the pain from working out in the gym or a hard day at the job may require an aspirin. Usually it begins with minor joint pain that is treated with aspirin. When we have a minor ache or pain we take an aspirin. When we have a headache we take an aspirin. You can go anywhere in the world and this is one pharmaceutical that has gained worldwide recognition and deservedly so. The chemical name for Aspirin is acetylsalicylic acid and has been used for years as an analgesic which means it will relieve minor aches and pains. It will also reduce fever and inflammation. Aspirin has been the wonder drug and the answer to pain, fever and inflammation for years. As we already know, the human body is very complex. After we ingest anything it goes directly to the stomach which is considered a hollow organ. This organ contains gastric juices or enzymes which are prepared to digest and break down food, liquids or medicine so that the human body can receive a benefit. There are digestive enzymes present that break down whatever is in that stomach environment and changes it from large molecules into smaller ones so that they can move on into the smaller intestine. Once there, they can be absorbed by the human body. In order for this to be achieved, the stomach environment contains up to three liters of gastric juices. Gastric juice is a hormone that comes from gastrin. After it is broken down the molecules are called peptides or chemical bonds and then it is released directly into the bloodstream. Think of the body as a computer. It will detect that there are peptides in the stomach. However if the body detects that there are too many peptides then the human computer will continue to send gastric juice and will not turn off until it feels that everything has been broken down. The result is gastrointestinal bleeding. Aspirin is in the class of nonsteroidal drugs. The name Aspirin was first used by the German compa







What's in Your Genes?


Book Description

Get the low-down on genetics with easy-to-understand terms and clear explanations. From interpreting dominant and recessive genes to learning about mutations, this book shows the different factors that can determine a person's DNA.




Assessing Genetic Risks


Book Description

Raising hopes for disease treatment and prevention, but also the specter of discrimination and "designer genes," genetic testing is potentially one of the most socially explosive developments of our time. This book presents a current assessment of this rapidly evolving field, offering principles for actions and research and recommendations on key issues in genetic testing and screening. Advantages of early genetic knowledge are balanced with issues associated with such knowledge: availability of treatment, privacy and discrimination, personal decision-making, public health objectives, cost, and more. Among the important issues covered: Quality control in genetic testing. Appropriate roles for public agencies, private health practitioners, and laboratories. Value-neutral education and counseling for persons considering testing. Use of test results in insurance, employment, and other settings.




An Introduction to Genetic Algorithms


Book Description

Genetic algorithms have been used in science and engineering as adaptive algorithms for solving practical problems and as computational models of natural evolutionary systems. This brief, accessible introduction describes some of the most interesting research in the field and also enables readers to implement and experiment with genetic algorithms on their own. It focuses in depth on a small set of important and interesting topics—particularly in machine learning, scientific modeling, and artificial life—and reviews a broad span of research, including the work of Mitchell and her colleagues. The descriptions of applications and modeling projects stretch beyond the strict boundaries of computer science to include dynamical systems theory, game theory, molecular biology, ecology, evolutionary biology, and population genetics, underscoring the exciting "general purpose" nature of genetic algorithms as search methods that can be employed across disciplines. An Introduction to Genetic Algorithms is accessible to students and researchers in any scientific discipline. It includes many thought and computer exercises that build on and reinforce the reader's understanding of the text. The first chapter introduces genetic algorithms and their terminology and describes two provocative applications in detail. The second and third chapters look at the use of genetic algorithms in machine learning (computer programs, data analysis and prediction, neural networks) and in scientific models (interactions among learning, evolution, and culture; sexual selection; ecosystems; evolutionary activity). Several approaches to the theory of genetic algorithms are discussed in depth in the fourth chapter. The fifth chapter takes up implementation, and the last chapter poses some currently unanswered questions and surveys prospects for the future of evolutionary computation.




Gene Drives on the Horizon


Book Description

Research on gene drive systems is rapidly advancing. Many proposed applications of gene drive research aim to solve environmental and public health challenges, including the reduction of poverty and the burden of vector-borne diseases, such as malaria and dengue, which disproportionately impact low and middle income countries. However, due to their intrinsic qualities of rapid spread and irreversibility, gene drive systems raise many questions with respect to their safety relative to public and environmental health. Because gene drive systems are designed to alter the environments we share in ways that will be hard to anticipate and impossible to completely roll back, questions about the ethics surrounding use of this research are complex and will require very careful exploration. Gene Drives on the Horizon outlines the state of knowledge relative to the science, ethics, public engagement, and risk assessment as they pertain to research directions of gene drive systems and governance of the research process. This report offers principles for responsible practices of gene drive research and related applications for use by investigators, their institutions, the research funders, and regulators.




An Introduction to Genetic Engineering


Book Description

The author presents a basic introduction to the world of genetic engineering. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.




Genetic Analysis


Book Description

With its unique integration of genetics and molecular biology, this text probes fascinating questions that explore how our understanding of key genetic phenomena can be used to understand biological systems. Opening with a brief overview of key genetic principles, model organisms, and epigenetics, the book goes on to explore the use of gene mutations, the analysis of gene expression and activity, a discussion of the genetic structure of natural populations, and more.




Your Genes, Your Choices


Book Description

Program discusses the Human Genome Project, the science behind it, and the ethical, legal and social issues raised by the project.