Category: Genetics
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Two DNA Profiles, One Body: The Fascinating Science of Chimerism
October, 1953. Northern England. 33-year-old Mrs. McK (a pseudonym) visited a nearby blood clinic with her husband to donate blood for the first time. After donating, they both finished some little work and returned home. By then, the blood donated at the clinic had reached the laboratory for screening tests. As soon as the lab…
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Chimpanzees and Us: How Genetic Evidence Reveals Shared Ancestry
We share common ancestry with chimpanzees. And the shared ancestry becomes not only obvious in the anatomy but also in the DNA level. Today, let’s set out on a journey to explore the connection with our closest relatives. In our search for proof of an ancestral link with our fellow cousins, the chimpanzees, let’s methodically…
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Is there a gene for the “promiscuous” host range in symbiosis?
Root nodule symbiosis is a mutually beneficial relationship between legume plants and nitrogen-fixing bacteria called rhizobia. In this process, the legume plant provides the rhizobia with a place to live and access to energy in the form of sugars, while the rhizobia fix nitrogen from the air and convert it into a form that the…