2021年11月21日日曜日

The difference between humans and chimpanzees was in "junk DNA"!

Techable

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A research team at Lund University in Sweden has announced that it has discovered "non-coding DNA (= junk DNA)" that may indicate the difference between humans and chimpanzees.
Starting experiments with stem cells From a biological point of view, chimpanzees are the closest to us humans. Studies conducted around the world suggest that humans and chimpanzees come from a common ancestor. However, about 5 to 6 million years ago, our evolutionary path separated, leading to today's chimpanzees and humanity in the 21st century, Homo sapiens.

In a new study at Lund University, he discovered the DNA that caused humans and chimpanzees to evolve separately. Instead of studying living humans and chimpanzees, their research method is to use laboratory-grown stem cells. Stem cells reprogrammed from skin cells by partners in Germany, the United States and Japan were grown into brain cells and investigated.
The key to overlooked junk DNA The research team used these stem cells to culture human and chimpanzee brain cells and compare these two cell types. They found that humans and chimpanzees used parts of their DNA in different ways, and concluded that this would have played a major role in the development of their brains.

"The'decisive DNA'we discovered was unexpected and was also called junk DNA. It's something that has long been considered non-functional," he said. Is Professor Johan Jakobsson, who leads the research team at the university. In other words, the difference between humans and chimpanzees lies in the "junk DNA," which has been thought to have no particular function, although it occupies most of our DNA.

"This suggests that the basis of the evolution of the human brain is probably a much more complex genetic mechanism than previously thought. Important to brain development has been overlooked. It could be hidden in about 98% of the space, which is a surprising discovery, "he commented.

What makes us human? The answer may be found in overlooked DNA

(Sentence / Takeuchi) 

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