[ExI] Your Genome Is a Post-Apocalyptic Wasteland

[BillK]

October 1, 2013 • By Michael White •
Contrary to what you may have heard, your genome is not a highly
sophisticated, finely tuned data storage and processing device. It’s a
post-apocalyptic wasteland. Your 25,000 genes reside in a genetic
landscape littered with the rubble of ancient and ongoing battles with
hordes of viruses, clone armies of genetic parasites, and zombie genes
that should be dead but aren’t.

<http://www.psmag.com/science/genome-post-apocalyptic-wasteland-67139/>

The idea that your genome is an ecosystem populated with species that
pursue their own self-interest may make you wonder: Who am I, really?
Unlike the parasites that you pick up when you drink the water in a
place where you shouldn’t, transposable elements and endogenous
viruses aren’t really foreign invaders; they *are* your DNA, and they
have been part of our genetic identity for longer than we have existed
as a species. They are among the raw materials from which our genes
have been assembled, and a clear demonstration that our genetic core
is a product of evolution. Like our social identities, our genetic
identities are the result of competition, conflict, cooperation, and
accommodation. Learning how our genome’s ecosystem works is a key part
of our efforts to understand the relationship between our DNA and our
health.



BillK