Source: http://www.mankatofreepress.com/news/state_national_news/scientists-look-to-genomes-to-uncover-mystery-of-bowhead-whale/article_cd2ddec8-b8ea-5d8e-9d92-1bbfbc2fe5a7.html
By: Deborah Netburn Los Angeles Times (TNS)
Summary: The bowhead whale is the longest living mammal on Earth, a lifespan up to 200 years, and scientist are trying to figure out how. This week, researchers at the University of Liverpool made the genome of bowhead wahle public in order to encourage other scientist to look for clues in its DNA. By looking at its genome, and comparing it with other species with shorter life spans, they may be able to identify some of the genetic pathways involved in its long life span. Magalhaes, the lead author in a study examining the whale's genome, has discovered some changes in the bowhead's genes related to cell cycle, DNA repair, cancer and aging. He believes these changes help the bowhead resist age-related diseases. The reaserches also noted that the whale has more than 1,000 times more cells than humans, but don't have an increase cancer risk, suggesting they have adaptations allowing them to suppress cancer more effectively than other animals.
Relevance: This article is relevant to the evolution unit. It is relevant because, the bowhead whale had to at one time split from the path of other whales. Natural selection most likley happened, and the whales able to live longer became the species they are today.
Cameron Kassm
How did scientists examine the whales genome, did they take a cell from the whale? Does that mean that scientists have sequenced the entire genome of the whale?
ReplyDeleteI am not sure how the genome was constructed, but it is mostly completed and available to the public
DeleteWhat sort of adaptations allow the whales to suppress cancer more effectively?
ReplyDeleteThe way they live so long is unknown, but it is clear the bowhead whale must have aging prevention mechanisms. In the context of cancer, bowhead whales must have anti-tumour mechanisms, because given their large size , their cells must have a massively lower chance of developing into cancer when compared to human cells.
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