Comment # of genes not so important. (Score 1) 504
The article mentions a number of reasons why the # of genes that humans have really isn't a good measure of complexity. I think the easist to understand is the fact that one gene can code multiple proteins (molecular machines that do the work in your body).
The gene therapy link is irrelevant. Gene therapy causing cancer has very little to do with the # of genes in the genome. The problem is the mechanism being used to deliver fixed genes to human could cause cancer. Imagine someone sent you a patch for your code, but instead of injecting inserting it into the right place, it got inserted randomly -- obviously this could ause your program to crash. Well, that's what gene therapy was doing, sort-of. And instead of crashing, you got cancer.
The gene therapy link is irrelevant. Gene therapy causing cancer has very little to do with the # of genes in the genome. The problem is the mechanism being used to deliver fixed genes to human could cause cancer. Imagine someone sent you a patch for your code, but instead of injecting inserting it into the right place, it got inserted randomly -- obviously this could ause your program to crash. Well, that's what gene therapy was doing, sort-of. And instead of crashing, you got cancer.
