Mouse genome has scientists wondering

Mouse genome has scientists wondering what it takes to
distinguish a man from a mouse, according to reports in Nature Science Update
(www.nature.com/nsu/mouse) and Nature vol 420, p509ff, 5 Dec 2002. When
comparing the mouse and human genomes, Genomics researcher Bob Waterston of
Washington University St Louis, commented: "The first thing is how similar
they are. The second is how different." It seems that mice have a similar
number of protein making genes to people, (between 27,000 and 30,500) and only
300 seem to be unique to each organism. But "it's not what you've got
that matters, it's what you do with it", according to John Whitfield of
Nature News Service.

Over the last few years biologists have come to understand
that building a body from a single cell into a mouse or a man depends as much on
what genes are switched on and when, as on the types of proteins made by their
genes. Japanese scientists have been working on the mouse
"transcriptome". This is a description of which genes have their DNA
information transcribed (copied) into RNA, which is the first step in using
genetic information stored on DNA. To their great surprise they found about one
third of the transcribed regions of DNA did not code for protein making genes.
Such genes and RNA molecules seem to have another function and probably regulate
other parts of the genome. Similarities up to 99% between mice and men were
quoted in articles about the mouse genome, which is in the same range as the
supposed similarity between apes and humans - made so much of when the human
genome was first "unveiled".

John's comment: The similarities in protein making genes
shared by mice and mankind explains why mice make such good animal models for
studying many human biological processes and diseases. Many differences between
the mouse and human body comes from the way in which genes are controlled. This
is no surprise to creationists. An intelligent designer can build two very
different structures using similar materials. The difference lies in the
instructions about where and when to use them. We said this when the human
genome sequence came out last year and we again predict this will become more
obvious as other mammal genomes are sequenced and control genes identified. In
case you are wondering, the chimpanzee genome is being sequenced, but biological
and medical scientists are more interested in the genomes of animals such as the
cow and the dog - for financial reasons. Genome sequencing is a long, expensive
business and priority is given to creatures useful in agriculture, scientific or
medical research.  Chimps aren't - which means the 98.4% similarity line
was just that - a good line - but not the truth! Don't be surprised that no-one
currently seems to want to re-ask the question "what is the actual
percentage difference between the human and chimp genomes (and others)",
now that the importance of the control process is understood.

Canada field trip finds fabulous lingula fossils as
Martin Legemaate takes the lead on this year's Georgian Bay Trip. Lingula shells
are in the brachiopod family which presently live "vertically" on/in
the sea floor mud. The Lingula fossils were found at all angles in the mudstone
layers (strata), and were found mixed in with deep water crinoid fossils.

John's comment: Lingula shells are today found in the
shallow water off the coast of Australia and other pacific countries. They are
one more living fossil which shows no evidence of evolving, even though the rock
they were found in was supposedly over 400 million years of age.  The
presence of mixed shallow and deep sea fossils, plus Lingulas "at all
angles" indicates yet another catastrophic dump deposit.

Creepy crawlies "run the world", according to
leading British scientists as reported by BBC online news (news.bbc.co.uk) 14
Oct 2002. At a briefing for journalists on biodiversity Lord May, President of
the Royal Society and Prof. John Lawton of the Natural Environment Research
council pleaded for more research into the numerous tiny creatures that make
soil work and recycle nutrients for other, more glamorous living creatures.
"If I had my time again", said Prof Lawton, "I'd look at
nematodes, soil micro-organisms and creepy crawlies." Lord May went on to
say, "Arguably, it's the little things that run the world, things like soil
microbes."

John's comment: The interaction of large "high
profile" creatures and tiny "creepy crawlies" is excellent
evidence that whole ecosystems as well as individual living things were
created.  You may be able to have a planet without an atmosphere which
supports life, but you can't have a life without a complex
planet-atmosphere-life interactive dependency system already in place. Don't
take our word for it - try and make one.

Bird finger development doesn't fit dinosaurs, according to
Science, vol 297, p1611, 6 Sep 2002. All vertebrate limbs start in embryonic
life with five potential fingers but some develop more than others to form the
mature "hand". Two recent studies of bird development by European
scientists found that birds have three bony fingers formed from the 2nd, 3rd and
4th potential fingers, usually written as "digits II, III IV". Gilbert
Chin of Science magazine comments: "These findings have implications for
the evolutionary relationship between birds and theropod dinosaurs which display
a I, II, III digit identity."

John's comment: The "implications for evolutionary
theory" are that the idea that dinosaurs grew feathers and turned into
birds is one digit short of the right evidence and is proof of yet another
missing link. Such differing digits are no problem for Biblical creation, which
states birds were created separately from other creatures.

Aids cases to total 42 million during 2003 with 5 million new
cases - 19 million of these are women, according to CNN November 26th who
sourced the United Nations

John's comment: The cure isn't medical - it's moral. It's
not what man can "do" - but what man can "don't"! It won't
change the fact that innocent people are being affected by being born to AIDS
carriers, or by blood transfusion, but they are not the cause! Sex habits
outside the Creator's guidelines (e.g. illicit sex or homosexuality) are moral
choices with a proven tragic medical result.

Web site: www.creationresearch.net