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Delphi
Joined: 17 Mar 2001
Posts: 1571
Location: S. Bossier, Louisiana |
 Fri Aug 31, 2001 9:35 pm
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Lulu, THAT'S IT!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Whew, I was "sweatin out" the cut and pasty dealy but you got the article exactly....not that I'm not gonna try harder at learning and sharpening my computer skills...I love this darn machine, it has opened up a whole new world to me and I have made some really great friends through computer contacts/email...loving every minute of it! Yet, for some tasks on this, I balk and "freeze" up...like, wow, I think...what the hell is that dealy and how do I do that??? But I'll get there...Two years ago, I woulda never dreamed I'd a had a computer, be doing emails, chats, Have one and a half websites and have friends in foriegn countries even! Wow, this is great! Love, Joanne ^j^  |
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Lulu
Joined: 22 Dec 2000
Posts: 2501
Location: right here |
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Fri Aug 31, 2001 10:09 pm
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My pleasure Jo, don't sweat the little stuff though; life's too short for that you know |
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Delphi
Joined: 17 Mar 2001
Posts: 1571
Location: S. Bossier, Louisiana |
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Sun Sep 02, 2001 12:43 am
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http://www.chemtrailcentral.com/img/hunter.jpg I have a funny image to post about "Debunker Hunter"...me...not sure what I'm doing tho to get it in here..am tryin this. J. |
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Delphi
Joined: 17 Mar 2001
Posts: 1571
Location: S. Bossier, Louisiana |
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Sun Sep 02, 2001 12:44 am
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It works!! Got it up...check it out! Joanne |
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Lulu
Joined: 22 Dec 2000
Posts: 2501
Location: right here |
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Sun Sep 02, 2001 12:57 am
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Go Granny!!!
[Edited 1 times, lastly by Lulu on 09-01-2001] |
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3T3L1
Joined: 08 Mar 2001
Posts: 1344
Location: Lubbock, Texas |
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Tue Sep 04, 2001 12:21 am
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Hey, Delphi! I just got back from an excellent vacation. As I promised, here is a try at answering your question about the crop circles. I'm trying to make it less technical, but without blackboard-and-handwaving capabilities, this is going to be difficult.
As you know, RNA and DNA are very long molecules, made up of subunits called nucleotides. The nucleotides are designated by the letters ACGU for RNA and ACGT for DNA. Each nucleotide contains a five-carbon sugar called ribose. It is the riboses which are joined together, single file, to form the backbone of RNA and DNA.
The ribose is the blue pentagon-shaped structure. At the apex of the pentagon is the letter "O" which stands for oxygen. At each of the points of the pentagon is a carbon molecule. For convenience, each of the carbons in the ribose is numbered, proceeding clockwise from the oxygen molecule. The first carbon is called 1', the second is 2', the third is 3' and the fourth is 4'. You will notice that there is a vertical line attached to the 4' carbon. The top of the line is another carbon, which is designated the 5' carbon of ribose.
You will also see a yellow circle with the letter "P" and 4 "O"s in it. That's a phosphate group. When DNA or RNA is synthesized, an enzyme links the 3' carbon of the first ribose to the phosphate-5' carbon of a second ribose. Once that is done, the enzyme links the 3' carbon of the second ribose to the phosphate-5' carbon of a third ribose. And so on. That's called a 3'5' linkage. In order for the linkage to happen, there must be a hydroxyl (OH) group on the 3' carbon or the reaction won't go. This type of reaction happens in both DNA and in RNA.
Unlike DNA, RNA also has an OH group on its 2' carbon. So theoretically, the RNA linkage could go from the 2' carbon of the first ribose to the phosphate-5' carbon of a second ribose. That's what the guy in the Filer Files is talking about. He says
quote:
The central part of the Chilbolton pictogram shows that a DNA double helix as found on Earth, with 10 base pairs per turn, has been replaced on one side by a novel single-stranded helix with just 6 bases per turn. I had to work hard for several days, to discover that the single-stranded helix with 6 bases per turn refers to 2', 5'-linked RNA or DNA, as opposed to the normal 3', 5' variety. ...there is no other plausible way of constructing a 6-fold helix as indicated. (a) "Association of 2', 5' ligoribonucleotides," Nucleic Acids Research 1992, vol. 20, pp. 1685-1690. This paper shows that 2', 5'-linked RNA will form double helices, but prefers to remain single stranded.
All of this sounds quite plausible on a molecular level. Biologically, it may present a problem.
RNA makes a nifty molecule. (It got me a Ph.D., for instance!) However, it has its limitations. Unlike DNA, it isn't very long-lived. On earth, anyway, there are all sorts of extremely hardy enzymes whose sole purpose in life is breaking down RNA. That's not helpful if we're talking about the destruction of an individual's genetic information.
Classical 3'5' RNA is able to form a double helix, like DNA. The advantage of the double helix is that the cell has redundancy in its genetic information. If some of the bases get damaged in one strand, the cellular machinery can always go to the other strand to get the information and make the connection. However, according to the citation above, the 2'5' RNA apparently prefers to exist in a single-stranded condition. When only a single strand of genetic information is present and its information is damaged, the cell can either go on "as is" and risk something like cancer, or it can self-destruct. Going on "as is" is fine for single-stranded RNA entities like the AIDS virus. It's a good way to get mutations which can thwart the latest anti-AIDS drugs. Almost every mutated AIDS virus dies, but in the long run, if even one mutation is a successful one, it is worth the cost. But in a multicellular organism, you would either have a situation where numerous mutated cells were allowed to proliferate and possibly kill the organism, or where numerous mutated cells were continually undergoing programmed cell death. This doesn't seem particularly advantageous in a biological sense.
I could go on, but without the blackboard and handwaving option, I'd better quit. Bottom line: yes, aliens could have 2'5' RNA as their genetic material, but I would guess that if anything with 3'5' DNA popped up on their planet, they would be competed out of existence.
[Edited 11 times, lastly by 3T3L1 on 09-03-2001] |
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FLKook
Joined: 28 Apr 2001
Posts: 710
Location: East Central Florida |
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Tue Sep 04, 2001 12:30 am
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Hey 3T3: All you have to do is highlight the text and diagram with your browser and the background appears white. Ipso Facto yoru diagram appears. Not that I understand it, but it is in view if highlighted. |
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Delphi
Joined: 17 Mar 2001
Posts: 1571
Location: S. Bossier, Louisiana |
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Tue Sep 04, 2001 12:56 am
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Thanx 3T3, You are smart as a "whip"! I wish I'da studied more about those sorts of things, went into nursing but don't remember much anymore...haven't worked in awhile....tho, I used to hold the lantern for Florence Nightinggale!! You're the greatest...hope vacation was swell...storm comin here...gonna go off line for a bit. Love, Joanne ^j^ |
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3T3L1
Joined: 08 Mar 2001
Posts: 1344
Location: Lubbock, Texas |
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Tue Sep 04, 2001 1:51 am
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Thanks for the advice FLKook! I never thought of highlighting! It took a while, but I eventually found a picture which labeled the 2' 3' and 5' locations, so I decided I'd go with that one. |
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Swedishoo
Joined: 09 Aug 2000
Posts: 429
Location: NC |
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Tue Sep 04, 2001 3:47 am
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Amber, nice post...made me feel as if I was there myself. Thanks for sharing that.
Can you go into more detail about the quartz on the ground. thanks.
Christy |
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Catnip57
Joined: 22 Apr 2001
Posts: 596
Location: Central Washington |
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Tue Sep 04, 2001 8:50 pm
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Amber... I'm wondering about the quartz thing too. Is this something that is normally found in crop circles do you know? Or is this a peculiarity only found in this particular one?
3T3.. thanks for the explaination sounds interesting. I'm glad there are people in the world that have knowledge about these things. I'm afraid I wouldn't be much help. |
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