Date: Mon, 11 Dec 1995 23:10:25 -0800 (PST) From: Rich Graves <llurch@networking.stanford.edu> To: Scott Binkley <SBinkley@atitech.ca> Cc: High Society List <cypherpunks@toad.com> Subject: Re: EXON
On 11 Dec 1995, Scott Binkley wrote:
Could someone please explain to me what this "EXON" thing is??
A nucleic acid chain (RNA or DNA) is composed of exons, which are "active" sequences of nucleotides that are expressed as polypeptides, and "introns," what is known as "junk DNA." Only about 2% of the 6 billion or so base pairs that make up the human genome are exons.
(There is some controversy in molecular biology circles as to whether "junk DNA" is really "junk" just because it doesn't build proteins. It could perform a regulatory or "frame-check" function.)
Actually, I think that once the matter is further studied, scientists will discover that the "junk DNA" is not junk, but inactive DNA, waiting for a "trigger".