[ironmunya (OP)]

Munyaradzi Tobaiwa  asked the Naked Scientists:
   
Hey Chris

I like newbielink:http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/ [nonactive], its really fun listening from second life live, although its always 1AM here in Perth.

Anyway, I was wondering, how did cells develop to become highly compartmentalized. Its really fascinating I think.

Another thing, should we be worried about Mitochondria and their DNA? If its foreign, it has a different objective than all the other trillions of cells working in our bodies.

Using current technology, are we able to predict what sort of genetic diseases could arise, lets say in millions of years if Mitochondrial DNA runs a mock, given we don't get hit by an asteroid by then.

Cheers

What do you think?

[SteveFish]

I wouldn't worry too much about foreign mitochondrial genes causing mischief. Mitochondria have been a part of eukaryotes (nucleated cells) for so long that most of the structural gene functions have been transferred to the nucleus. The only remaining "foreign" genes code for energy production machinery. All of this has been well dissected.

If you are interested in the process by which, possibly, parasitic organisms become partners (symbiotes) by the process of endosymbiosis, use this term to search for articles and non-technical books. Pay particular attention to the work of Lynn Margules.

[ironmunya (OP)]

was going through a lecture on "Causes of evolution", and there was no mention of transposable elements and their role in evolution. From my understanding, when they copy, they cause genes surrounding them to alter their activity, maybe beneficial, maybe not. How signicant a driver of genetic diversity is this method of gene alteration. Its weird as well, if one thinks some of these transposable elements are viral in origin, creepy, tweaked by viruses!