Genes have no answer to everything

2002/05/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Genetika

Recently, the findings of an ongoing investigation into the differences between chimpanzee and man have been published. It seems that the differences between the human being and the chimpanzee, which is his next relative, have to do more with its expression than with the genes.

The difference between man and chimpanzee genomes is only 1.3%, but, obviously, they are quite different species, both in their appearance and in their behavior. So what is at the basis of this difference?

It seems that the key is in the expression of brain genes: despite the similarities between the chimpanzee and the blood cells and the liver of the human being, it has been observed that if one resorts to the brain no species resembles the other. The brain activity of each species is very different.

It seems to be very important when and how genes are expressed, and researchers believe that from there differences between mammal species can be explained.