Written
and compiled by: Louise Jan M. Lopez (Replichore)
(Photo courtesy of: www.tpr.org) |
In the field of Genetics, there have been countless discoveries that expanded our understanding of all life forms. At the moment, Genetics has become one of the most widely understood science and has much attained all kinds of admiration and approval from the scientific community. It has become most successful in terms of its applications to the real world and on the innovations for the improvement of life.
Such
discoveries are all equal in importance and has all contributed much for the
realization of Genetics. But it is also critical to mention that there are some
which seemed to be essential for its notable nature. In order to stress how
such discoveries are indispensable in Genetics, the GENEWS Team has interviewed
esteemed professors from the Institute of Biological Sciences at the University
of the Philippines Los Banos. In a short but critical response, each professor picked
and explained how some discoveries and events in the Genetic Timeline seems the
most important for them.
GENEWS
Team: “Which moment in the history of genetics seems most important?”
Ban
on Genetic Discrimination in the Workplace, 1995
Protection
under the American with Disabilities Act is extended to cover discrimination
based on genetic information.1
“I
believe that the beautiful union between science and humanity is reflected in
this landmark historical event. Here, we see that our moral and societal
maturity developed further as we understood the unifying theme that connects us
all.”
- Prof. Emmanuel T. Galang
Discovery
of the Double Helix Structure of DNA, 1953
Francis
H. Crick and James D. Watson described the double helix structure of DNA. They
receive the Nobel Prize for their work in 1962.1
“The
elucidation of the structure of the genetic material is the most basic
information that paved the way in the understanding of the genes and their
actions and the development of various molecular tools.”
-
Prof. Genaleen Q. Diaz, PhD
Genes
are Made of DNA, 1952
Alfred Hershey & Martha Chase show
that only the DNA of a virus needs to enter a bacterium to infect it, providing
strong support for the idea that genes are made of DNA.1
“It
revolutionized genetics research by paving the way to recombinant DNA
technology/genetic engineering and genetic manipulation studies such as gene-editing.”
-
Prof. Aimee G. Cagalawan
DNA
Transforms Cells, 1944
Oswald
Avery, Colin MacLeod, and Maclyn McCarty show that DNA (not proteins) can
transform the properties of cells --thus clarifying the chemical nature of
genes.1
“Avery,
McLeod, and McCarty’s landmark experiment that showed the transforming ability
of the DNA is one of the most important discoveries in the field of genetics
and in science, in general. It encouraged scientists to shift focus and explore
the possibility that the genetic material is made up of DNA and not protein,
which is the popular candidate at that time. This new focus paved the way to
breakthrough discoveries (including the structure of the DNA) which all led to
our modern understanding of the role of DNA as hereditary material and the
corresponding practical applications of this knowledge.”
-
Prof. Aprill P. Manalang
First
Screen of Metabolic Defects in Newborns, 1961
Robert Guthrie develops a method to test
newborns for the metabolic defect, phenylketonuria (PKU).1
“This
discovery first established usefulness of studying genetics in relation to the
detection, management, and prevention of certain diseases or disorders.”
-
Prof. Joseph C. San Pascual
Rediscovery
of Mendel’s Work, 1900
Botanists DeVries, Correns, and von
Tschermak independently rediscover Mendel’s work while doing their own work on
the laws of inheritance. The increased understanding of cells and chromosomes
at this time allowed the placement of Mendel’s abstract ideas into a physical
context.1
“Though
Charles Darwin have formulated the theory of Natural Selection, have observed variation
in the population, and concluded that these variations are being passed on to
the next generation, he cannot explain what causes these variations and how are
they transmitted from generation to generation. Not until Mendel’s work was
rediscovered and results of his experiment later becomes two of the most
important laws of genetics: Law of Independent Segregation and Assortment.”
- Prof. Joan Christine O. Adajar
Heredity
Transmitted in Units, 1865
Gregor Mendel’s experiments on peas
demonstrate that heredity is transmitted in discrete units. The understanding
that genes remain distinct entities even if the characteristics of parents
appear to blend in their children explains how natural selection could work and
provides support for Darwin’s proposal.1
“Without
this concept demonstrated by Mendel in his work on peas, maybe we will still
wonder why and how variation is retained after so many generations. Heredity is
passed on to subsequent generations as distinct units and combines with those
from another parent to bring about variation. It is not some sort of a liquid
thing that simply blends with that from the other parent, loses its identity
afterwards, hence, cannot be passed on to many generations, and would decrease
variation instead of increasing it. This concept supported Darwin’s proposal
that nature selects the fittest from a great variety of individuals.”
-
Prof. Diana Rose R. Gonzales
Discovery
of Natural Selection, 1859
Charles
Darwin wrote “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the
Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life.”
“In 1973,
evolutionary biologist Theodosius Dobzhansky wrote an essay entitled “Nothing
in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution.” Personally, in a
greater scheme of life, genetics has been providing, at the molecular level,
essential information for understanding evolutionary mechanisms. This alone
makes Darwin’s work truly remarkable. Having no available knowledge that time
about genetics, he was able to expound evolution and natural selection
exceptionally. Such viewpoints became hallmark concepts in biology that paved
the way to look for ‘intrinsic factors’ in organisms responsible for
inheritance and variation. Today, we call these ‘factors’ – genes, and this
field – genetics.”
-
Prof. Jickerson P. Lado
Development
of DNA Fingerprinting, 1984
In 1984, Sir Alec Jeffreys discovered that
humans have unique patterns of repeating DNA sequences called minisatellites. He
later on developed the method of using DNA to establish identities of individuals which proved to be useful in forensic science.
“The
discovery of human DNA fingerprints by Sir Alec Jeffreys is a perfect example
of how curiosity coupled with the desire to impact society ignite many
important scientific discoveries. He applied DNA cutting enzymes on samples of
his lab mate and family. After discovering that bands are unique between
individuals but shared by the child with his parents, its applications to human
identification and parentage testing immediately dawned on him. That was when
the revolutionary field of DNA forensics was born.”
- Prof. Jae Joseph Russell B. Rodriguez
These
discoveries in Genetics are each vital for the attainment of its current fame and
success as a science. These have allowed our scientists to see that our DNA, a mere
small and simple sequence of bases in our cells, are the actual ones
responsible for all complex traits and the molecular mechanisms that supervise
them for those variations that differentiate each individual from another.
Some
discoveries can be considered more essential or required but each discovery,
big or small, has contributed fundamental evidence that built our current
comprehension of the science. Each of these discoveries has contributed to our understanding
of how Genetics and the machineries or tools associated with Genetics interact
to make up all life forms. All these are equally crucial for the success of
Genetics – one less could easily make our conception of Genetics fall apart.
1Details
of the events/discoveries in the history of genetics italicized above were
quoted directly from the Genetic Timeline Factsheet of the National Human
Genome Research Institute).
Reference:
National Human Genome Research Institute. (2014, April 14).
Genetic Timeline. Retrieved from National Human Genome Research
Institute: https://www.genome.gov/pages/education/genetictimeline.pdf
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