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I disagree, DNA is pretty much the source code. any differential DNA expression are due to histone modification, proteins, or RNA (and rarely CpG DNA modificati
by rubatuga 8y ago
I disagree, DNA is pretty much the source code. any differential DNA expression are due to histone modification, proteins, or RNA (and rarely CpG DNA modification in humans) so DNA in the purest form is indeed the source code.
- aluren 8y agoSource code for what, though? How about pre-natal influences in the womb, does this mean the womb is a sort of compiler? What about the structure of DNA itself, known to influence gene expression levels? What about the microbiota, which is arguably more 'you' than your own body in terms of raw cell count? What about the phages found in the microbiota (the phageome)? Why are they not part of the so-called source code?
- rubatuga 8y agoSource code/machine code, I am just interchanging but in this analogy they are equivalent. Pre-natal influences change the epigenetics, i.e. "on" the genome. The structure of DNA is almost completely determined by histones, which are proteins that DNA wrap around, so once again, not the DNA. Microbiota affect the environment of the cells, meaning it is an input to the cell, not the source code. Any phages affecting the microbiota will affect the input to the cell. These factors aren't considered source code simply because it only affects the execution of the cell's source code.
- toasterlovin 8y agoThe source code for the organism.