Plants Have Senses Fact
Plant senses don’t work the same as human senses, but generally speaking, plants can see, hear, smell, feel, react, and even think.
DNA
DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the code for human life contained in cells. This code contains genes which are expressed when a cell divides or grows. That expressed code is fired off to create unique human (or other beings).
Every cell in a human body (or other life-form) has an exact copy of the same DNA in it’s nucleus. That DNA contains the genes that hold the “code” for how to build a given organism out of cells and proteins. The difference between cells is the difference between what genes are expressed when a cell grows or divides. All human cells start from one cell, the fertilized egg of a mother. This contains 1/2 fathers DNA and 1/2 mothers to create DNA unique to the child.
That fertilized egg cells splits, genes are expressed and turned into RNA, RNA is read by ribosomes, ribosomes create proteins out of building blocks called amino acids, proteins are the primary things a body uses to actively function.
Factoids tagged with "DNA"
Flamingos are Born Pink Myth
Flamingos aren’t born pink. They are born with gray feathers. Flamingos become pink as the age due to a diet of organisms like shrimp and red algae which are high in pigments called carotenoids.
Athletes Can Determine their Own Sex in International Sports Fact
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that athletes can determine their own sex in international sports like the Olympics.
Sex, Gender, and Sexuality Are Binary Myth
Studies have shown there is no single determinant of sex, gender, or sexuality. In terms of both sex (genetic) and gender (a social construct), a binary distinction of “male or female” fails to describe a wide range of humans in practice. Meanwhile, sexuality (a preference) eludes any simple categorization as well. Simply put, despite some binary aspects (for example a person either has a Y gene or they don’t), Gender, Sex, and Sexuality are all non-binary and each is instead a complex spectrum… and we can prove it with science and logic.
Nettie Stevens Discovered the XY Sex-determination System Fact
Nettie Stevens and Edmund Beecher Wilson independently discovered the chromosomal XY sex-determination system (that males have XY and females have XX sex chromosomes).
All Mammals Start as Female Myth
Mammals don’t start as females, they start as a blank slate with XX or XY genetic code, and for the first 5-6 weeks of gestation only the X gene expresses.
Some People are Born Gay Fact
Science suggests people are born in a range of places in the gay and transgender spectrum, with both nature and nurture playing a role in sexuality.
There are Different Blood Types Fact
There are four general blood types (A, B, AB, and O), each can be Rh ‘+’ or ‘-‘. Blood types differ by antigens on the surface of red blood cells.
Humans are Hardwired to be Social Beings Fact
Humans are hardwired to be social beings. We naturally cooperate, care, and compete. From quarks, to cells, to plants, to animals, cooperation is in our DNA.
Survival of the Fittest, Only the Strong Survive Myth
“Survival of the fittest” means that those who are best adapted to their environment thrive and tend to be favored by evolution due to “natural selection”. It does not mean that “only the most physically strong or mentally strong thrive”.
Water Bears are the Only Known Animals to Survive in Space Fact
Water bears (tardigrades) are the only known animals to survive the vacuum of space. Water bears are extremophiles, meaning that they can survive extreme conditions (like high temperatures, and high pressure).
All Hot Dogs Contain Human DNA Myth
Not all hot dogs contain human DNA, but a 2015 study found 6 of the 345 hot dogs they studied contained human DNA, 4 of which were vegetarian products.
All Cells In a Human Start as One Cell Fact
All the cells in a human body start as one cell, a fertilized egg containing 1/2 the mothers DNA and 1/2 the fathers. That cell divides many times creating a unique human being.
All Cells in a Human Body Have the Same DNA Fact
With few exceptions, all cells in a person’s body have the same DNA and genes. As cells divide and grow different genes are expressed, resulting in different cell types.
Humans Have Many Different Types of Cells Fact
The human body has about 37 trillion cells, comprising 200 different types. Each cell has structures responsible for making hundreds of thousands of different proteins from 20 types of amino acids.
We Know How Complex Cells Evolved Fact
Complex cells (eukaryotes) likely evolved from single-celled organisms (prokaryotes) absorbing other prokaryotes, becoming single complex cells over time (endosymbiosis).