For those who don't know
G'day all!
Bendigo woollen mills now has a website! HOO-BLASTED-RAY!
Today I have a few more links. I still have not got photos of the stuff I've been working on - after dragging DH to his chiro appt this mronign, then I had to take him to Jaycar to get electronics bits and bobs, then I went shopping (groceries and fruit and veg, nothing exciting and yarny except for one lonely ball) and then spent most of the afternoon in the garden since DH had friends around to be garden slaves.
At this point, I must say I am STUFFED! Deadus meatus. Even knitting is tuckering me out so much I don't want to knit! I sawed the tops off two agapanthus, mattocked out a couple of stumps (one of this was very much still alive and not wanting to let go of the ground), cut down half a cotoneaster (very weedy here and MUST go), then started doing some ground prep to plant roses tomorrow.
So I will leave you with some links and some thoughts.
There are not too many 107 year old bloggers online. All About Olive (Donni found this one and it is amusing me on occasion)
One way to save Australia's environment - eat more roo/native animal and have fewer hard hoofed animals! (Have I eaten both our national symbols - the roo and emu? Yep! Yum!)
An amazing idea about how to treat malaria.
Some fab scout badges.... How many can you claim?
One of the big things in genetics at the moment is epigenesis. This is the study of how gene activity can be affected, and how the effects can be passed through generations outside of the genetic code. It is totally fascinating. We already know that the environment in the womb can affect how a developing foetus turns out - the baby's health is affected by the mum's nutrition and general health, smoking, etc. eg babies whose mums smoke tend to be smaller and don't do as well, if mum didn't take folic acid before getting pregnant, the baby is more likely to have spina bifida, etc. Now it turns out that your grandmother's health/environment (and grandfather?) can affect your health too. The way this happens is that genes can be turned on and off. This is very very normal - genes are always being turned on and off. However, some genes are not normally turned on (or off) in healthy people. Some gene products are always needed. Some gene products are not at all desirable (eg ones that encourage cell growth in cells that should not be growing). So genes that are needed are turned on and those that are not needed are switched off. Genes can be turned on and off by methylation (amongst other means). Basically if the bit of a gene saying "start reading me here" is methylated then it can't be read and its product is not created. It turns out that the environment and health of an individual's mum (and her mum, and to some extent her grandfather, her partner and his parents) affects the methylation of genes. If your (maternal) grandmother was exposed to a certain environment, certain genes are turned on that should be turned off (and turned off that should be on), and you end up more likely to demonstrate certain things (eg cancer, high blood pressure, etc). Her genes were methylated in a certain way, so are your mum's and so are yours. Also, there is a lot of interesting stuff in the egg (ovum) that can affect gene regulation. The egg brings with it everything but the kitchen sink - it has all the normal stuff a normal cell has. It seems likely that all the stuff in the egg, not just the DNA, can have an impact on how the baby turns out, what diseases it is susceptible to, all sorts of things. Everything in an egg is derived from that woman's parents (hence the generation effect) cos the eggs develop whilst the woman is a foetus and only mature when they are ovulated. All our cells are basically derived from that ovum's contents, with more stuff brought in from outside as needed. Sperm doesn't carry so much baggage - it is mostly just a parcel to carry Dad's DNA (but it does have a little carry on bag of goodies of its own).
(I am sure that someone will come along and correct me - I have not done a whole lot of reading on this yet... I have simplified some bits too - does everyone need to know there is a pre-promotor region which is what the RNA transcriptase comes along and sits on? And that that is the bit that if methylated stops the transcription happening? No? I thought not.)
Ooops, time to cook dinner and watch Mythbusters, not int hat order!
anon!
Bendigo woollen mills now has a website! HOO-BLASTED-RAY!
Today I have a few more links. I still have not got photos of the stuff I've been working on - after dragging DH to his chiro appt this mronign, then I had to take him to Jaycar to get electronics bits and bobs, then I went shopping (groceries and fruit and veg, nothing exciting and yarny except for one lonely ball) and then spent most of the afternoon in the garden since DH had friends around to be garden slaves.
At this point, I must say I am STUFFED! Deadus meatus. Even knitting is tuckering me out so much I don't want to knit! I sawed the tops off two agapanthus, mattocked out a couple of stumps (one of this was very much still alive and not wanting to let go of the ground), cut down half a cotoneaster (very weedy here and MUST go), then started doing some ground prep to plant roses tomorrow.
So I will leave you with some links and some thoughts.
There are not too many 107 year old bloggers online. All About Olive (Donni found this one and it is amusing me on occasion)
One way to save Australia's environment - eat more roo/native animal and have fewer hard hoofed animals! (Have I eaten both our national symbols - the roo and emu? Yep! Yum!)
An amazing idea about how to treat malaria.
Some fab scout badges.... How many can you claim?
One of the big things in genetics at the moment is epigenesis. This is the study of how gene activity can be affected, and how the effects can be passed through generations outside of the genetic code. It is totally fascinating. We already know that the environment in the womb can affect how a developing foetus turns out - the baby's health is affected by the mum's nutrition and general health, smoking, etc. eg babies whose mums smoke tend to be smaller and don't do as well, if mum didn't take folic acid before getting pregnant, the baby is more likely to have spina bifida, etc. Now it turns out that your grandmother's health/environment (and grandfather?) can affect your health too. The way this happens is that genes can be turned on and off. This is very very normal - genes are always being turned on and off. However, some genes are not normally turned on (or off) in healthy people. Some gene products are always needed. Some gene products are not at all desirable (eg ones that encourage cell growth in cells that should not be growing). So genes that are needed are turned on and those that are not needed are switched off. Genes can be turned on and off by methylation (amongst other means). Basically if the bit of a gene saying "start reading me here" is methylated then it can't be read and its product is not created. It turns out that the environment and health of an individual's mum (and her mum, and to some extent her grandfather, her partner and his parents) affects the methylation of genes. If your (maternal) grandmother was exposed to a certain environment, certain genes are turned on that should be turned off (and turned off that should be on), and you end up more likely to demonstrate certain things (eg cancer, high blood pressure, etc). Her genes were methylated in a certain way, so are your mum's and so are yours. Also, there is a lot of interesting stuff in the egg (ovum) that can affect gene regulation. The egg brings with it everything but the kitchen sink - it has all the normal stuff a normal cell has. It seems likely that all the stuff in the egg, not just the DNA, can have an impact on how the baby turns out, what diseases it is susceptible to, all sorts of things. Everything in an egg is derived from that woman's parents (hence the generation effect) cos the eggs develop whilst the woman is a foetus and only mature when they are ovulated. All our cells are basically derived from that ovum's contents, with more stuff brought in from outside as needed. Sperm doesn't carry so much baggage - it is mostly just a parcel to carry Dad's DNA (but it does have a little carry on bag of goodies of its own).
(I am sure that someone will come along and correct me - I have not done a whole lot of reading on this yet... I have simplified some bits too - does everyone need to know there is a pre-promotor region which is what the RNA transcriptase comes along and sits on? And that that is the bit that if methylated stops the transcription happening? No? I thought not.)
Ooops, time to cook dinner and watch Mythbusters, not int hat order!
anon!
Phew, Lynne, I'm glad you're leaving some stuff out! Seriously, this is very interesting. I have monozygotic (identical) twin daughters and it's pretty clear to me that there's a whole lot we don't know yet. Keep it coming! And thank-you for the lovely yarn. It has enhanced my sock binge no end.
ReplyDeleteThat is SO interesting! I think that explains why my sister Julie (a half-sister) and I have so many medical issues in common despite having different fathers! We've even commented on it. We've wondered why that could be. If so much comes from the mom, this could be a reason. It also gives more evidence to the theory that FMS and other symptoms that come along with it are genetic, and on the maternal side!
ReplyDeleteOh, I am not awake enough to absorb all that! :)
ReplyDeleteHope you're continuing to feel better!
ReplyDeleteAre you coming on Sunday? (and bringing yarn too? lol)
I read somewhere last week that Bendigo was opening up their own site,Woooopeeee!! I plan on a couple of knitted items for my Mum and Dad and now I can order on line which makes it really much quicker,thanks for pointing it out!
ReplyDeleteAre you having trouble with your yarn page,glad its you not me!!!(Im looking forwrad to checking out your treasures!)
PS hows the bathroom coming along!