Interesting Facts

The vast majority of the human genome plays a vital function by regulating the genes that build and maintain the body. (This debunks the myth of "junk" DNA, a term coined 40 years ago to describe the part of the genome that does not contain any genes, but it is in fact an elaborate patchwork of regulatory sequences that act as a huge operating system for controlling the genome. So, be careful of calling stuff you don't fully understand "junk".) The research was carried out by hundreds of researchers from 32 institutes around the world and the findings published in a series of 30 research papers in Nature, Science and other scientific journals.

Scientists have found the gene that makes people happy – but it only works in women. (The gene, called MAOA, affects the levels of feel-good chemicals in the brain, and comes in two varieties, a highly active and a less active type. Women with the less active type were happier than others, and those with two copies of the ‘happy’ type of MAOA were the happiest. However even though many of the men in the study carried the gene they were no happier than others and this could be because its effects are cancelled out by testosterone. I always knew testosterone was a poison.) Source: Daily Mail

According to child expert Professor Richard Tremblay, three and four-year-olds are more violent than most adults. (He added that children have to learn to regulate their use of violence in the early years, and whether or not they manage to do so depends on a range of environmental and genetic factors.  Those who do not are more likely to become aggressive adults. No wonder kids terrify me!)

According to celebrity genealogist Chris Child, Lady Gaga and Madonna are distant cousins. (The New England Historic Genealogical Society specialist told the Boston Globe, "They are ninth cousins once removed." I reckon if you go far enough back, we'll all find we're cousins x times removed.) Source

According to researchers at the University of California , political bias could be a matter of genetics.  They have identified a so-called ‘Liberal Gene’ that makes people more likely to seek out less conventional ­political views. The gene, a neurotransmitter in the brain called DRD4, could even be stimulated by the novelty value of radical opinions, claim the U.S. researchers.  It suggests some people are simply born to be politically radical rather than moulded that way either by their friends, family or teachers. I must have the lefty gene, and I have to say that when people call me a "liberal softy" I say, "thank you".  Source: Daily Mail

The Pinot Noir grape, used to make some excellent red wines, has about 30,000 genes in its DNA. (That's more than the human genome, which contains 20,000 to 25,000 genes. I do hope they never prove a link between intelligence and the number of genes, otherwise I have broken my own cardinal rule - never eat anything that might be more intelligent than you are.)

Scientists have discovered that long strands of DNA code are folded and tightly packed into the nucleus of a human cell. (Unfolded, the cell's genome - those strands of DNA code - would be approximately 2m in length and it's all packed into a tight ball to fit inside a nucleus, which is about one hundredth of a millimetre in diameter. Aren't we amazing?)