Monday, May 20, 2019

Biology week 2 - Evolutionary and Developmental Biology

1 - Post your thoughts on Evo-Devo

It took me a second reading of the article of Evo-Devo to really sink my teeth into the closing thoughts.  That the genomes of animals are not vastly different, but that the order of which master genes are triggered is what creates the differences across the lifeforms.  The comparison to the symphony really struck it home for me.  I have a background in music and played in wind ensembles, which is basically an orchestra without the string instruments.  The symphony that is performed is the genetic expression, the musicians are the genome & the conductor/sheet music are the master genes. 
Make a change in the sheet music  and you're going to get a completely different beast.  If the conductor misreads the music and cues the trumpet solo early, it's going to change the whole expression of the piece. 

I just downloaded an APP to track my sleep cycle.  I sleep with my cat, and I wonder if the phone is tracking the combination of both our sleep.
My sleep tracking has shown that I get fairly consistent amount of deep sleep/REM sleep when combined.  I am averaging around 70% of my sleep being in either deep sleep or REM sleep.  Many nights I have short periods of REM, but twice in the last 10 days I have had over 35% of my sleep time spent in REM.
That being said, I have had a valerian root extract before sleep on many of these nights.  I also experimented with sleeping while having Mugwart under my pillow & drinking a Mugwart tea before bed.  Both of these have been said to increase the amount one dreams.
And as was mentioned in the article "How much can an extra hour's sleep change you" it is during REM sleep that our brains norepinephrine system is shut down thus allowing us to work through the day's emotions without triggering a stress response.  I have recently been through a break up, and so I am attempting to use my dream time to help process through my emotions.

https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/31/moon-phases-tied-to-sleep-cycles/
A study shows that less time is spent asleep, and it takes longer to get to REM sleep during a full moon.
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-24567412
Glial Cells Shrink during sleep and open up interstitial spaces that allow more fluids to pass through the brain's glymphatic and clean out neurotoxins and protein buildups.
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-24444634
Going from 6.5 to 7.5hr of sleep a night kept 500 genes from being switched on, including ones that cause: inflammation, immune response, stress responses, as well as genes associated with increased likelihood of diabetes and cancer.


2- Check out the following links on Darwinism & post feedback to your blog:
http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/evolution/howdidwegethere.html
How Did We Get Here?
From the inheritance of acquired traits to natural selection to evo devo, evolutionary theory has itself evolved
By Steve Mirsky
Solid review of how eco dev has come into being.

http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/arn/pearcey/np_dcpolicy0500.htm
Why Darwinism Matters
Washington DC Policy Briefing
May 10, 2000
By Nancy R. Pearcey

HO-LEE-SHIT, this piece is 19 years old and still it strikes a cord with me relevant to what is happening in the world today.  Starting in with the evolutionary psychology view of rape bing naturally selected into existence.  And then diving into darwinian views of god/religion, as well as moral code/law/civilization.
That article was very thick, and I think I need to print it out and attack it with a colored pencil in order to keep track of the many points that were made.  I think it would be much easier to digest if it were broken up into smaller articles.
Overall, I'm left with a sour taste in my mouth overall.  Bringing up the destructive attributes that exist in humanity and validating them through Darwinism is just too close to validating them within society, and i do not find those two things to hold true simultaneously. I would hate to hear an argument for the legality of rape due to Darwinism in a court.

http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/origin.asp
Origin of Life Questions and Answers
“Answers in Genesis”
It's real difficult to listen to judo christian dogma.  Why this creation myth over another creation myth? 
I don't at this point buy into one creation myth, sciences big bang goes into the lot with all of them for me a this point.  I am continuing the sour feelings I have from the last article over to this one.
I am being a horrible Biologist, and I'll own that.  I cannot look at this information objectively. 

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