Cell Destiny: Another Role for "Junk DNA" - Evolution News &
Views   Evolution News and Views Evolution NEWS  Cell Destiny:
Another Role for "Junk DNA"   Did you ever go to a high school
reunion and reflect afterward, "How did I end up on a path so
drastically different from the one my old pal took? We grew up
in the same neighborhood, went to the same school, played the
same sports, joined the same clubs -- what happened?" You might
wonder the same thing about cells.  How do two neighboring stem
cells in the blastocyst end up becoming completely different
mature cell types? This has been a question of ongoing interest
for researchers who study embryonic development. These cells
theoretically have the same genetic code, and are
indistinguishable at the blastocyst state, so what caused them
to pursue such dramatically divergent careers in life?
Researchers from UC San Diego and Sandford Burnham Medical
Research Institute published an article in Genes and Development
that sheds light on the enigma of cell dest