Baffled molecular biologists, according to a report in Nature, vol. 423 p91, 1 May 2003 and ScienceNOW, 2 May 2003. In recent years numerous pieces of DNA have been found that do not code for proteins. Many pieces are shortened versions of known functional genes, so biologists named them "pseudogenes" and have written them off as "genetic train wrecks", the result of functional genes being knocked around in the hurly-burly of evolution. There are an estimated 20,000 of these and evolutionists have wondered why they have not been discarded over time if they are so useless. An experiment that went wrong at the University of California, San Diego, indicates "pseudogenes" actually have an important function. When attempting to produce a genetically modified mouse Shinji Hirotsune and colleagues knocked out a pseudogene instead of a "real" gene. The mutant mice had numerous birth defects and shortened life-span. Further investigation showed that the pseudogene information is used to make RNA, a working copy of genetic information that is used to make protein. The pseudogene RNA did not make protein but seemed to protect 'real' RNA from being damaged. The scientists believe this shows they have found another way that cells regulate genes.

Editorial Comment: This is another example of how evolutionary theory is a hindrance, rather than help, to the advancement of science. A creationist would assume since there are so many non protein-coding genes they must have a purpose, and should be investigated. We predict that most apparently non-coding DNA bits will turn out to be functional despite the degeneration that has occurred since the Fall of Man and Noah's flood, which will have damaged some of our original DNA. (Ref. predict, pseudogenes, genes, mutation)