Biochemistry for life

We are all aware that every cell in the body has a different function. The eye cells allow us to see this wonderful planet, the stomach cells help us to digest the delicious meals, and the brain cells allow us to think through hard problems or situations. This list is super long. Have you ever wondered why our eye cells never secret hydrochloric acid just like the stomach cells? Why can’t we see with our nerve cells? Every cell is differentiated, but how? A part of the answer is DNA methylation. Now let us discuss the process of DNA methylation in detail. 

    “Coffee powers my morning”. Now, how many of you share this sentiment? I wonder a lot of you share this sentiment! A lot of my acquaintances cannot start their day without a cup of coffee. It stimulates a positive mood in them and helps them focus on their tasks. Can genetics play a role in the preference of drinking coffee? A lot of research supports this claim!

  Abstract: The newly developed technique, CRISPR, or Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, is based on the bacterial “immune system”. CRISPR-Cas9 system was discovered in the 1970s in the E.Coli bacteria. This system is naturally found in the bacteria as an anti-infection mechanism. If an analogy is to be drawn, the CRISPR-Cas9 system can be compared to the antibodies in humans. When the bacteria sense a viral invasion, it targets the viral DNA and creates strands of this targeted DNA. These fragments are known as the “CRISPR fragments” and are stored as a memory when there is an invasion by the same virus. If there is an invasion by the same virus, the CRISPR fragments produce RNA which later targets the viral DNA. The Cas9 enzyme functions to destroy the viral DNA. Similarly, in the lab, a biologist can target a specific sequence of the gene and use the CRISPR “scissors” to cut the DNA at a specific site. Scientists aim to apply this technique for cancer cures

Abstract The immune system is an essential body system that enables the organisms to launch attacks against the pathogens. The immune system comprises two types of defenses: adaptive and innate. The innate immune system consists of physical barriers like skin, chemicals in the blood. This type of immunity system is non-specific. This means it can attack any type of pathogen whether it is a virus or bacteria. The adaptive immune system, on the other hand, can provide advanced protection from pathogens that can cause harm to the body. The adaptive immune system has its further division which indicates the difference in the adopted methods of response. These differences between the humoral and the cell-mediated response are delineated through this review paper.  There are markers on the T and B lymphocyte cells known as the MHC-class markers, that are crucial to distinguish between self and foreign cells. With these markers, the immune system can launch a response against the invaders. Th