Sea Slugs Have Brain Genes Like Ours

Elaine Meinel Supkis

Scientists have discovered that sea slug brains have many things in common with our brains. I always felt it was a dishonor to compare Bush to chimpanzees. It seems he has much more in common with sea slugs. The people who refuse to understand simple evolution share a lot of genetic heritage with sea slugs, too.

&hearts It is interesting that even the earliest multi-celled creature has many of the genetic materials we have, 'thinking' being a very early activity for living creatures.

At any given time within a single brain cell of this marine snail (Aplysia), more than 10,000 genes are hard at work, suggests a new study looking at aspects of the sea slug's genome.

By probing the brain of Aplysia, researchers identified more than 100 genes similar to those associated with all major human neurological diseases and more than 600 genes controlling brain development.

The findings suggest that acts of learning or the progression of brain disorders do not take place in isolation, and instead stem from interactions between large clusters of genes within many cells.

A lot of what passes for 'thinking' in our brains is actually reacting to various stimuli in our environment. Most of our actions are reflexive. When I write articles, I can feel the synapses in my brain firing merrily away as I struggle to remember my train of thought without derailing it with long run-on sentences like this...oops.

The actions involved in writing, for example, when it requires hauling up all sorts of data stored all over the littered warehouses of my memory banks, means I must think somewhat hard. There is a lot of thoughtless writing going on in our culture, I'd say 50% or more is done on autopilot. But when writing poetry, one has to really concentrate. Sea slugs don't run blogs and if they do, it probably wouldn't be the most rivetting reading (slither...slobber...slide...slither...glug...mmmm...side by side...sex...) Actually, that describes much of the web anyway. Bet they track Britney Spear's private affairs, too.

&hearts Bush should get a brain transplant from a sea slug, it might improve things.

WASHINGTON - Although nothing is final until President Bush puts his stamp on it, administration officials tell NBC News the president has all but decided on a temporary surge of additional American forces into Iraq in an effort to bring sectarian violence in Baghdad under control.

Sigh. Nearly all the military and the vast majority of Americans not to mention a great number of people in the world as well as most sea slugs are against escalating this stupid war. I would rather have a slug be President. At least it would be the 'do no harm' part of the Hippocratic Oath.

Culture of Life News Main Page

Comments

[viagra online]

A convention of pelicans on the Salton Sea and a view of the sea and mountains from the shores of the nearby State Park. Although the resort is isolated, its advantage is that is the only place where you get the winter-time benefits of desert living and also be close to the excellent birding area that is the Salton Sea. Love it Cheryl! You are amazing. Thank you for sharing this with us. New signoff? How about "see you in the sea"? Or, "see you under the sea"?

[Chaquetas Hombre Belstaff]

Very, very nicely done!

[New Timberland Shoes]

Thanks, I'm going to have nightmares tonight.

[Beats by Dr Dre Headphone]

No one can have all he desires.

[Beats by Dre]

Purpose supposes foresight.

[Red Bottom shoes store]

Custom makes all things easy.