Saturday, February 25, 2006

Flabbergasted by life

Its not always that people fall in love...and less likely, with enzymes...with molecules...with microscopic contents of the human cells without which being normal would be impossible. Replication of DNA takes place every 3 seconds in the human body....Its taking place....as i breathe, as i blink, as i type this line. It has its own mechanism, machinery, proof reading...everything. It seems so out of the world...when its so deep within every organism...be it an ant or an elephant....The beauty of life...its a feeling of awe, the way our bodies have mechanisms close to perfection, when what we do hardly gets near it.
I've fallen in love...with this simple enzyme called telomerase... for those of you who are not bio students, u can just stop reading. Telomerase...that lengthens telomeres...that pulls the ends of dna strands...the reason people stay young...the reason young people don't usually get cancer...the elixir of eternal cell life. One enzyme, so many consequences. Its a wonder enzyme...One of those things that you cant believe is working right now inside you so that you live to see tomorrow, and the day after... you live to laugh, and be happy. And it works relentlessly, without a break....just like your heart. It works so that you live. If it takes a break, you'll have to take a permanent break....

If you appreciate things like this in life, take care of yourself...your health. Even if one small thing goes wrong somewhere in a tiny cell, you're in for trouble. After all,
"We are always one or two mutations away from a disease"
---Matt Ridley (In 'Genome')

When i read stuff like this in my syllabus (am glad i chose this field), i just feel like kneeling down and saying a silent prayer of thanks to i don't know what.....to God perhaps, for making things with almost no flaws..a system that only asks that you heed to it properly so that it can serve you for life....

Maybe anna univ is not so dumb after all....having molecular biology and statistics in the same semester is great balance.... ;-)

Signing off

17 comments:

Nikhil said...

You are in love with Telomerase?

Telomerase?






Don't worry, the ambulance is on its way


:-)


Atleast it's not crazy

*sighs*


Hahahahahahaha

tsb said...

Yeast telomerase is better.
It never loses its function with age.
Human telomerase is best at younger ages of humans, after which it starts to lose its function.

ps-bacteria and viruses are much more cooler. they're so tiny and can still kill a huge organism. <3

and yes...as i have mentioned before, biology is the amazingness.
specially biotechnology.

also-what do you know about telomerases, nikhil. you're a doctor after all.
and only nearly 1.6/5th of a quazk too.
go study anatomy or something.

Div said...

Nik - Exactly, its not crazy...do u mean to say something else is crazy? Perhaps... ;-)

tsb - I guess this is one thing we agree on so totally. I never knew that abt yeast telomerase...cool. And yes, bacteria and viruses...actually, i think viruses are cooler cuz they have a better way of acting than bacteria.
And nikhil wud know abt telomerases...but from a doc's pt of view. Just wat cancers it causes...
but we biotechnologists know how ot make use of it for anti-cancer therapy :) and docs will end up usin it...lol...

Biology...life...rocking!

tribanga said...

I know exactly how you feel!!! and we have talked about this...but yes, i just smile when i read stuff like this which is so mind blowing and amazing and i cant even use words....you know what i mean :D

i love genetics and microbio!!!!

Div said...

Anu!! :D read genome quickly di!

Anonymous said...

ya diva all dis stuff is reely cool man n thnk god dey've put Prob wid subjects like mol bio na atleast ders sum balance loll
k so madame is in luv wid telomerase eh? so we finally found out D person :) must tel reks tomm( she reely wantd 2 knw na -remembr ;) ) hehe

Div said...

Sand, u guys goin to tease me with telomerase? LOL... thats so funny! I cant imagine it... but i guess better telomerase than any guy! Wat say? And yes, reks really wanted to know!! Lol...she was so mad that day. And sand...i really appreciate it that u accepted tel as our topic man...seriously. Nect time, its your pick! ok? Atleast it'll save me the trouble of deciding...!!! ;-)

tribanga said...

hey divs, i read Genome a year ago...i told you na, i got it in the library by chance and then fell in love with it....ooh now that we both have read it, this just got exciting!

Div said...

oh! i thot u havent read it...cuz u said u've ordered it n all...cool!! Yaay! :)
tsb, i suggest u read it. Even though u like reading only comics... its a real good book.

Anonymous said...

Better 'telomerase' than any guy!
hmm diva "ehu ehu" ;) ok pal d "perfect jeppiarian girl" loll (as quoted by a "FRD" ofcourse ;0 )

Div said...

SAND! i cant believe u said that....damn! insult...!

Anonymous said...

sry diva jus kiddng pal :)

Div said...

SANDHYA - The queen of sorries! Just chill chill ;-)

Anonymous said...

Divs- tolemerase....!! God! It seems a century back when I did bio!!

Div said...

Its cool that u actually rmbr telomerase madhura!!! how're u doin di?? Long time... heard abt your pamphlets n all...great goin!

Anonymous said...

I don't remember tolemerase....that's why it seems a century since I studied bio....

Div said...

lol!