如果问生物学中那本教材最权威、阅读人数最多，估计没有那本书可以跟Benjamin Lewin的Genes相争。此书被称作分子生物学的圣经。 我们很多老师在上课时都会提到，教材最可靠，但知识片陈旧；会议报告最新，但最有可能出错。综述文章和原始研究论文介于二者之间。教材中，国内的教材质量普遍低于英美的教材（无论是可靠性还是时效性）。而在英美教材中，销量大的权威教材应当首选。我过去的想象中Benjamin Lewin的各个版本的Genes不会有错误。 最近我的学生与我讨论问题时，还真从Genes IX中发现了一个小错误。277页Figure 11.30，基因转录过程中前方DNA双链过度缠绕（称为正超螺旋），转录复合体后方DNA双链缠绕程度低于正常水平（称为负超螺旋）。如果没有什么没参与，转录复合体越走越困难。细菌细胞中有一种酶叫Gyrase就是清除转录复合体前方的正超螺旋，从而为转录扫清障碍。而这个图中，作者注释为Gyrase introduces positive supercoils，显然应该是Gyrase introduces negative supercoils或Gyrase relaxes positive supercoils。经过核对James C. Wang的Untangling the Double Helix: DNA Entanglement and the Action of the DNA Topoisomerases一书，确认Lewin确实错了。 看来世上真没有绝对的事，圣经也会出错，不能全信。
GENES AND IMMUNITY June 2010 Volume 11 Number 4, pp 279 - 361 ===================================================================== The Genomics of Common Diseases 2010 October 6- 9, 2010 Houston, TX, USA The meeting sessions will cover: translational genetics and pharmacogenomics; sequence-led studies; animal models, new genomic tools and manipulation techniques; from GWAS to mechanism; personal genomes databases and ethics; cancer genomics to function, mechanism and pathways; epigenomics and disease mechanisms; population and statistical genetics; and whole genome and targeted resequencing. http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=53m=34941771r=Mzg0ODUxNzczOQS2b=2j=NzQ5NDA4MzIS1mt=1rt=0
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1240915/Why-listen-elders-Its-genes.html#comments Why we listen to our elders: It's in our genes By Daily Mail Reporter Last updated at 12:18 PM on 06th January 2010 Comments ( 13 ) Add to My Stories Respecting your elders might not just be a matter of good manners - it could be in your genes. Scientists have discovered the practice may have its roots deep in evolution. They made their claims after examining the behaviour of a group of monkeys who, just like the most polite people, stopped and listened carefully whenever their elders made a pronouncement. Listening to and respecting our elders could be in our genes, scientists have found (Posed by models) Although senior members of the monkey troop 'talked' less, they were more likely to elicit a response from younger members. The finding that primates other than humans appear to respect their elders suggests the trait is bred into us rather than learned. The researchers studied the calls made by the nine female members of a group of Campbell's monkeys, which are native to west Africa. They found that the older monkeys called out less frequently but were more likely to receive a reply than the 'chatterbox' youngsters. 'Age appeared a major factor in the contribution of individuals to vocal exchanges,' said the researchers from the University of Rennes in France. 'Elders were less loquacious than younger individuals. Despite that, they received more responses.' Writing in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters, they said the older animals may have merited more attention because they had greater knowledge and a stabilising role on the group. Last month, a study of Campbell's monkeys found their calls hold clues as to how human language evolved. Scientists in the Ivory Coast's Tai National Park found they can change the meaning of their calls by adding a simple sound, just as humans use suffixes or prefixes to alter words. Print this article Read later Email to a friend Share this article: Digg it Del.icio.us Reddit Newsvine Nowpublic StumbleUpon Facebook MySpace Fark ', 'value2': 1000 }, 'then': 'error("You have exceeded the 1000 character limit for this field.")' }, 'mandatoryHR': { 'if': { 'value1': 'value', 'method': 'empty', 'value2': '' }, 'then': 'error("You must agree to our House Rules to post a comment.")' }, 'noEmail': { 'if': { 'value1': 'value', 'method': 'matches', 'value2': /@/ }, 'then': 'error("This field should not contain the following character: \'@\'.")' } } }); Add your comments Comments ( 13 ) Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below, or debate this issue live on our message boards. The comments below have not been moderated. Newest Oldest Best rated Worst rated View all Can everyone stop complaining about youngsters in the UK, just remember who brought us up! - a, home, 07/1/2010 11:57 Click to rate Rating 1 Report abuse It's definately not in the genes of half the UK!! - Valid Comment, Tenerife, Spain, 07/1/2010 09:33 Click to rate Rating 4 Report abuse They listen but do they take any notice. - John, Up North. England., 06/1/2010 17:42 Click to rate Rating 8 Report abuse hardly worth commenting if it's not published. Or do comments have to fit an agenda? - John, Liverpool. England., 06/1/2010 17:25 Click to rate Rating 2 Report abuse Don't believe a word of it, this is just the fore-runner before the Government announce that it is Old Age Pensioners that are responsible binge drinking by teenagers. - Cy Nichols-Hodd, Saanichton B. C., 06/1/2010 16:50 Click to rate Rating 5 Report abuse Sounds like the monkeys are more intelligent than the current generation of kids then. Some of them seem to think the elders have to gain their respect. - Steve N, Birmingham, UK, 06/1/2010 13:42 Click to rate Rating 11 Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1240915/Why-listen-elders-Its-genes.html#comments#ixzz0c6Ml9pDx http://news.sciencenet.cn//htmlnews/2010/1/227017.shtm 猴子也像人类一样尊重长者 敬老意识或由基因决定 人们尊重长辈并非只是出于礼貌和修养。一项针对人类近亲猴子的科学研究发现，猴子也像人类一样尊重长者。研究人员说，这说明敬老意识可能由基因决定，深深植根于灵长类动物进化过程中。 猴群研究 尊重长者、聆听长者意见的观念存在于世界所有文化中，人们普遍认为年龄增长能带来智慧和经验。但一项针对坎氏长尾猴群的最新研究表明，这一观念也许来自基因。 研究人员观察这一猴群中9只雌猴的行为，这些猴子年龄为3岁至15岁。研究人员记录下它们800多次发出叫声的情况，发现发出叫声的猴子年龄越大，所得到的回应越多。 7岁以上的猴子发出叫声时，其他猴子中75%予以回应；2岁以下的猴子发出叫声时，只有40%的猴子予以理睬。 这一现象与发言猴子在猴群中的权力大小或地位高低无关，与它们是否有子女无关，仅与它们的年龄直接相关。 英国《每日邮报》1月6日援引法国雷恩大学阿尔班勒马松博士的话报道：年龄似乎是影响（猴子）个体话语交流的一个主要因素。 尊重长者 研究人员发现，当年长的猴子发表演说时，其它猴子像懂礼貌的人类一样，停下手头活儿，仔细聆听长辈教诲。 虽然年长的猴子在猴群中相对寡言少语，但它们一旦开口，总能得到其它年轻猴子的响应。 不仅如此，年长猴子比喋喋不休的年轻话唠猴子更能得到猴群关注和回应。 年长猴子可能没有年轻猴子那么能说会道，但它们更能获得其它猴子的回应，勒马松说。 勒马松认为，听从比自己年长者建议的行为具有生物基础，这一行为随着进化过程代代相传。 与生俱来 这一研究结果发表于最新一期英国皇家学会主办的《生物学通讯》（ Biology Letters ）。 研究人员认为，在人类以外的灵长类动物中存在敬老现象，表明敬老行为并非人类后天习得，而是与生俱来。 此前一项针对坎氏长尾猴的研究发现，人们可以从它们的叫声中找到人类语言进化的线索。坎氏长尾猴通过在叫声前加上一些简单发音改变叫声含义，这与人类语言运用前缀和后缀改变词义的方法一致。 这表明，对长者声音的关注深深根植于灵长类动物行为中。这将翻开人类文化和语言进化研究的全新一页，勒马松说。 更多阅读 英国《每日邮报》相关报道（英文）
标签: genes
