Talk:Gene duplication
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Clarification
The significance of this process for evolutionary biology is that if a gene is under natural selection, many mutations will lead to loss of functionality and thus are selected against. When a gene is duplicated selection may be removed from one copy and now the other gene locus is free to mutate and discover new functions.
I don't understand this part at all, can someone try to explain it in other words? Thank you, --Abdull 19:34, 20 May 2006 (UTC)
- My advice, don't read "The Selfish Gene", a college level genetics text will be much better. Science popularizers usually have agendas, and none as shameless as Dawkins.
- Firstly, the wording does make sense. Let's say you have one copy of a gene that makes an important protein necessary in metabolism. Mutations in that gene that alter its functionality are subject to natural selection and so are weeded out of the population. If however, there is a gene duplication, a mutation in one copy is not selected against because the other copy of the gene is still making that protein. The mutated protein is then available to be co-opted into other uses. Oh and read The Selfish Gene! — Dunc|☺ 19:59, 20 May 2006 (UTC)
Change your see aslo
Change you see also it is offensive