Spec Tech: Evolution, Devolution, microRNAs, and You

In my previous column on “Monsters” I discussed the genetic basis for the Cyclops and the Werewolf. Then, in “More Monsters,” I discussed the homeotic genes that act as master regulators of organ identity. But really those genes are so last century. They all code for proteins, and it is the proteins that do the……

Spec Tech: More Monsters or The Beast with a Million Eyes

Last year (September 2, 2010), I posted a Spec Tech column on “Monsters.” In that column I looked at the genetic basis for the Cyclops and the Werewolf. Here I’ll consider mutations that involve homeotic genes and the monstrous results that can arise. First we’ll look at how homeotic genes function in a flower, and……