Friday, November 27, 2009

The discovery in 1953 of the structure of the molecule of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) by James Watson and Francis Crick gave rise to modern biotechnology as we know it today. In previous studies by Watson and Crick's discovery it was known that DNA stores genetic information (inheritance) in all living things. It was also known that DNA was formed by the combination of smaller molecules called nucleotides. The nucleotides in turn consist of a sugar (deoxyribose), a phosphate and one of the four following bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine and thymine or abbreviated A, G, C, T. Also it was known that, although the proportion of these nucleotides was different in each DNA molecule, provided the number of Aes was equal to the Tees and the number of Cs was equal to Ges.

Watson and Crick, using these and other data, found that the DNA molecule consists of two long strands (each of them a chain of nucleotides) that are wound together resulting in a double helix like a spiral staircase . The side or "railing" of the ladder is made up of sugars (deoxyribose) and phosphates and the rungs are base pairs. In this structure, adenine always pairs with thymine (AT, TA) and cytosine pairs with guanine (CG, GC) and only allowed the pairings. The type of nucleotide and the sequence-order-known that these molecules are arranged is the way genetic information is written using a kind of alphabet of 4 letters.

The DNA molecule has the ability to unfold and may serve as a template to give rise to another identical molecule, and this is how genetic information passes from father to son. The key lies in how this occurs in the complementarity of the bases adenine makes the match only with thymine and cytosine only with guanine. In general, a cell has a very sophisticated machinery that allows for very accurate copies of the DNA molecule, whether there are different repair systems. However, sometimes there are failures. When this happens it is said that there has been a mutation (ie, a genetic error) and if it can become sufficiently important to change information that carried the DNA molecule.

The chromosomes and genes
If all the DNA in the nucleus of human cells should be found stretched would measure up to 1.8 meters, or about 300,000 times more than the core diameter. To avoid this problem, DNA is highly folded to form structures called chromosomes. The human genome consists of 23 pairs of chromosomes. Each chromosome is a single molecule of DNA which in turn is composed of thousands of nucleotides. If written in the alphabet of 4 letters all the genetic information that contains a human cell would fill a book with more than 500,000 pages. Therefore, the three characteristics that allow the DNA molecule to be the repository of genetic information of an organism are that the DNA molecule contains information based on the order and composition of the nucleotides that form, that is capable of pass this information from generation to generation because each string can serve as a template to manufacture its complement, and that is flexible, allowing you to store all the information required to be a living being is and perform their duties in a space as small as intracellularly.

9. Proteins
In a single chromosome, and therefore a single DNA molecule, many genes are aligned. In general, the gene is called DNA fragment that carries the information to synthesize a protein. It is important to note that although the DNA that stores genetic information of an organism, proteins are running such information and which are molecules essential for all aspects of structure and cell activity. There are many different proteins (eg hemoglobin, keratin hair and nails, collagen, hormones such as insulin, antibodies, enzymes, etc.), but they are all formed by the combination of only 20 types of molecules more Small called amino acids. As in the case of DNA, is the sequence in which amino acids are arranged such that unlike other protein but only by the fact that the specific amino acid sequence of a protein is conferred by the forms it takes in space and that is absolutely basic to its function. When a protein loses its native form is said to be denatured and the denaturation usually involves a loss of protein activity.

Messenger RNA
Although every cell of an organism have the information necessary for all bodily functions, each cell type is specialized to perform a particular function. So skin cells perform different functions that the liver cells. The difference lies in the type of proteins present and necessary in each cell. Therefore, each cell type is characterized by generating, ie express, only some of the genes in their genomes available. When a cell needs a protein should go get the information to produce it in their DNA. In the case of eukaryotic cells, DNA is found in the cell nucleus, however proteins are produced in another part of the cell called the cytoplasm.
I know that may sound a little awkward, a bit utopian, middle Maturana or even naive, but there is a trend that all information that is site is categorized, sorted and grouped by similar characteristics. Following this argument, I think there will come a time that will be a separate code format or file extension you go up to the network, either an image (jpg), a flash (swf), a quicktime (mov) a text (txt), a web page (html), etc. we will say that this is exactly what is there, so to speak in one language form. When this happens (and is happening), all the information in the network shall have a common denominator that will cross the information of various kinds to get mixed results, so for example, you're such a photo, the results probably suggest other similar photos (not the file name or by their category but by their similarity of structure), just as a song, video or any file above. For example, not necessarily when you search for a disc you suggest other NIN discs that group, but some films by David Fincher or David Lynch for the aesthetics, the environment and the concepts that lead these works.

The concept of using labels or "tags" that indicate what type of files are we are working is a first step to enhance the similarity of documents and generate search results that suggest files with similar characteristics. When speaking of the DNA of information I mean a structure described in a simple and specific, a common language that is understandable by a system. For example, when we speak of human DNA, it can be represented by a sequence of genes (genome structure) with an established nomenclature, represented by a "3-letter words" consisting of 3 nucleoids (by way of example, ACT , CAG, TTT).

Similarly I think the future of all information in the network is similar to the structure of DNA, where a picture of a skier leaping in Valle Nevado will TFA, TGA, MCC, etc. .. But the vital question is this ... What is the criterion for establishing this new language? Will the denotative characteristics (structural qualities such as shape, dimensions, etc ... that are inherent in the document in question and relate to objective)?
The current trend is that the network is made up of people, with a search for experiences that allow you to identify and represent not so much abstract thinking (which is why the growth of blogs, communities, sites with feedback etc. Because it seeks dialogue, feedback generated solutions, similar to our own experiences that foster a sense of belonging). With this in mind, everything suggests that the criterion for generating a classification of information will be semantics, which represents, it seems, what is your interpretation, which generates feeling. To put it in more common terms, when you find a funny video on Youtube does not write "180 cm tall man who changes his center of gravity compared to a disruption of inertia caused by contact with an element of the nature of dimensions 20 cm and Radio 4 cm "but" idiot takes a peak with banana ". The latter search is fraught with subjectivity and probably has more hits than the first.
Microsoft is already working on the concept of DNA information from their photos to "Photosynth". Brendan Dawes using "processing" generated what he calls "Cinema Redux", a sort of fingerprint of films, with information consists of a small sample of 8 x 6 pixels of different frames during the films.
The idea of classifying all semantically (that is, what it means) is related to the first approaches to a concept of Web 3.0. with sites smarter, more consistent results suggesting the user, more proactive, synchronized, more unified. Web 3.0 is known as "semantic web", where the search results provide meaning.


Now, understanding that the basis of DNA information in the network is based on the meanings of our archives, we have to wonder who moderates these results or simply be assigned by users? There will be some software or system to recognize the significance of what we're up here? We'll have to learn to speak a new language?
If we think that these meanings will be awarded by the heads of big technology companies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon or Apple would make me question the real interests behind a search. In fact, nowadays if you open your mail from gmail (google) you will see that there are notices around that suggest you to purchase goods and services related to the contents of your mail. That scares me a little.

But back to business a bit ... if we were to set a criterion and a common language, who would be awarded for this great power? We would talk all "apple semantic" or "google semantic"? Not religious myself and without any prejudice of those who are, reminds me a little of the history of the Tower of Babel, where at first all spoke one language and when they started building a tower to reach heaven, above God is collapsed and ended up speaking all different languages. I do not know if Bill Gates or Steve Jobs are gods (or demons ... jejeje) and want to speak only their language, but history has always been examples of that pride is punished in some way ...
By the time the network is fed by what their users interpret relevant and assigned to their documents, something close to a virtual democracy. According to Tim Berners-Lee, the network will be as obvious as it seems obvious the web today. Hopefully never lose power over the network, as communities, as individuals, with unifying elements, as competitive differentiators.