• Submit A Nut
KnowledgeNuts
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Home
  • Facts
  • Finance
  • Misconceptions
  • Differences
  • Bizarre
  • Other
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Facts
  • Finance
  • Misconceptions
  • Differences
  • Bizarre
  • Other
No Result
View All Result
KnowledgeNuts
No Result
View All Result
Home Misconceptions

All Humans Have Alien Genes

All Humans Have Alien Genes
209
SHARES
1.6k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
“If it is just us, seems like an awful waste of space.” —Ted Arroway, “Contact” (1997)

In A Nutshell

Conventional science tells us that our genes are passed down from our parents in a vertical, tree-of-life structure. But new research suggests that humans have experienced horizontal gene transfer (HGT)—meaning we’ve acquired foreign or “alien” genes from other organisms in our environment—in at least 145 cases. However, our human DNA has also invaded other organisms, including the genome of the bacteria that causes gonorrhea. Even the oxygen we breathe exists because of HGT.

The Whole Bushel

Related articles

80 Percent Of All Medical Studies Are Lies

80 Percent Of All Medical Studies Are Lies

May 3, 2023
The Great Wall of China Isn’t Visible from Space

The Great Wall of China Isn’t Visible from Space

April 27, 2023

Conventional science tells us that our genes are passed down from our parents and other ancestors in a vertical, tree-of-life structure. For humans, that means sexual reproduction determines our genetic makeup. But new research suggests that humans have also experienced horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in at least 145 cases. You can think of us as alien hybrids or genetically modified humans. Either way, it’s time to rethink our notions of evolution. We’ve been swapping genes with other species since ancient times, and they’re now an integral part of our DNA.

HGT is a process that occurs frequently with single-celled organisms like algae and bacteria. Scientists believe that’s why bacteria have been able to evolve so quickly and develop such strong resistances to antibiotics. Some animals like nematode worms are believed to have received genetic material from plants and microorganisms. Even the evolution of certain beetles has supposedly been affected by HGT. For example, it’s believed that the transfer of bacterial genes into some beetles has allowed them to develop the enzymes to digest coffee berries.

ADVERTISEMENT

However, in humans and other complex animals, the extent of HGT’s effect on our biology has become a subject of intense debate and sometimes denial. If scientists from the University of Cambridge are right, HGT may have altered the evolutionary path of humans. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like we’ve been trading genes with an advanced race.

According to the Cambridge study, humans possess at least 145 foreign genes, mostly from bacteria and protists (also known as protozoa, bacteria, algae and fungi). HGT gave us the ABO blood group gene as well as genes for digestion, immune response, and metabolism. “This means that the tree of life isn’t the stereotypical tree with perfectly branching lineages,” explained researcher Alastair Crisp. “In reality, it’s more like one of those Amazonian strangler figs where the roots are all tangled and crossing back across each other.”

Article Continued Below

But the entanglement in nature goes beyond the organisms that have invaded our DNA. In a sense, we’re polluting bacteria with human DNA, too. A few years ago, scientists discovered human DNA fragments in the genome of the bacteria that causes gonorrhea. “We have never seen a direct DNA jump from a mammalian genome to a bacterial genome,” said Hank Seifert of Northwestern University. Scientists couldn’t tell if the human DNA was functioning in any way. But they were concerned that human DNA may allow the gonorrhea bacteria to adapt to a human host, perhaps interacting with or mimicking the host, with potentially far-reaching consequences.

HGT even affects our ecosystem. For example, about a fifth of the oxygen we breathe is produced through photosynthesis by marine diatoms (tiny, single-celled algae that are smaller than the head of a pin). There are hundreds of thousands of species of diatoms with different DNA sequences. From the small number of diatom genomes that have been examined, HGT from bacteria accounts for many of the diatom genes.

Show Me The Proof

International Business Times: ‘Foreign’ Genes In Humans Come From Bacteria, Viruses And Fungi: Study
Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News: Microorganisms Slipped Genes into Humans, Primates, and Other Animals
New Scientist: Why some gonorrhoea bacteria are a little bit human
LiveScience: The Air You’re Breathing? A Diatom Made That

Post Views: 2,107
Share83Tweet52
ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

80 Percent Of All Medical Studies Are Lies

80 Percent Of All Medical Studies Are Lies

by M.Admin
May 3, 2023
1332

Somewhere around 80 percent of all medical research---the studies that determine what’s good for us and what new drugs are...

The Great Wall of China Isn’t Visible from Space

The Great Wall of China Isn’t Visible from Space

by knowledgenuts
April 27, 2023
7913

Contrary to popular belief that the Great Wall of China is the only man made structure that can be seen...

The Speed of Light is Not Constant

The Speed of Light is Not Constant

by knowledgenuts
April 18, 2023
9393

Most believe that the speed of light is constant and unchanging, but it simply isn’t the case. The speed depends...

Sir Walter Raleigh: To Cloak or Not To Cloak

Sir Walter Raleigh: To Cloak or Not To Cloak

by knowledgenuts
April 5, 2023
1802

Taking the air one day in London, Walter Raleigh saw Queen Elizabeth I in danger of stepping in a mud...

Superstitions Behind Cutting Baby Hair

Superstitions Behind Cutting Baby Hair

by Knowledge Nuts
March 31, 2023
0

With a new bundle of joy comes plenty of choices to make about their care. A baby's first haircut is...

Load More
ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

Your Money’s New Ally: Public Banks and Their Advantages

September 25, 2023
Breaking the Mold: Unconventional Women’s Income

Breaking the Mold: Unconventional Women’s Income

September 25, 2023
Secure Your Summer Finances with the Best Banks of 2023

Secure Your Summer Finances with the Best Banks of 2023

September 25, 2023

KnowledgeNuts.com: Your go-to source for insightful information and financial guidance. Explore, learn, and empower your future with us.

Categories
  • Artist
  • Artwork
  • Attitude
  • Bizarre
  • Business
  • Creative Insight
  • Design
  • Differences
  • Facts
  • Finance
  • Forgotten
  • Forgotten Horrors
  • Innovation
  • Inspiration
  • Learning
  • Listicles
  • Market
  • Misconceptions
  • Other
  • Personal Finance Tips
  • Places
  • Thinking
  • Uncategorized
Tags
aid bad credit Business car insurance cash flow credit debt difference disability Education family Finance finances Financial Aid food government assistance Health healthcare help history home home loans housing how to make money how to save insurance Invest Japan jobs loan loans make money Misconceptions Money myths personal finance quick cash saving money savings side hustle side hustles student student aid Superstitions taxes
Lost your password?
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Mobile Privacy Policy
  • Mobile Terms & Conditions
  • SMS Opt-in

© KnowledgeNuts.com – A Division of Media Comms Networking.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Facts
  • Misconceptions
  • Differences
  • Finance
  • Bizarre

© 2023 KnowledgeNuts.com