Comment by themafia

14 hours ago

It doesn't really. The START and STOP codons define clear cut frames for your cells to use. Think of your DNA like ECC memory. There's a bunch of extra stuff in there which makes it suitable for use as a memory storage. It has nothing to do with the actual replicated genes and their associated proteins or the role of those within the body.

The really cool part about that storage is it is environmentally sensitive. So as the environment changes around your DNA it's shape slightly changes and so the available START sites also change which alters the types and numbers of genes that are copied for use.

Biology isn't one system it's dozens all stacked and layered on top of each other. It's like trying to understand computing by watching what individual electrons do. Of course it looks messy. On the larger scale it's far more elegant.

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themafia

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dekhn  14 hours ago

start and stop codons are not as clear cut as you're implying (there are often several start sites), and variable splicing adds a bunch more stochasticity.

  • themafia  13 hours ago

    There are also 6 potential open reading frames in any span of DNA. 3 phases and two directions. You're looking at it backwards though. The fact that there are options means the DNA can have the same meaning but a different electrochemical signature. It's a structural memory. It's both your genes and the necessary gradient to cause them to arrange in your chromosomes correctly.

    You call it stochastic. I call it scaffolding.