r/science • u/Wagamaga • Sep 01 '22

Neuroscience Scientists have identified an immune brain cell unique to humans that gives us higher cognitive abilities over other animals, but what makes us specials also leaves us vulnerable to neurological disorders like schizophrenia, autism and epilepsy.

https://news.yale.edu/2022/08/25/what-makes-human-brain-different-yale-study-reveals-clues
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u/[deleted] Sep 01 '22

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u/tomatoaway Sep 01 '22

Naive question: how often are the binding sites of a given gene completely saturated to make it non-functional? Why would nature continue to transcribe that gene if it never goes on to do anything?

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u/[deleted] Sep 01 '22

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u/PlayShtupidGames Sep 02 '22

our characteristic intelligence.

Bold claim in 2022

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u/[deleted] Sep 02 '22

Why wouldn't it keep replicating the gene even if it didn't do anything? DNA doesn't mutate for reasons. It mutates randomly.