Tool Kit Genes
by MikeGeneIn his book Endless Forms Most Beautiful, Sean Carroll explains the role of tool kit genes in the development of organisms. Tool kit genes express products that in turn regulate whether or not other genes are turned on during embryological development. As such, most of them are transcription factors that bind to regulatory regions of a gene, regions Carroll refers to as switches. What thus determines whether or not a particular gene is expressed during development is the combination of activated and repressed switches as a consequence of the composition of the tool kit gene products.
The teleological echo of all this can be seen from more than one angle.
July 24th, 2007 at 12:49 am
I noticed this when I did the Darwin or Design interview with him.
Although no doubt all of these machine analogies are just coincidence
Comment by thesciphishow — July 24, 2007 @ 12:49 am
July 24th, 2007 at 9:12 am
Jason,
Not at all, an ID Creationist designed those analogies on purpose!
Comment by salimfadhley — July 24, 2007 @ 9:12 am
July 24th, 2007 at 3:37 pm
More accurately, the obvious analogies were discerned although it took no great insight to see the parallels.
Comment by Bradford — July 24, 2007 @ 3:37 pm
July 24th, 2007 at 8:24 pm
Behe didn't seem to be as impressed by Carroll's attempt at explaining how multicellular organisms may have evolved. His discussion of Carroll was difficult to follow, even on a second reading. I should probably read Carroll's book, first. But I think Behe's point was that random use of the toolkit probably wouldn't result in designing new body plans.
Comment by Bilbo — July 24, 2007 @ 8:24 pm
July 24th, 2007 at 8:30 pm
I still think it is a huge leap to go from some genes that obviously influence body plan, to actually building that body plan from the cells up.
Where does the rubber actually hit the road???
Comment by mcromer — July 24, 2007 @ 8:30 pm
July 25th, 2007 at 12:01 am
Hey Mike,
I was wondering if you've yet to read Robert G. B. Reid's recent book in the Vienna Series of Theoretical Biology entitled "Biological Emergences: Evolution by Natural Experiment". I've only just started it myself but it looks like it may be up your alley.
Comment by Dane Parker — July 25, 2007 @ 12:01 am
July 25th, 2007 at 12:17 am
Thanks, Dane.
Comment by MikeGene — July 25, 2007 @ 12:17 am
July 25th, 2007 at 12:22 am
Hi Bilbo,
Carroll's book is good, but it seems to run out of steam in the last few chapters. The very last chapter has a short section on ID and Carroll takes a swipe at it (and Behe), but it's really pretty lame. In fact, he quotes someone who seriously misrepresents Behe.
Comment by MikeGene — July 25, 2007 @ 12:22 am
July 25th, 2007 at 10:09 am
Yeah, I know Carroll doesn't like ID. The question is whether the discovery of toolkits can be used in understanding how ID may have happened, as you are exploring. I think there may be a difference of opinion between you and Behe on this. Though maybe not. Behe still leaves open the possibility that the designer somehow frontloaded the universe for life. So frontloading the first cells seems somewhat less daunting. I think the difference between you and Behe may focus on the role of randomness.
Comment by Bilbo — July 25, 2007 @ 10:09 am