Re:Prions
by im3w1l on Monday April 19, 2021 @11:06AM
(#26863528)
Prions are misfolded proteins. Because of mutations our proteins have tiny variations in them and it should not surprise me if some of them are more prone to misfolding than others. Currently it barely matters, but in a world rampant with prions, wouldn't we evolve more stable ones?
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Re:Prions
by marcosdumay on Monday April 19, 2021 @11:27AM
(#26863807)
There's some space for prion evolution, but it's a very small set of possibilities. And more importantly, the little they can evolve, they do so at random, there is no genetic recombination step to merge the selection of unrelated features.
You misread me.
Re:Prions
by marcosdumay on Monday April 19, 2021 @01:08PM
(#26865200)
Oh, indeed I misread it.
Re:Prions
by hannasanarion on Monday April 19, 2021 @11:36AM
(#26863937)
Evolution doesn't do magic.
You could just as well ask, "in a world with solar UV rays, wouldn't we evolve cancer resistance?"
Arguably, we did. Our scalp is protected by hair, our flesh is covered by a skin, and the skin can tan. Then there are dna repair mechanisms, and apoptosis as the final line of defence.
Cancer mainly takes the old, and is certainly no threat to the survival of mankind.
Re:Prions
by throwawayfeaxcz on Monday April 19, 2021 @12:00PM
(#26864259)
We have evolved UV ray resistance, it's called being black.