They found that microRNA is a component of messenger RNA, the backbone of DNA that houses the genomic code of all living things, including humans and other larger animals as well as fruit flies. Through their research, Ambros and Rukvun demonstrated how microRNA controls the process of cell differentiation in multicellular organisms, leading to the same genome code being encoded in the chromosomes and becoming the intestinal, muscle, nerve, and many other cells that make up a large organism like a human. Cancer cells and other defective components in the human body and other creatures may also result if the microRNA misdirects this act of cell differentiation.
Our chromosomes contain information that can be compared to an instruction manual for every cell in our body. Since all cells have the same chromosomes, every cell has identical genes and precisely the same set of instructions. However, the properties of various cell types—such as muscle and nerve cells—vary greatly. What causes these variations? Gene regulation provides the solution by enabling each cell to choose only the pertinent instructions. This guarantees that only the appropriate genes are active in each cell type.
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