Skin Color Secret Found
Red Herring, US
__________
Scientists announced on Thursday that they have found one of the major genes involved in defining human skin tones, a development likely to kindle new controversy in the fast-evolving science of genetics.
“In human history we’ve made such a big deal of physical differences between populations, and the most noticeable one—that of skin color—is due to such a minor change,” Keith Cheng, the Penn State associate professor who led the research, told RedHerring.com. A detailed report of the research is featured on the cover of Friday’s issue of the journal Science. While the gene, technically known as SLC24A5, is only one of many involved in determining skin color, it is believed to play a significant role in the difference between African and European skin tones.
Although any practical use of the knowledge remains many years off, the development is sure to fuel controversy over the notion that it could be used to help determine skin color in humans. The researchers believe the discovery is more likely to advance the understanding of human disease.
The scientists “accidentally” made the discovery as part of their cancer research. While looking for a gene associated with light skin pigment in an animal called a zebrafish, they found a strong connection between this gene and a gene found in humans. It has long been known that skin color in both zebrafish and humans is determined by a pigment called melanin, which is responsible for protecting darker-skinned people from the sun’s radiation.
Dec 16, 2005
Red Herring, US__________
Scientists announced on Thursday that they have found one of the major genes involved in defining human skin tones, a development likely to kindle new controversy in the fast-evolving science of genetics.
“In human history we’ve made such a big deal of physical differences between populations, and the most noticeable one—that of skin color—is due to such a minor change,” Keith Cheng, the Penn State associate professor who led the research, told RedHerring.com. A detailed report of the research is featured on the cover of Friday’s issue of the journal Science. While the gene, technically known as SLC24A5, is only one of many involved in determining skin color, it is believed to play a significant role in the difference between African and European skin tones.
Although any practical use of the knowledge remains many years off, the development is sure to fuel controversy over the notion that it could be used to help determine skin color in humans. The researchers believe the discovery is more likely to advance the understanding of human disease.
The scientists “accidentally” made the discovery as part of their cancer research. While looking for a gene associated with light skin pigment in an animal called a zebrafish, they found a strong connection between this gene and a gene found in humans. It has long been known that skin color in both zebrafish and humans is determined by a pigment called melanin, which is responsible for protecting darker-skinned people from the sun’s radiation.
Dec 16, 2005
