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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 02/17/2011 : 06:37:30
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And at this late date, it seems unlikely that I ever will.
On a ship I was aboard years ago, we had a seaman we called "Wipeout." Wipe seemed to stay on medical restriction because every time he got off it, he would go ashore, find the cheapest waterfront buzzsaw available, and soon enough come down with yet another dose of the clap. And yet another 30 days to repent.
I'm not sure why I told that brief and rather pointless story, but it does sorta tie in with this topic because, you see, the gonorrhea bacterium has been found to contain human DNA.
"We has met the enemy and he is us!" 
The first direct transfer of human DNA to bacteria was recently discovered by researchers in an unlikely source: gonorrhea.
Northwestern Medicine researchers discovered that Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacterium that causes gonorrhea, had evidence of a human DNA fragment. And further research shows this transfer as an evolutionary event.
The finding provides more insight into the sexually transmitted disease -- one of few exclusive to humans -- showing its ability to evolve and thrive in its hosts.
"This has evolutionary significance, because it shows you can take broad evolutionary steps when you're able to acquire these pieces of DNA," said Hank Seifert, professor of microbiology and immunology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, in a statement.
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Now they need to examine humans (except Wipeout) to see if we contain any Dreaded Drip DNA amongst our own. If so, we can all evolve together, again except Wipeout, who probably already has.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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Edited by - filthy on 02/17/2011 06:39:36
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I have never met our cousin...
