Genes Alter Speech
Researchers found a little family in Australia that can’t talk very well (the women have weak, husky voices, and men couldn’t speak barely above a whisper). So scientists at the University of New South Wales’ St. George Hospital studied their genes and found interesting discoveries. The problem with the family was found in chromosome 8. They called the discovered gene Tospeak. The chromosomes had been rearranged altering the gene. Tospeak RNA is an important for the development of the larynx. GDF6 is the neighboring gene. And this gene has to do with bone and eye development. The family had diffused bones on their ankles and wrists, and in their spinal column so scientist believe that this has something to do with the speech problem. Tospeak first appeared in primates. And when it was found in humans scientists noticed that part of the control panel that controls Tospeak was overlapping, there for making the GDF6 gene altered and causing the problems with the vocal cords. Then they thought that the brain had something to do with it. That you had to have a brain to speak, but even if you have a brain, you might not be able to talk.
This is an article called A Gene Critical for Speech by Tina Hesman Saey.
Web Edition: Friday, October 23rd, 2009
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/48680/title/a_gene_critical_for_speech
If the scientists wouldn’t have looked further into the past at other primates do you think they would have figured out that the gene is critical for speech?
If they wouldn’t have found this family with speech problems would we know about the genes GDF6 or Tospeak?
Do you believe that its not just the diffusion of the genes? But maybe something else too?
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No, I don’t think scientists would have found that gene is critical for speech if the hadn’t went back and looked at past primates. I do believe it’s more than just diffusion of the genes, but im not sure what the something else is though.
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I agree, I don’t think that scientists would have found that gene if they didn’t look at past primates. However, not only is this just a diffusion of the genes, I also believe that the ability you have to speak has to do with the way you are raised and how you are taught.
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