The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine:

October 7, 2024
by rajeev
0

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation. for their discovery of a fundamental principle governing how gene activity is regulated. They discovered microRNA, a new class of tiny RNA molecules that play a crucial role in gene regulation. Their groundbreaking discovery revealed a completely new principle of gene regulation that turned out to be essential for multicellular organisms, including humans.

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for 2023 had been awarded to Katalin Kariko, and Drew Weissman for their discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against Covid-19.

The 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is awarded to Svante Pääbo for his discoveries concerning the genomes of extinct hominins and human evolution.

FACTS AND FIGURES

Alfred Nobel

(1833-1896), the inventor of dynamite and holder of 355 patents,established the Nobel Prizes “for the Greatest Benefit to Mankind”. The foundations for the prize were laid in 1895 when Alfred Nobel wrote his last will, leaving much of his wealth to the establishment of the Nobel Prize. The first Nobel Prizes were awarded in 1901, five years after Nobel’s death. Since
1901, the Nobel Prize has been honoring men and women from all corners of the globe for outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and for work in peace. In 1969, another prize was added “The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic
Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel”. The Prize includes a Nobel diploma, a medal, and 10 million Swedish crowns per prize. All Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, except for the Nobel Peace Prize, which is awarded in Oslo, Norway. Norway and Sweden are
situated in Scandinavia, northern Europe. Oslo is the capital of Norway and Stockholm is the capital of Sweden.

DNA COMPARISON WITH RNA

Comparison	DNA	RNA
Full Name	Deoxyribonucleic Acid	Ribonucleic Acid
Function	DNA replicates and stores genetic information. It is a *blueprint for all genetic information* contained within an organism	RNA *converts the genetic information contained within DNA to a format used to build proteins*, and then moves it to ribosomal protein factories.
Structure	DNA consists of *two strands*, arranged in a double helix. These strands are made up of subunits called nucleotides. Each nucleotide contains a phosphate, a 5-carbon sugar molecule and a nitrogenous base.	RNA only has one strand, but like DNA, is made up of nucleotides. I strands are shorter than DNA strands. RNA sometimes forms a secondary double helix structure, but only intermittently.
Length	*DNA is a much longer polymer than RNA*. A chromosome, for example, is a single, long DNA molecule, which would be several centimetres in length when unravelled.	RNA molecules are variable in length, but much shorter than long DNA polymers. A large RNA molecule might only be a few thousand base pairs long.
Sugar	*The sugar in DNA is deoxyribose*, which contains one less hydroxyl group than RNA’s ribose.	*RNA contains ribose sugar molecules,* without the hydroxyl modifications of deoxyribose.
Bases	The bases in DNA are Adenine (‘A’), Thymine (‘T’), Guanine (‘G’) and Cytosine (‘C’).	RNA shares Adenine (‘A’), Guanine (‘G’) and Cytosine (‘C’) with DNA, but *contains Uracil (‘U’) rather than Thymine.*
Base Pairs	Adenine and Thymine pair (*A-T) Cytosine and Guanine pair (C-G*)	Adenine and Uracil pair (*A-U)* Cytosine and Guanine pair (*C-G*)
Location	DNA is found in the nucleus, with a small amount of DNA also present in mitochondria.	RNA forms in the nucleolus, and then moves to specialised regions of the cytoplasm depending on the type of RNA formed.
Reactivity	Due to its deoxyribose sugar, which contains one less oxygen-containing hydroxyl group, DNA is a more stable molecule than RNA, which is useful for a molecule which has the task of keeping genetic information safe.	RNA, containing a ribose sugar, is more reactive than DNA and is not stable in alkaline conditions. RNA’s larger helical grooves mean it is more easily subject to attack by enzymes.