Is there a cell biologist in the house?

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08-02-2007, 06:57 AM
Duck on Wheels

Is there a cell biologist in the house?

This is not an emergency. More of a professional question. As a sociologist of science I wind up sticking my nose into a lot of other scientists' fields of expertise. Now I'm sorting through a megastack of articles on DNA match probabilities in forensic science, and I think I may have stumbled over a flaw in their math reasoning concerning the way they're applying (or merely ritually mentioning?) Harvey-Weinberg equilibrium. But I'd better check with an expert (or two or three) before I go charging out into print with an exposé. If there's anybody here who can check my reasoning, PM me and I'll get back to you with what I've got.
08-02-2007, 07:03 AM
mimitabby

oh yah. I can help you with algebra.
and I know what Mitochondria are. :cool: ;)
08-02-2007, 07:14 AM
uk elephant

Show me when I get there next week if that is soon enough. I do have at least some basic knowledge of Harvey-Weinberg from learning/teaching biology....

or just give me a call.....
08-02-2007, 07:25 AM
Duck on Wheels

Quote:

Originally Posted by uk elephant

Show me when I get there next week if that is soon enough. I do have at least some basic knowledge of Harvey-Weinberg from learning/teaching biology....

or just give me a call.....

OK. I'll pick out some examples and take'em home tomorrow. What got me suspicious it that Harvey-Weinberg shows that no distribution is inherently unstable over generations, as long as mating is random, the loci in question aren't linked, and mutation is negligible. (Am I on track so far?) What's suspicious to me is that they claim to have tested for H-W equilibrium based on a simple distribution of alleles among a one-time sample from a couple hundred individuals where almost no alleles of the loci they're looking at occur more than once in the entire sample. But that is what they claim to have done, and claim thereby to have more or less proven that the loci are not linked, where somewhere along the line before they get that far they seem to be building on the assumption that the loci are not linked. Circular ...? Or maybe I'm missing something. We'll see what you think when you get here.
08-02-2007, 07:45 AM
Zen

Do you have to perform an experiment of your own making using Harv-Wein? Or examine someone elses experiment?

You can't prove the loci aren't linked (at least you can't know the loci aren't linked) unless you're the one collecting the samples. If you're relying on their claim of no link, you're the one making the assumption.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mimitabby

oh yah. I can help you with algebra.
and I know what Mitochondria are. :cool: ;)

I love mitochondria. They're my favorite organelle. Go mighty mitochondria!!!
But I suck at algebra.
08-02-2007, 12:24 PM
alpinerabbit

Cell biologist by training but I suk at statistics. Sorry gotta bail out.
08-02-2007, 02:38 PM
jobob

Quote:

Originally Posted by zencentury

I love mitochondria. They're my favorite organelle.

Is that 'cuz you know that mitochondrial DNA is only passed down from mother to child ?

Quote:

Go mighty mitochondria!!!

Here, here! Woman power. :cool:

(sorry Duck, I can't help you on your question either...)
08-02-2007, 03:25 PM
Dianyla

Quote:

Originally Posted by jobob

Is that 'cuz you know that mitochondrial DNA is only passed down from mother to child ?

Yay for mtDNA!! I'm waiting anxiously for my the results from the kit that I sent to the National Geographic Genographic Project for mitochondrial tracing. :D
08-02-2007, 03:37 PM
Zen

Quote:

Originally Posted by jobob

Is that 'cuz you know that mitochondrial DNA is only passed down from mother to child ?

(sorry Duck, I can't help you on your question either...)

No (but that's pretty cool too) It's because of ATP (my favorite molecule:D )