Friday, December 4, 2015

Turtle and Human, Same Skin?

Considering a turtle has a hard shell back and humans, well obviously, don't, you would never guess they actually come from the same gene.  According to a study done by Leopold Eckhart from the University Department of Dermatology at MedUni Vienna, the Epidermal Differentiation Complex (EDC) gene's basic organization is similar in turtles and humans.  The shell of the turtle was formed as a result of mutations in EDC.



This study shows that "evolutionarily related genes have a protective function both in humans and turtles".  As a result of this study they hope to have a better understanding of protein interactions and potentially lead to medical applications, in improving treatments for skin problems (related to EDC gene mutations) such as psoriasis.

I think that this article / study is very interesting especially with the fact that this opens up doors into understanding skin diseases and issues relating to EDC, and in the future can help with treatments and health advancements, etc.

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2 comments:

  1. Jennafir ErnstDecember 4, 2015 at 6:06 PM

    This is so interesting, I had no idea! I love turtles, so I love that there are some similarities. Thanks for posting this!

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  2. Joshua PaganDecember 5, 2015 at 6:18 PM

    I got really worried when I read this title because, last time I checked, I have pretty smooth skin and not turtle like skin. I am happy though that this discovery can help with skin conditions. It covers our whole body and protects our whole body. When the first line of defense for the human body is compromised by a skin problem, it is nice to know that advancements are being made to fix them.

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