On the Origin of The Immune System Export

@article{citeulike:4455790, abstract = {Did the immune system evolve to keep out harmful organisms, or is it like a bouncer at a nightclub, trained to allow the right microbes in and kick the less desirable ones out? In the fifth essay in Science's series in honor of the Year of Darwin, John Travis explores the evolution of the immune system.}, author = {Travis, John}, citeulike-article-id = {4455790}, citeulike-linkout-0 = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.324_580}, citeulike-linkout-1 = {http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/324/5927/580?sa_campaign=Email}, citeulike-linkout-2 = {http://view.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19407173}, citeulike-linkout-3 = {http://www.hubmed.org/display.cgi?uids=19407173}, comment = {A mess of a confused article. Starts out with how a recent trial of ID Vs Darwinians used a vast amount of literature to support the Darwinian point of view w.r.t the immune system. The article then meanders towards RAG genes and how they control variety in the adaptive arm of the immune system. It then presents some findings that apparently argue that the RAG genes were introduced into the genomes of "jawed" vertebrates by a viral or a bacterial invasion somewhere along the way. The logic in this stream of thought is hurried and poorly explained. At this point in the article, anyone who is not in the field of immunology can easily argue that aliens came down to earth with the RAG gene and injected it into whoever had a jaw. The article follows this up with recent findings that RAG genes can be present in non-jawed species as well, makes some passing mentions of intestinal flora, bouncers etc. and ends with a casual statement that the next ID Vs. Darwinian trial will have a lot more literature on the evolution of the immune system. If this essay aimed to tell me anything concrete about the evolution of the immune system, it failed completely and hopelessly. Avoid.}, day = {1}, doi = {10.1126/science.324_580}, journal = {Science}, keywords = {evolution, immunology, origins, perspective, read, review, science}, month = {May}, number = {5927}, pages = {580--582}, posted-at = {2009-05-08 02:12:17}, priority = {2}, title = {On the Origin of The Immune System}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.324_580}, volume = {324}, year = {2009} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:4455790 L3 - citeulike-article-id:4455790 N2 - Did the immune system evolve to keep out harmful organisms, or is it like a bouncer at a nightclub, trained to allow the right microbes in and kick the less desirable ones out? In the fifth essay in Science's series in honor of the Year of Darwin, John Travis explores the evolution of the immune system. IS - 5927 JF - Science EP - 582 TI - On the Origin of The Immune System VL - 324 SP - 580 KW - evolution KW - immunology KW - origins KW - perspective KW - read KW - review KW - science N1 - A mess of a confused article. Starts out with how a recent trial of ID Vs Darwinians used a vast amount of literature to support the Darwinian point of view w.r.t the immune system. The article then meanders towards RAG genes and how they control variety in the adaptive arm of the immune system. It then presents some findings that apparently argue that the RAG genes were introduced into the genomes of "jawed" vertebrates by a viral or a bacterial invasion somewhere along the way. The logic in this stream of thought is hurried and poorly explained. At this point in the article, anyone who is not in the field of immunology can easily argue that aliens came down to earth with the RAG gene and injected it into whoever had a jaw. The article follows this up with recent findings that RAG genes can be present in non-jawed species as well, makes some passing mentions of intestinal flora, bouncers etc. and ends with a casual statement that the next ID Vs. Darwinian trial will have a lot more literature on the evolution of the immune system. If this essay aimed to tell me anything concrete about the evolution of the immune system, it failed completely and hopelessly. Avoid. AU - Travis, John PY - 2009/05/01/ UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.324_580 ER -