SilasPartners.com - Let's talk about mistakes better known as mutations in the process of cell replication and protein synthesis. It is an irrefutable fact that if the DNA language becomes garbled or a word misspelled, the cell may make the wrong protein, or too much or too little of the right one - mistakes that often result in disease and death. In some cases, such as sickle cell anemia, just a single misplaced letter is sufficient to cause disease. (1)

Of course, evolutionists argue that survival of a species is enhanced by changes in its genetic code (a phenomenon scientists have been unable to demonstrate).  And at the same time, they admit that survival of a species, in the short term, requires accurate replication of the genetic code during reproduction.

So which is it? Evolutionists appear to require both the best and the worst performance from DNA simultaneously in order to fit their evolutionary models. Is that even possible?

DNA science confirms only the model which conserves DNA integrity in reproduction. In fact, DNA has an extremely accurate mechanism and method for copying DNA sequences before a cell divides.  It also has an extremely accurate mechanism and method for repairing any accidental mistakes that occur during reproduction.(2)

To truly appreciate how remarkable this reproduction and repair process is, consider how fast DNA replicates. An average human chromosome is composed of a single DNA molecule containing 150 million nucleotide pairs.(3) Before a cell can divide, it must produce a new, identical copy of each of its 46 chromosomes and its constituent DNA. It does this by running up and down each strand of DNA and making a duplicate copy of each nucleotide, linking them one to another as a chain link.

The rate of duplication and chain link assembly is about 50 nucleotides per second in mammals, that's 50 nucleotides per second!(4) This duplication and chain link assembly is so fast it must appear chaotic but every nucleotide must know exactly where to line up. If they didn't, disaster would strike, like the single misplaced nucleotide that is sufficient to cause sickle cell anemia. Indeed, if precision and order were not a part of such a fast moving operation, how could the fidelity of copying DNA during replication remain so high? This could never occur randomly. But what happens when mistakes do occur?

The stability of the DNA code depends as much on DNA repair mechanisms as it does on the accurate duplication mechanism of the DNA strand. Thousands of random changes occur in the DNA of a human every day. So how is that only a few mutations accumulate. We now know that less than one mutation in a thousand accidental base changes in DNA causes a mutation.(5) It is the process of DNA repair that eliminates the rest with such remarkable efficiency.

This is accomplished by a large variety of DNA repair enzymes that continuously scan the DNA like a medic on the front lines of war. These "DNA Doctors" actually scan the helical strands for errors. When an error is identified, the repair mechanism excises the mistakes and replaces them with the correct DNA sequence. These repairing enzymes can correct errors ranging from a single nucleotide to an entire region. So, what happens when these enzymes are not doing their job? One answer is cancer.

In Bloom's syndrome, an inherited human disease, an individual's DNA repair mechanisms are defective. Consequently, these individuals have a dramatically increased incidence of cancer. In fact, literally thousands of human diseases are associated with genetic mutations.(6) A recent reference book of medical genetics listed some 4,500 different disease associated with genetic mutations.(7) Other diseases implicated by mutations in the DNA sequence include hereditary high blood levels of cholesterol, (hypercholesterolemia), and cystic fibrosis.

In conclusion and based on our understanding of DNA technology, mutations should not be regarded as beneficial, and certainly not the basis for human origin through evolutionary theory.


Notes:
1. "The Human Genome Research Project: From Maps to Medicine" The National Human Genome Research Institute (visited Oct. 20, 1999) .
2. Bruce Alberts, et al., MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE CELL 222 (2d ed. 1989).
3. Id. at 515.
4. Id. at 222.
5. Id.
6. David A. Demick, "The Blind Gunman," Institute For Creation Research Impact Series 308 (1999).
7. Id.