Syllabus: Paper I > 2.5 Kinship > Kinship terminology and theory
Gene Expression — 2023 Paper I
Question · 2023 · Paper I · 10 Marks
Gene expression
Model Answer
VAID ICSIntroduction Gene expression is the molecular process by which information encoded in DNA is translated into functional proteins, governing human traits. Described by Francis Crick’s Central Dogma (1958), modern biological anthropology studies gene expression to understand human adaptation, phenotypic variation, and gene-environment interactions.
Body
- The Biological Mechanism
- Transcription: RNA polymerase synthesizes a messenger RNA (mRNA) copy from a DNA sequence.
- Processing & Translation: Eukaryotic mRNA undergoes splicing and is exported to ribosomes, where it is translated into a polypeptide chain (protein).
- Regulation and EpigeneticsGene expression is not static; it is heavily regulated by promoters, enhancers, and epigenetic mechanisms(like DNA methylation). Nutrition, stress, and climate can alter gene expression without mutating the underlying DNA sequence, leading to developmental plasticity.
- Anthropological Significance (Human Variation & Adaptation)
- Gene-Culture Coevolution: The continued expression of the LCT gene (producing lactase) into adulthood among European and African pastoralists is a regulatory mutation driven by the cultural practice of dairying.
- Environmental Adaptation: Exposure to high UV radiation upregulates the expression of the MC1R gene, increasing melanin production to protect against folate degradation.
- Acclimatization: Hypoxia at high altitudes alters the expression of HIF (Hypoxia-Inducible Factor) genes to increase red blood cell production.
Conclusion In physical anthropology, understanding gene expression proves that genotype does not mechanically dictate destiny. Rather, human phenotypes emerge from a highly regulated, dynamic interaction between hereditary blueprints and biocultural environments.
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UPSC Anthropology Optional 2023 — Paper I
28 questionsSyllabus: Paper I > 6. Anthropological Theories > Globalization and culture
Syllabus: Paper I > 9.3 Mendelian population and Hardy-Weinberg law
Syllabus: Paper I > 1.6 Phylogenetic status, characteristics and distribution > Australopithecines
Syllabus: Paper I > 5. Religion > Anthropological approaches to the study of religion
1(b) Cultural impact of Iron Age
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 1.8(b) Cultural Evolution > Iron Age
1(d) Customary laws and Environmental conservation
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 4. Political Organization and Social Control > Customary law
Syllabus: Paper I > 8.1 Research Methods > Fieldwork tradition in Anthropology
Syllabus: Paper I > 12. Applications of Anthropology > Nutritional anthropology
1(e) Gene expression
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 1.7 The biological basis of life > Gene and protein synthesis
Syllabus: Paper I > 3. Economic Organization > Impact of globalization
5(c) Glottochronology
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 7. Culture, language and communication > Language change
Syllabus: Paper I > 1.4 Human Evolution and emergence of Man
Syllabus: Paper I > 1.8(b) Cultural Evolution > Mesolithic
Syllabus: Paper I > 2.3 Marriage > Rules of marriage
5(d) Menopausal symptoms
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Syllabus: Paper I > 11.1 Relevance of menarche, menopause and other bio-events to fertility
3(c) What is mixed-longitudinal method of studying human growth ? Discuss its merits and demerits.
15 Marks
Syllabus: Paper I > 10. Human growth and development > Methodologies for growth studies
Syllabus: Paper I > 1.8(b) Cultural Evolution > Palaeolithic
Syllabus: Paper I > 12. Applications of Anthropology > Forensic Anthropology > Personal identification
Syllabus: Paper I > 6. Anthropological Theories > Culture and Personality > National character studies
5(a) Polygenic Inheritance
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 9.2 Mendelian genetics in man > Polygenic inheritance
Syllabus: Paper I > 12. Applications of Anthropology > DNA technology in diseases and medicine
5(b) Prehistoric significance of Rakhigarhi
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 1.8(b) Cultural Evolution > Harappan sites
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1(c) Race and Ethnicity
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 9.5 Race and racism > Race and ethnicity
1(a) Scope and relevance of Social and Cultural Anthropology
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Syllabus: Paper I > 1.3 Main branches of Anthropology, their scope and relevance
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5(e) William Ogburn and Cultural lag
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 6. Anthropological Theories > Cultural lag (Ogburn)