Latest news with #mutation
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Even More People Are Sharing The Ways They've "Won The Genetic Lottery," And To Say I'm Jealous Is An Understatement
Recently, I wrote an article sharing people's answers to the question, "In what small way have you won the genetic lottery?" and in response, even more people detailed their own genetic "wins." It's always fun to appreciate the positives about yourself, so I decided to share! Here are some of the best: 1."I don't have B.O. when I sweat, and I've read it's a genetic mutation. I don't wear deodorant, and I've gone a whole 10 days without a full shower (camping), and my pits and feet don't smell. Only one of my kids got this genetic gift, and the other kid is so bummed that they started getting B.O. at 11." —Anonymous, 48, Los Angeles, CA 2."I have no wisdom teeth, none. I was also born without tonsils." —Anonymous, 45, Dallas, TX 3."I have naturally long and curled eyelashes. They are blonde, so I have to use mascara, but I've never used an eyelash curler in my life. People assume I'm wearing falsies." —Anonymous, 34, Long Beach, CA Related: 4."I have naturally big lips that people made fun of me for as a child, and now everyone is jealous of my naturally plump big lips. Thanks, Kardashians." NBC —Anonymous, 28, NJ 5."I've had abs since I was 7. I'm female, and neither of my parents has a very athletic build, but it's very easy for me to just always have them. Even if I've gained weight in my face or body, my abs always show through." —Anonymous, 22, PA 6."My irises have gradually turned a gold/yellow color. They're basically a combination of several colors, and, when mixed together, they look gold. I get a lot of comments on them and people ask if I wear contacts." —C., 30s 7."I have never experienced a headache. It's difficult for me to even imagine what it would feel like. Once I had a full-blown migraine attack with sensory aura, nausea, and sensitivity to sounds and smells, but no headache." —Anonymous 8."I've got great skin! Inherited from my mom, who is in her 70s and has never had any work done, but looks like she has. Terrible spine and joint problems, though. 😒" —Anonymous, 43, Brooklyn 9."I'm resistant to COVID-19. Everybody in my workplace got it, and I didn't. My husband even got it, and I still didn't get it." TBS —Anonymous Related: 10."I'm lucky two different ways. I never had wisdom teeth, and I don't get caffeine headaches on days I don't have caffeine." —Anonymous, 45, IL 11."My mom's side of the family has a gene mutation that leads to a very aggressive form of stomach cancer that can't be caught early enough to effectively treat. Turns out, I don't have it! It's one of the gene mutations where if you don't have it, your kids won't either. Neither I nor any of my cousins have it, so we don't have to worry about it anymore!" —Anonymous, 21, AR 12."My hair is not graying. I'm 71 and have long blonde hair. My sister grayed at age 30." "My mother had three sisters. The oldest did not go salt and pepper gray until she was nearly 90. We all thought she was lying and dying it! But then she started going salt and pepper at nearly 90. The second oldest grayed at 50. The third grayed at 40 and the youngest grayed at 30. So it seems that somehow the oldest grays late and the youngest grays early." —Anonymous, 71, TX 13."My dad and I don't get hangovers. My mom, sister, and brother hate that! We do get bad reactions to bug and bee stings, but on the whole, pretty happy about my luck!" —Kristin, 53 Related: 14."I don't really scar. I've had stitches more than once, along with some serious injuries. After about two years, all scars disappear." —Anonymous, 42, CA 15."I'm immune to jellyfish stings! I found this out by swimming through a huge school of jellyfish, and my sister got stung, but I didn't." —Anonymous, 31, MN 16."Mosquitoes don't seem to like me. I've had, maybe, four bites in my life (all before the age of 12, and have had none since). Kind of a weird flex, but super handy!" —Anonymous, 24 17."I have freakishly good eyesight. I can read signs at 35+ feet away. I didn't realize how special that was until I had kids. One can see 20/20, but I can see way farther than him, easily. It's not even close!" "I also have always had clear skin. No acne as a teen! At 46, most people think I'm 30. When I was younger, it was annoying that I always looked so much younger than I was, but now I'm enjoying it and trying to stay in good shape so the inside matches the outside!" —Anonymous, 46, US 18."I was born without tonsils, which is chill because that, plus my immune system, means I've only ever been seriously sick twice, once with COVID and once when I got mono." —Anonymous, 37, CA 19."I'm not allergic to poison ivy/oak/sumac. I've been exposed to all of them often and have never gotten a reaction. I'm either very lucky, or immune, but I don't plan on testing that theory any time soon." —Anonymous, 46, Washington, DC 20."Not a particularly fun or sexy one, but I have naturally low blood pressure, which vastly reduces my long-term risk of stroke and heart disease." —Anonymous, 36, North Carolina Related: 21."I have an extra artery supplying blood to my retina in each eye. It's called a cilioretinal artery. If the main artery is ever damaged or blocked, it can cause immediate vision loss in that eye. My vision would be protected though, because the extra artery would continue to supply blood to my retina." —Anonymous 22."Redhead here! I have extremely decreased pain. (Broke three bones, and each time I had no clue until an X-ray.) I helped someone move on a broken foot! Had no clue until I was limping later." "I'm a woman and was 6'2" by my 13th birthday, so I guess that counts for something too." —Anonymous, 25, GA 23."I have freakishly nimble and long toes that I can pick things up with. It's nice because I don't have to bend over to pick things up." ABC —Anonymous, 36, MA 24."I inherited my dad's ability to not get hangovers, no matter what I drink!" Netflix / Via —Anonymous, 41, TX finally: "I inherited amazing hearing from my grandmother. Many a time, I've heard people whispering in other rooms, and shocked them by commenting on what they'd said." AEW / Via —Anonymous, 38 What d'you think? Do you have any of your own "genetic lottery wins" to share? Let me know in the comments! Or, if you prefer to stay anonymous, you can check out this anonymous form. Who knows — what you share could end up as part of a future BuzzFeed article! Also in Goodful: Also in Goodful: Also in Goodful: Solve the daily Crossword
ABC News
16-06-2025
- Health
- ABC News
How prepared will Australia be for the next pandemic?
American scientists say a virus found in bats in parts of China is mutating at an alarming rate. It's already jumped species and now many fear it has the potential to one day infect humans. Alysia Thomas-Sam reports.
Gizmodo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Gizmodo
Barely Sleep and Still Feel Fine? Thank Your Lucky Genes
Boy, some people have all the genetic luck. In a recent study, scientists describe a newly discovered mutation that allows humans to naturally sleep much fewer hours a night without any negative health effects. Researchers in China conducted the study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The mutation was found in a 70-year-old healthy woman who's lived her whole life barely sleeping. The findings could someday help us understand how to better treat sleep disorders that plague the rest of humanity, the researchers say. Most people need around seven to nine hours of sleep a night for optimal health. But there are some out there who are so-called natural short sleepers, able to rest between four and six hours every night without experiencing the symptoms of sleep deprivation (not to be confused with the roughly one-third of people who sleep less than seven hours a night and suffer for it). Research has found that these individuals tend to carry unique genetic mutations. So far, scientists have found mutations in four different genes (DEC2, NPSR1, GRM1, and ADRB1) tied to natural short sleep. But the researchers behind this new study have now found another: the salt-inducible kinase 3, or SIK3, gene, named after the protein it makes. SIK3 is a protein kinase, a type of enzyme. It's thought to play a role in our metabolism, but past research (mostly in mice) has also suggested that it helps influence sleep duration. The team analyzed the sleeping patterns and DNA of their volunteer. Though she reported usually only needing three hours of sleep a night, actigraphy recordings (movement at night typically captured via wristwatch) found that she actually slept a still very breezy 6.3 hours a night on average. The team's genetic exploration also identified a particular mutation in the SIK3 gene—dubbed N783Y—that seemed to explain her natural short sleep. To confirm their discovery, they engineered mice with the same mutation, and found that they too slept less than normal mice did. The mutation appears to inhibit SIK3's ability to transfer certain molecules to other proteins as usual, particularly proteins important to the synapses, the connections that form between neurons. 'These findings underscore the conserved function of SIK3 as a critical gene in human sleep regulation,' the authors wrote. Perhaps only around 1% of the world's population are natural short sleepers. But the lessons we learn from unraveling their unique genetic gift could help scientists find new drug targets for treating sleep disorders. The study researchers have already found some evidence that other protein kinases similar to SIK3 also play a part in affecting our sleep duration. 'These findings advance our understanding of the genetic underpinnings of sleep, highlight the broader implications of kinase activity in sleep regulation across species, and provide further support for potential therapeutic strategies to enhance sleep efficiency,' they wrote. In any case, here's hoping scientists also discover the genetic reason why my cat has to wake me up at 6 in the morning rain or shine, despite knowing that breakfast is hours away.
