Changes

'''Pseudogenes''' are genes present in an organism's [[genome]] that have lost the ability to code for proteins due to mutation. <ref name=petrov>Petrov, D.A, Hartl, D.L. (2000). Pseudogene evolution and natural selection for a compact genome. The American Genetic Association 91:221-227. [http://www.stanford.edu/group/petrov/research/16.pdf]</ref> They were first identified and dubbed in the late 1970s when researchers began finding non-coding regions in some organisms that were similar to actual coding genes in other organisms. <ref name=sciam>Gerstein, M, Zheng, D. (2006). The real life of pseudogenes. Scientific American 95:48-55. [http://papers.gersteinlab.org/e-print/sciam2/preprint.pdf]</ref> So far an estimated 19,000 pseudogenes have been identified in the human genome, this is almost equal to the total number of coding genes (21,000). <ref name=sciam /> Pseudogenes have been identified in a wide range of organisms from bacteria to mice to humans, the total number of pseudogenes in a given genome is not predictable but specific pseudogenes are often compared across species to assert complex [[Theory of evolution|evolutionary]] relationships <ref name=sciam /> Humans have many pseudogenes including [[L-gulonolactone oxidase]] which is used to synthesize vitamin c.  

'''Pseudogenes''' are genes present in an organism's [[genome]] that have lost the ability to code for proteins due to mutation. <ref name=petrov>Petrov, D.A, Hartl, D.L. (2000). Pseudogene evolution and natural selection for a compact genome. The American Genetic Association 91:221-227. [http://www.stanford.edu/group/petrov/research/16.pdf]</ref> They were first identified and dubbed in the late 1970s when researchers began finding non-coding regions in some organisms that were similar to actual coding genes in other organisms. <ref name=sciam>Gerstein, M, Zheng, D. (2006). The real life of pseudogenes. Scientific American 95:48-55. [http://papers.gersteinlab.org/e-print/sciam2/preprint.pdf]</ref> So far an estimated 19,000 pseudogenes have been identified in the human genome, this is almost equal to the total number of coding genes (21,000). <ref name=sciam /> Humans have many pseudogenes including [[L-gulonolactone oxidase]] which is used to synthesize vitamin c.  

==Finding pseudogenes==

==Finding pseudogenes==

== Creationist Perspective ==

== Creationist Perspective ==

Creationist scientists assert that pseudogene analysis used to argue to validity of the [[theory of evolution]] is invalid.  <ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/tj/v14/i3/pseudogenes.asp</ref><ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/tj/v14/i3/pseudogenes_genomes.asp</ref>

Creationist scientists assert that pseudogene analysis used to argue to validity of the [[theory of evolution]] is invalid.  <ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/tj/v14/i3/pseudogenes.asp</ref><ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/tj/v14/i3/pseudogenes_genomes.asp</ref>

==See also==

==See also==