Animation of Long-Term Potentiation and DNA

Readers of Exaptation will note that a recent post dealt with Long-Term Potentiation, or LTP. LTP is related to the manner in which signals travel in the brain (very simplified explanation!).

This animation of LTP explains the process in much greater detail. Other visualizations relevant to understanding some of the scientific research regarding autism include:

• DNAinteractive has a variety of visualizations and learning materials on DNA, but the section on the “Code” is the best introduction to understanding how molecular biologists and geneticists think about DNA
• this section of Transcription animations attempts to illuminate one part of how we go from DNA to proteins

Admittedly, these are complicated topics, but it’s important to educate ourselves a bit so that we can appropriately assess research, or the lack thereof, on theories of causation, treatment, and cures for autism.