Cells Get Two Chances, Not Just One, To Fix Their Mistakes
Thursday, March 19, 2009 - 09:39
in Health & Medicine
Cells have two chances to fix the same mistake in their protein-making process instead of just one -- a so-called proofreading step -- that had previously been identified, according to new research. Proteins are essential to life and do most of the work in cells, so avoiding mistakes during their production is a critical way to prevent a variety of harmful conditions that result when mutations cause damage or when cells die.