Tom Hiddleston (via clenchuplegolas)
#just standing around and touching him
(via skarletfyre)
(Source: nomadichead)
grantaire-put-that-bottle-down:
Harry Potter wizarding genetics decoded
If the wizarding gene is dominant, as J.K. Rowling says in her famous series of Harry Potter books, then how can a wizard be born to muggle parents (non-magical people)? And how can there be squibs (non-magical people born into wizarding lines)?
It seems these baffling genetic questions have finally been answered, thanks to Andrea Klenotiz, a biology student at the University of Delaware.
In a six-page paper, which she sent to Rowling, Klenotiz outlines how the wizarding gene works and even explains why some witches and wizards are more powerful than others.
“Magical ability could be explained by a single autosomal dominant gene if it is caused by an expansion of trinucleotide repeats with non-Mendelian ratios of inheritance,” Klenotiz explains.
What does this mean?
In school we learn the fundamentals of genetics by studying Gregory Mendel’s pea plant experiments and completing basic Punnett squares. Basically, we’re taught that whenever one copy of a gene linked to a dominant trait is present, then the offspring will exhibit that dominant trait, regardless of the other gene.
However, Non-Mendelian genes don’t follow this rule, which is the basis of Klenotiz’s argument. She says that the wizarding gene could be explained if it’s caused by a trinucleotide repeat, which is the repetition of three nucleotides — the building blocks of DNA — multiple times.
These repeats can be found in normal genes, but sometimes many more copies of this repeated code can appear in genes than is standard, causing a mutation. This kind of mutation is responsible for genetic diseases like Huntington’s Disease. Depending upon how many of these repeats occur in the genes, a person could exhibit no symptoms, could have a mild form of the disease or could have a severe form of it.
In her paper, Klenotiz argues that eggs with high levels of these repeats are more likely to be fertilized, a phenomenon known as transmission ratio distortion. She also suggests that the egg or sperm with high levels of repeats is less likely to be created or to survive in the wizarding womb.
This argument answers several questions about wizarding genetics:
How can a wizard be born to muggle parents?
Genetic mutations can randomly appear, meaning anyone could be born with the wizarding gene. However, there’s a better chance of magical offspring occurring if the parents are on the high side of the normal range for mutations.
How can a squib be born to wizard parents?
Although parents with these mutated magical genes would be likely to pass the gene on to their children, there’s still a possibility that any given offspring might not inherit the trinucleotide repeat.
How can varying degrees of magical ability be explained?
The more repeats a wizard inherits, the stronger the magical power he or she will have. If both wizarding parents are powerful wizards, it’s likely their offspring will also be powerful.
You can read Klenotiz’s full paper on wizarding genetics here.
Far and away one of the nerdiest things I’ve ever read. Love it.
but if you’ve never seen this movie though
I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS MOVIE
WHAT’S WRONG WITH HIS FACE WHY IS IT JUST HIS FACE WHAT
WHY DOES LEONARDO DICAPRIO RANDOMLY HAVE A CAT ON HAND
WHY DOES THE MAN WITH THE WEIRD FACE NOT LIKE THE CAT
WAS WEIRD FACE GUY MAKING OUT WITH THE CHICK OR
THAT’S NOT LEONARDO DICAPRIO OMFG
THAT IS BRENDAN FRASER AND HOW HAVE YOU NEVER SEEN THIS YOU POOR UNEDUCATED SOUL.
HAVE YOU NEVER HAD A SUBSTITUTE IN HISTORY CLASS?
just one more episode episone eapison seapson season
(Source: laughawayeternity.tumbl.com)
this is too flipping adorable omg
That’s not what I expected to see at the bottom
(Source: sherlockspeare)
of course guys think its attractive to have low self esteem it means they’ve succeeded in forcing you to internalize the bullshit that makes them the arbiters of your self worth and gives them power over you for your whole life don’t fall for it love yourself and delete what makes you beautiful from your itunes
if a dude says he specifically finds shyness or ‘vulnerability’ (ugh) attractive; run far, far away. preferably after putting him into a bin and rolling it down a hill.
Does anyone else feel like that friendship not being valued is a very gendered thing? There is like no shortage of media celebrating the relationships between dudes, and those narratives can be considered serious work. Yet, similar stories told about women’s relationships with each other are pretty much universally dismissed as “chick lit”, “chick flicks” etc.
It seems to me that it is not that friendship is not celebrated, but that a woman is first and foremost defined by her romantic and sexual relationships because they’re assumed to be with a man, and everything should center around men.
IDK, I could be majorly off base.
i dont understand people who only sleep with one pillow
Put all of these on Netflix and i’ll stop bitching…
(Source: nevillles)
if you’re a girl and you call everyone “bro” you need to stop because you sound unattractive and stupid
if you’re a person who thinks someone shouldn’t be allowed to use certain words because of their gender you need to stop because you sound unattractive and stupid
