Each cell in our body includes the full copy of the DNA. Only a small part of the DNA in these cells contains genes, that carry the information to make proteins. Other genes hold instructions to produce different kind of molecules called RNA. There are large and small RNA molecules. In our laboratory, we study the newly discovered family of the tiny microRNA genes, and test if they may be responsible for the response of humans to trauma.
The newly discovered family of "microRNAs," many of which have emerged during primates' (apes, gorillas, etc.) evolution are excellent candidates to be involved in response to trauma. Scientists have known about these miniature genes, 100 times smaller than "regular" genes, for <30 years. Nevertheless, those researchers who discovered them won the Nobel prize in 2006 and made a major impact on our understanding of how the brain functions and how it sends messages to the body. We suspect that these microRNAs are very important to our trauma reactions. So, to understand what happens under trauma, let us discuss the way microRNAs function.

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Go to source: https://kids.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/frym.2018.00076