Unsolved problems in biology

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Some unsolved problems in biology include:

Life

How and where did it start?
How widely distributed is it?
What are the conditions necessary for the origin of life?
Is it possible for humans to stop the aging process?

DNA / Genome

What is the evolutionary origin of every gene and every base pair?
What is the Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA)?
What is the complete structure and function of the proteins expressed by a cell or organ at a particular time and under specific conditions?
What is the complete function of the regulator genes?
The C-value enigma: what are the functions of noncoding DNA, and why do different organisms have very variable amounts of it?

Consciousness / Self

What is it?
Why is it necessary for many animals (especially mammals) to dream?
What are the inheritable characteristics of intelligence?

Bioelectromagnetism

How do animals possess long-range navigation and migration abilities?
How was the homing ability developed?
How can some animals detect earthquake precursors?
What are the effects of natural electric fields?

Viruses / Immune system

What are the signs of current or past infection to discover where Ebola hides between human outbreaks?
What is the origin of antibody diversity?

[edit] See also

Unsolved problems in medicine

[edit] External links

Science Frontiers (bimonthly newsletter)
- Digests of reports that describe scientific anomalies.
"Electronic properties of DNA". Physics World. August 2001.
Wikibooks Unsolved problems in biology.