From: Rich Graves <llurch@networking.stanford.edu>
Date: Wed, 13 Dec 1995 05:54:07 +0800
To: Scott Binkley <SBinkley@atitech.ca>
Subject: Re: EXON
In-Reply-To: <E343943A01502C79@-SMF->
Message-ID: <Pine.ULT.3.91.951211225521.15475D-100000@Networking.Stanford.EDU>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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On 11 Dec 1995, Scott Binkley wrote:

> Could someone please explain to me what this "EXON" thing is??

A nucleic acid chain (RNA or DNA) is composed of exons, which are 
"active" sequences of nucleotides that are expressed as polypeptides, and 
"introns," what is known as "junk DNA." Only about 2% of the 6 billion or 
so base pairs that make up the human genome are exons.

(There is some controversy in molecular biology circles as to whether 
"junk DNA" is really "junk" just because it doesn't build proteins. It 
could perform a regulatory or "frame-check" function.)

In cryptographic applications, the sequence of nucleotides can only be 
considered random inasmuch as the ratio of exon to intron is unknown.

Hence the inside joke. You see?

There is also a United States Senator James Exon, D-Nebraska I believe, who 
has introduced several restrictive and silly pieces of legistlation 
concerning online privacy rights. "The Exon Bill" claims to hold individuals
and online service providers liable for the transmission of undefined 
"inappropriate" material, such as pornography.

So maybe that's what you've heard people talking about.

Information on Senator Exon is available at all the usual online freedom 
and privacy haunts:

eff.org
cdt.org
epic.org
aclu.org

- -rich

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