X-men like mutations?

[The Peon]

Is it possible to gene splice lets say, a grizzly bears muscle strength and power into human muscles? What about a fleas leaping ability? Will this one day happen?

[ydoaPs]

it could be done in early ebrionic devolopment, i suppose. some things, like laser eyes or controlling weather, will never be able to be done like that, though.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

There's a similar, but opposite, thread here:

http://www.scienceforums.net/forums/showthread.php?t=19771

[The Peon]

There's a similar' date=' but opposite, thread here:

http://www.scienceforums.net/forums/showthread.php?t=19771[/quote']

 

 

Bah that thread doesnt hold a candle to mine

[reyam200]

laser eyes would only be possible with cybernetic inplants. otherwise, a laser of the same power as cyclops of X-men would fry the eyes, unless they were made of a differnet materal. Which the body would probably reject.

[augment]

gene splicing is not anything at all like x-men. In X-Men it happened naturally. Gene splicing is the opposite. It would be cool though to be 5 times stronger than the average human or 3 times smarter. I read an article a while ago that discovered that childhood genius had a unique gene or something. If we could put this gene in ourselves that'd be really cool.

[reyam200]

yes it would be cool, but what if one of those kids turned out to be a criminal? that would be a big problem

[padren]

One issue with genes is that they are instructions on how to build an embyro and turn that into a fetus, and into a baby, and that into a grown human adult.

 

The genes that grow the muscles may or may not be the ones that maintain their cells (not sure how all that works) but you couldn't say, replace your DNA with that of someone taller and have all your bones suddenly want to grow as tall as that person. If we change some maintenance DNA, then that will likely show changes retroactively, but it would probably only work within a narrow range of feasible alterations, dictated by how the DNA does its job in the first place.

 

As for changing the DNA in the fertalized egg before it starts splitting...that could be done, and I think that is how we cloned Dolly for the most part (just replacing all of it instead of part of it).

 

Part of the problem is that it would be largely trial and error, and each error would result in a horrible quality of life (if any) for the test subject child, so if it is going to happen, it will be on a tropical island with a dormant volcano on it, in some mad scientist's lab.

[Sisyphus]

so if it is going to happen, it will be on a tropical island with a dormant volcano on it, in some mad scientist's lab.

 

Thanks for your confidence in my work.

[FreeThinker]

Penetrance is an important factor in gene expression. For example, the disease polyactyl causes the expression of extra digits in certain individuals. However, it other individuals the level of expression varies according to other genes in the genome. Now, imagine inserting the bear muscle cells into a human. Firstly, it would be impossible to predict how the gene would actually behave. If it was expressed, I am guessing that there would be extra requirements for food consumption which would wear out the digestive system quicker. In short, I think such changes are largely unrealistic, not to speak of laser eyes and such. But then again, who would have imagined that we could insert the glowing protein from certain fish into mice? Science never fails to amaze me....

[blue_cristal]

However improbable seem to be, never say "it is impossible" to creative people.

 

If it cannot be done now, it will be done in 100, 1000 or 10000 years in the future.

[insane_alien]

However improbable seem to be, never say "it is impossible" to creative people.

 

If it cannot be done now, it will be done in 100, 1000 or 10000 years in the future.

 

yes well, there are scenarios where impossible really does mean impossible. for instance, it is imposible to go at or faster than c with a chemical rocket. that will be true no matter how big the or how advanced the rocket.