Questions: Research for Non-Scientific Purpose

[BuddingAuthor]

Hi All, I Am Looking for a bit of information, as you might note my name i am At the moment attempting to write a book, and am researching for said novel, although it is Sci-Fi/Fantasy in Genre.

 

I Have two seperate questions for the genetisists, (did i spell that right?)

 

My First Question is a little bit silly as it is taken from a video game, it is a theory expressed throughout the Assassin's Creed franchise and i am questioning whether or not it has any validity, it is called the theory of genetic memory on the game, and it says that not only are your genes used to give form, but asa basis for your learning ie. instincts, i hope i explained that right haven't played it for a little while.

 

My second question is about viruses or more specifically RNA and its effects on Animal and Plant DNA, i am not even sue a plant can catch a virusbut anyway, if i remember what they taught me in biology in school, RNA changes a cell and mutates DNA so that it can produce more of the RNA virus i think thats right, but anyway i am asking would it be pssible for RNA to affect DNA in a way that it mutates the cell but not to produce more of the virus or whatever it is but just that Genetic mutation on a massive scale in which the host is completely altered

 

Thanks very much for all your feedback i know this should have probably been psted elsewhere thanks for your time and all that jazz also.

[CharonY]

For the first part, genetic memory, i.e. the notion that memories can be transmitted by genes is mostly nonsense (if that is what you mean). Although of course, brain development (i.e. the basis for memory formation) has clearly a genetic basis.

 

For the second part, all cells can be infected by viruses. A virus is essentially a gene that can move between cells. And yes there are examples were viruses got into an organism and stayed there. You may have a slightly wrong view on how they mutate, though. Essentially the mutation occurs by the virus inserting its genes into the host. This is how it replicates and that is how it persist in a host population. Humans are a good example. We have many areas in our genome that were once active viruses (the genomic landscape is an odd place).

[Mr Skeptic]

For the first question the answer is no. I've heard of some suggestion that part of memory might be stored as patterns of gene expression in cells involving methylation of DNA, but that's just turning some parts of DNA on or off, and more importantly cannot be inherited. There's some epigenetic factors that can be inherited, but they are far too simple to be proper memories (eg important environmental conditions), and while those an be affected and inherited this will not be so through multiple generations. There's no physical reason memories could not be stored and inherited via DNA, but no for any real life earth creatures. Not sure how it might evolve though. You'd probably need to have genetically engineered humans, or aliens, for this to be plausible. From a technological point of view, if we ever do make proper DNA computers we'll get a lot of experience reading and writing DNA and might some day find a way to integrate it into ourselves.

 

For your second question, retroviruses can insert DNA and are used for genetic engineering purposes. These can be used to insert a specific gene into adult cells rather than being dependent on having them at birth. There's a significant risk of causing cancer due to this treatment. Note that we have thousands of genes and at this point trying to completely change the host is going to be a near certain death sentence with our current technology. There's no reason it shouldn't be possible in the (perhaps nearer than you might think) future.

 

I'd say both these are excellent material for science fiction, since they are scientifically viable but for now still fiction, so long as you don't want normal humans to have genetic memory at least.