Genetic Engineering 101

This post is designed for those of you who have read Maximum Ride, think Genetic Engineering must be cool because it was used to make the flock, and yet have no idea what it is.

What is Genetic Engineering?

Genetic Engineering is the manipulation of an organism’s genetic code for the purpose of changing some aspect of the organism.

Is it real or fiction?

It’s real.

How does it work?

There are three methods at the moment:
1) Selective Breeding: Where organisms are bred to have certain traits. Examples of this include the Banana and Corn.

2) Single-cell revision: The organism has it’s genes edited when it’s still at the single cell stage, before it splits or very soon after. Has been done in labs. Patterson’s flock technically falls into this category.

3) Retroviral revision: The older organism has it’s genes edited through manufactured viruses. This can be done in a lab, but hasn’t been done yet to larger multi-celled organisms

How far are we from being able to be like Max?

Very far, I assure you. While our understanding of genetics is good, to make something like max would require a complete understanding of both bird and human genomes, something which we don’t have yet, and would require complex grafting between the two in addition to some improvisation to make them fit together.

Show me a picture of Genetic Engineering!
... you asked for it.

They couldn't get it to make a perfect ear though, it was more that they instructed cartilage cells to grow there, and put a roughly ear-shape mold over the growing area. The engineering in this case is more in "cartilage grow here" than "make an ear"

Or, used in the plant world:

This plant was infused with the gene that's responsible for producing the chemical reaction that makes fireflies glow.

Tags: 101, engineering, genetic

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by nathan_p on August 6, 2009 at 2:05pm: This thread is win.

In addition to which... Lego Genetics goes a little more into the stitching-genomes-together bit.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by EndOfTheEarth on August 6, 2009 at 3:13pm: Cool link, wish I'd known about it before.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Janeal Dyer on August 7, 2009 at 1:31pm: I am glad that someone out there knows that it is real.. Thank you very much.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Janeal Dyer on August 23, 2009 at 12:30am: ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Siver Tiped Wings on September 15, 2009 at 7:13pm: hi viset
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folow me; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Janeal Dyer on September 18, 2009 at 9:18pm: sure, will you click mine; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Fallen*Angel on September 19, 2009 at 12:27pm: CLcik mine please!!!! Idk y...but click it!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Aurora on October 6, 2009 at 8:36pm: plz click mine?
" target="_blank">plz click mine?
" target="_blank">" target="_blank">; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by EndOfTheEarth on August 18, 2009 at 8:03pm: Yeah, really real.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kelsey on August 27, 2009 at 8:37pm: really really real. and absolutley horrible, yet so freakin intersting.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by OoOo CrAzY OoOo on September 18, 2009 at 10:31pm: genetic engineering is more real than it should be... the things that happened in Maximum Ride books are more real than most people relize.. it's terrible and sad.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Maus on September 18, 2009 at 10:36pm: No...

Nothing that is in MR is actually real.

In fact that was the point of the thread.

To disprove that MR shows correct genetic engineering.; ▶ Reply to This