i heard a case in which two cells actually fuse..if they have different sex chromosomes, hermaphroditism results. if the same, the offspring has two sets of DNA....what is this occurence called?
2006-12-09 15:05:36 · 9 answers · asked by vincent m 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
Yup, that actually occurs. The phenomenon is called MOSAICISM and a patient with two sets of chromosomes does not always result in hermaphroditism, This also happens in a small subset of chromosomal disorders like Downs Syndrome.
2006-12-09 15:55:35 · answer #1 · answered by virtuoso_pianist 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No such thing. You can't have two full complements of chromosomes. Trisomies of most chromosomes are lethal and are the reason for many miscarriages. Those that are live births are grossly deformed with limited life spans (exception is trisomy 21, Down Syndrome). You can get two cells of different species to fuse using PEG in the lab, but it doesn't form a living being. As a side bar, everyone has two TYPES of DNA. Genomic DNA that you usually think of as your genes and mitochondrial DNA located inside your mitochondria, inherited only from your mother.
To respond to the mosaicism theory proposed below, mosaicism is the existance of two or more separate cell lines in an organism. It doesn't mean that the DNA is fused in the same cell.
2006-12-09 15:25:10 · answer #2 · answered by molecular-mom 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends in what kind of cell you are referring to. If you mean two diploid cells (have two sets of each chromosome) then the resulting cell fusion would be tetraploid (four sets of each chromosome).
PS I'm curious as to how it was proposed that hermaphroditism resulted from two fused cells with different sex chromosomes. In humans, this doesn't make sense. Assuming the zygotes survives, the offspring would be a male (the extras X's would form bar bodies. A hermaphrodite would be chimeric, meaning having two different cells: one XX and the other XY in this example.
2006-12-09 15:25:18 · answer #3 · answered by niki jean 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The resulting individual is called a Chimaera after the mythical Greek beast that was a conglomerate of multiple creatures.
2006-12-09 15:09:06 · answer #4 · answered by Lucan 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A caller on the late-night radio talk show Coast to Coast AM was a genuine Chimaera. Funny, really; he always felt like someone else... ;-P
2006-12-09 15:18:20 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Meosis
2006-12-09 15:07:06 · answer #6 · answered by Pandora 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I don't know the answer, just wanted to say it's not meosis though.
2006-12-09 15:09:34 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
a chimeara I believe... very rare but did show up on CSI (like all highly rare and/ or improbable events)
2006-12-09 15:08:32 · answer #8 · answered by Lucas W 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I heard somewhere that is was called Polyploidy...
2006-12-09 15:23:42 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋