Genetic structure can be altered, yes.
Chemicals, radiation and sheer chance can cause changes in the way DNA is replicated - known as "transcription errors". Some of the changes may be beneficial, or survival traits, in which case they tend to breed into the community - longer legs, stonger teeth, a better defence mechanism - others are "neutral", like eye or hair colour, and may or may not remain.
Still others are harmful, and the organism probably won't live to breed, or will have difficulty attracting a mate, so that particular mutation will die out again
If you're talking about intentional, designed changes to genetic structure, that's a science which is still in its infancy. Gene splicing has been done on an limited basis, but we're not yet at the stage of being able to give somebody a shot of "new DNA" and have their entire body change overnight.
That is, so far, in the realms of science fiction - which is a shame, because it would be really nice to be able to replace that section of the genome which expresses as, say, diabetes or Parkinson's... or to be able to take a blood sample from an unborn child, identify and replace the defective gene sections which may cause a birth defect.
One of the major roadblocks to the research is the fact that nobody knows how to handle the moral issues involved. For example... nobody would argue with a parent electing to have a defect-causing genetic structure replaced in their unborn child... but should they make changes for eye colour? Hair colour? Height? weight? strength? intelligence? sex ?
It's theoretically possible that, in the future, we will be abe to tinker with a child to make it "perfect", but it will be an expensive process... so, should rich parents be able to buy their child physical superiority over everyone else?
Of course, plant and animal breeeders have been doing this for centuries, breeding for appearance, function, good milk yield.. but the improvments were made in the old, Mendelian way, and didn't show up until a few generations later
Although, come to think of it, somebody else had the idea to do the same with people, back in the middle of the last century... you know, tall, blond hair, blue eyes, heavy Nordic accents and nice teeth? And it was't a very popular plan with us little brown-eyed people! :-)
2006-12-22 02:21:22
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answer #1
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answered by IanP 6
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yes ,
its possible. and it is counted in the field of genetic engineerimg.
this is the most popular field of genetics now.
.....in this sort of engineering, one's genetic information
is changed.
METHOD:
its almost four step method
(i) getting gene of interest
ii) enodonuclease enzyme
iii) inserting or sealing of dna
first the gene that want to be changed is taken out which is cut by a molecular scissor this is an enzyme.
after that the other gene by which the first is replaced
is taken usually from bacterial dna.
...than insert the foreign gene into the individuals dna
by a molecular carrier called Plasmid.
the two dna fragment are then sealed by the enzyme
"LIGASE".
It usually help to cure many genetic diseases
or replacing any defective gene from the body.
2006-12-22 03:16:34
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answer #2
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answered by tranquality213 2
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Yes, it is possible.
1. Mutation is the transformation of some of the bases of the DNA to a different base which results in altered DNA code. Mutation can be caused by X-Rays or irradiation, chemical mutagenesis such as ethidium bromide or EMS, there are other toxic chemicals that will do this.
2. Rearrangements can be made in DNA. This can be done by introduction of foreign DNA into a cell and allowing recombination to introduce the foreign DNA into the chromosome. This can result in insertions, deletions, and duplications, all of which alter the DNA.
2006-12-22 02:14:08
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answer #3
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answered by btpage0630 5
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Yes it is possible. Gamma rays can knock out a section of the DNA molecule resulting in a change in the genetic sequence. This is called a "mutation". Some mutations are good and some are bad. This is the proof that evolution is real.
2006-12-22 01:57:35
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answer #4
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answered by Paul H 6
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YES
(i) mutagens for example, where you induce random mutations at either points (single base pair) using chemicals like EMS or ENU (in say your life, like tobacco smoke, dioxanes etc) or large deletions and chunks by irradiation (e.g. xrays)
(ii) translocations (again random) where you move dna around within, for example retroviruses, transposable elements etc
(iii) molecular biology (recombinant DNA is its old name) where you insert newgenes (transformation, transduction) into the organism
AND SO ON
(topical...GMO or genetic modified organisms (transformed) are an example in the media.
2006-12-22 02:27:26
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answer #5
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answered by symbiont 2
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Yes. It is called mutations. There are several chemicals that may cause it and are called mutagenic. They may not affect you, but mutations is what causes cancer, so we try to identify them and avoid them.
There are techniques to cause change in specific points of the genome. It require cloning to insert the altered cell nucleus into a zygote and generate the whole animal with that trait. That's how they generate knockout and experimental animals to understand how genes and diseases work.
2006-12-22 02:11:11
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answer #6
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answered by dahfna 3
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Change in information that saved in DNA called mutation and factor that makes this change called mutant. Very kind of material that we use in life classified in mutant material. For example smoking and anti insects spray and etc.
Now look that this material how affect on DNA information. There are three big class of mutation: Point mutation, fragment mutation and chromosomal mutation.
Point mutations take place in single nucleotide and it can be different type:
1 ) deletion of one nucleotide
2 ) changing of one nucleotide to other nucleotide
3 ) to add one nucleotide between other two nucleotide
1st and 3rd are very dangerous because it change reading frame!
Fragment mutations take place in one part of DNA in single chromosome and it can be different type:
1) Deletion of one segment
2) Movement of one segment
3) Reversing of one segment
4) Crossing over between two chromosomes
Chromosomal mutations take place in one or more chromosome and it can be different type:
1) deletion of one chromosome or more(terner syndrome )
2) to add one or more to genome (down syndrome)
3) duplication of total of genome (very observed in plants)
2006-12-22 02:32:28
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answer #7
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answered by Dr. MO 1
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so that you're saying you do not believe data and position self belief in magic? I believe the data - results of the large Bang were detected and the evolution of animal existence has been shown. As for conception, i position self belief in God and that too many human beings attempt to outline what he/she thinks, does and did. this does not replace the data that evolution and the large Bang are actual.
2016-12-01 02:10:56
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answer #8
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answered by ? 3
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