Are there any limits to the forms life can take?
Will genetic engineering be able to create completely new animals or will it be altering existing life forms?
2007-08-16 18:48:04 · 7 answers · asked by Chris tf 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
genetic engineering currently consists mostly of taking proteins that have single functions in one organism and transplanting them into other organisms, hoping that they will do the same thing in the new organism. building completely new animals is nowhere near practical - even just altering developmental genes to build a slightly different organism hasn't been attempted as far as i know... although mutations in developmental genes have been studied, the results were random and not intended - science is still in the process of identifying developmental genes and their mechanisms of action.
2007-08-16 19:59:06 · answer #1 · answered by vorenhutz 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
not currently.
Finding sequences in the DNA is pretty hard. The craziest thing i have heard of was puting the gene that makes fireflys glow into a tobacco plant. It created a glowing tobacco plant.
2007-08-17 02:45:28 · answer #2 · answered by travis g 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is a study for creating synthetic organisms. I don't remember the name, but we are decades, maybe centries away from this.
2007-08-17 05:05:38 · answer #3 · answered by mortifiedpengn 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not likely genetics is tricky
2007-08-17 01:55:38 · answer #4 · answered by Chase W 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good question. It seems like it is headed that direction at times.
It gets scarry doesn't it?
2007-08-17 01:57:06 · answer #5 · answered by smittybo20 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not for a long long time. present day technology is way too primitive.
2007-08-17 01:55:00 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i before e except after c
ya... we can create boogy monsters
2007-08-17 01:56:11 · answer #7 · answered by Alex M 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋