Re: Genetic engineering--replacing melanin with chlorophyl
Area: Genetics
Posted By: Dr. Ofer Markman, Post Doc, Physiology, Hebrew U. School of medicine
Date: Sun Oct 5 03:07:25 1997
Area of science: Genetics
ID: 874299726.Ge
Message:
Dear Patrick,
You asked
"Is such a thing at least theoretically possible?"
And the answer is complex,
Exchanging melanin gene to chlorophyl is not that easy because chlorophil
is not a gene. Chlorophyl is a chemical that sits in the complex protein
of the photosystems of the plant chloroplasts.
In order to do so you would have to put the whole mechanism to produce
chlorophylls in the engineered human-being.
Whould the resultant develop green skin - that is another question.
As for technical language
Try
Photosynthesis definitions
Neverthless to get a feeling of what can be done see a nice idea on porphirins in blood where they are talking about
the possibility to make such molecule fluoresce.
I would also send you to read on gene therapy which is a very wide subject
to which you could find but a nice start would be UCSD Gene theraphy HomePage and
also in
Original Summaries of Selected CANCERLIT Records on Gene Therapy
Please feel free to call me at any time
Ofer Markman
Current Queue |
Current Queue for Genetics |
Genetics archives
Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on Genetics.
MadSci Home | Information |
Search |
Random Knowledge Generator |
MadSci Archives |
Mad Library | MAD Labs |
MAD FAQs |
Ask a ? |
Join Us! |
Help Support MadSci
MadSci Network
© 1997, Washington University Medical School
webadmin@www.madsci.org
Page generated by
MODERATOR_1.2b: Tools for Ask-An-Expert websites.
© 1997 Enigma Engines for a Better Universe:
We are forever combustible, ever compatible.