MadSci Network: Genetics
Query:

Subject: Hypothetical gene-replacement and (lack of ?) effects on phenotype.

Date: Mon Aug 15 09:26:26 2005
Posted by Alex
Grade level: nonaligned School: No school entered.
City: No city entered. State/Province: No state entered. Country: France
Area of science: Genetics
ID: 1124115986.Ge
Message:

I have another question that I'll present in a humorous way, but is to my mind 
quite pertinent.
Suppose that by magic or very-high-tech science, the genes that gave me male 
pattern baldness, early sexual maturity, stocky built, short stature, dense 
chest- and back- hairiness and brown eyes, were instantly replaced by genes 
coding for a permanent mane, gradual puberty, leptosomic built, high stature, 
moderately hairy or glabrous body and blue eyes.
Would I undergo visible changes?
My layman's opinion is: Not at all. I wouldn't experience a physiological time-
travel, become younger and re-do my puberty, my growth plates wouldn't be 
reactivated, my pate's hair-follicles wouldn't be revived, my body hair 
wouldn't fall, my morphotype would stay thickset, my irises would not lose 
pigment.
This hypothetical manipulation would make me able to transmit this different 
physiology and this other phenotype, but not to possess them.
Thanks for your opinion, and be as technical as you wish, I'll check the terms 
I don't know.



Re: Hypothetical gene-replacement and (lack of ?) effects on phenotype.

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