Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Nilocy]

Well, mucus is everywhere, not just your nose. Its a natural lubricant. Its in your stomach, throat, intestines and your nose obv. Its really handy since it stops germs and particles of stuff getting in.

[ToonyMan]

Well, mucus is everywhere, not just your nose. Its a natural lubricant. Its in your stomach, throat, intestines and your nose obv. Its really handy since it stops germs and particles of stuff getting in.

Don't eat them though!

[Rashilul]

Eating snot and mucus at a young age will help your immune system by exposing you to germs in small amounts.

[Nilocy]

Scientific fact.

[LegoLord]

now whats really interesting, is that this means we can, with the right technology, change people genetics. Interesting huh?

Not really; the RNA injected does not actually replace genetic material.  It merely temporarily adds a function to the cell (though the killing of the cell by the virus normally stops it from wearing off).  RNA can't replace DNA; they're two different things.  Similar, but not exactly the same.  In particular, the type of RNA injected is mRNA (m for messenger), which goes into ribosomes (composed of another type of RNA), where tRNA (translator, I think) assmembles amino acids based on the pattern of the mRNA.  Basically.  I can't remember all the little details.  Also, not all viruses use RNA.  Bacteria-infecting viruses actually use DNA.  That does not replace the hosts DNA either, but instead splices it into the cell's original DNA.

So you're probably wondering, if bacteria-infecting viruses splice in DNA, why can't we alter those to edit our DNA?  Well, that method is ineffective against us, because our DNA is held within a nucleic shell (which bacteria doesn't have).  A completed strand of DNA doesn't get through that easily, and is the main problem with altering DNA of anything other than bacteria.  We can, however, still do amazing stuff based on viruses.  Just not everything you might think at first.

[ToonyMan]

Eating snot and mucus at a young age will help your immune system by exposing you to germs in small amounts.

That's what your grand mother tells you so she doesn't hurt your feelings.

Scientific fact.

XD

[Rashilul]

Yes, but at least she stopped me from eating paint.

[ChairmanPoo]

They have no proper organelles (like mini organs in a cell) and no DNA

There are such things as DNA viruses.

Not really; the RNA injected does not actually replace genetic material.  It merely temporarily adds a function to the cell

It can. Retroviruses, in particular, can integrate genes into the genome. This can be good (long lasting expression) and bad (sometimes it integrates where it shouldn't. At the moment there are several things in the works to address this last bit)

Bacteria-infecting viruses actually use DNA.

Some of them.

So you're probably wondering, if bacteria-infecting viruses splice in DNA, why can't we alter those to edit our DNA?  Well, that method is ineffective against us, because our DNA is held within a nucleic shell (which bacteria doesn't have).  A completed strand of DNA doesn't get through that easily, and is the main problem with altering DNA of anything other than bacteria.  We can, however, still do amazing stuff based on viruses.  Just not everything you might think at first.

Again, retroviruses do manage genome integration. For that matter, you don't really need to get the DNA into the nucleus. For instance, DNA viruses achieve transduction without integrating the payload in the host's DNA. The problem is that the latter usually fail to manage reliable long-term expression.

Also: the reason phages are not used in human gene therapy is that their tropism is for bacteria (obviously), not human cells.

[Nilocy]

I always dislike post wikipedia links, but yeah, we could change our genetics with retrovirus's. Admittedly it'd be really supid to try it atm. But we've already got the human genome mapped, we can insert plastids (not the same thing i know, but its heading in that direction). Retrovirus's for the win.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrovirus

Anyhoo, i feel we should make a new topic to start a biology discussion. I feel this thread might of go a bit off the rails.

How'd the flu doing worker?

[DJ]

So viruses are basically like genestealers? That'd make the leukocytes space marines, I guess. Just imagine this epic battle and you'll feel better, WD. And don't worry, if the 'stealers win, we'll perform an Exterminatus on your body.

[Gunner-Chan]

Wait... Genestealers and Space Marines? ... Does that make Workerdrone a space hulk?

... OH GOD...

INCOMING ON... SIX! DOI SKUMBALL! EAHT MEETTAALL! *Static*

[TheNewerMartianEmperor]

I remember the space hulk computer game. That was hard, and intense, and scary as what-have-you.

[WorkerDrone]

The Exterminatus is you.

Or something to that effect. Either way, my veins are like corridors piling up with the spent and writhing bodies of foul xenos.

It sounds accurate enough.

[TheNewerMartianEmperor]

If one takes "foul Xenos" to mean "infectious bacteria", then yes, that is 100% accurate*

*do not listen to this man, he has no idea what he is talking about.

[WorkerDrone]

It actually IS accurate. ''Xeno'', meaning Alien, being a 'visitor', and outsider, something not from within in the first place, but from without. Its perfectly logical for me to assume that my white blood cells sharpen their metaphorical chainswords and load their bolt guns in preparation for battle with monstrous entities foreign to them.

I mean. Its boring to think of it otherwise.