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Cells, Microbes & Viruses / Re: How do viruses work? Do they alter host genetic material?
« on: 24/12/2013 08:18:43 »Quote
1) I would like to know if viruses can be designed to alter the genetic code of an living organism.Yes, retroviruses can insert extra pieces of DNA into the host cell.
The virus would then normally multiply within the cell and kill it. However, researchers are trying to produce disabled viruses that can safely carry extra pieces of DNA into a cell without killing the cell.
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2) Is it necessary that a DNA thread holds the genetic information? I mean can there be any other system or structure that does the same function as of DNA?Bacteria are able to store and transmit genetic information in the form of plasmids, which are a loop of genetic material, in addition to the cell's genetic material.
But plasmids still use the familiar DNA to store the genetic information for transcription into proteins.
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3) Can humans function on any other gas than Oxygen?Humans have a very much smaller gut than some other species which rely on vegetation. Biologists think that this is possible because humans consume high-energy food like fruit, nuts, cooked meat and vegetables - and extract energy by reacting them with oxygen (through a number of intermediate steps).
Gases that are common at Earth's temperatures include:
- Hydrogen & Helium: These gases are very light, and rare in the atmosphere. But some bacteria can get energy from processing H+ ions
- Nitrogen: The dominant gas in the atmosphere, but it is very stable. Turning Nitrogen into bio-available fertiliser is a major energy consumer.
- Compounds of the above elements plus the likes of Carbon and Sulphur:
- Carbon dioxide and water are too stable
- Compounds of Nitrogen & hydrogen (Ammonia) and Carbon/Hydrogen (eg methane) are broken down by UV & biological processes.
- Bacteria can get some energy by metabolising metal sulphides
- Carbon dioxide and water are too stable