Monday, September 12, 2005

Two sets of DNA in one person? WTF? . . .

Evidently it happens. Twins get started in a pregnancy, but one is absorbed into the other ??? and what results is a chimera, an individual with two completely different sets of DNA.

What does this do to the statistics underneath the use of forensic DNA testing?

Obviously, if the DNA matches that left at the scene, a suspect can be placed at the scene even if the individual is a chimera.

But will this nevertheless throw off forensic DNA testing for identification? That is, can we now rule out that an individual is the crook or the source of future child support just because his DNA sample doesn't match DNA left at the scene?

Guess we'll just have renew the search for the old Cloak of Truth, or else learn how to do the Vulcan Mind Meld thing that Spock used to do.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

If chimera's blood carries one set of genes a.k.a. DNA, and all other parts of body carry another, forensics will have to look into both blood and hair samples. This could be a task in criminal cases.

In some other dramatic cataclisms, investigators could follow a method of сomparative exclusions. There will be some educated guessing involved in difficult situations. Intelligent design is not a part of it, of course.

Dymphna said...

I'm reading The Agile Gene but this is agility of another order of magnitude.

What would it feel like to know that you had "absorbed" another...well, if not "person" at least another entity?

What would it do to your sense of "I" -- personally I might start using "we" instead and it wouldn't be for editorial purposes.

Would you be more prone to Multiple Personality Disorder?

Would you dream in images of Russian matryoshka dolls?

The whole thing blows my mind...or what was left of it after raising those teenagers.

I need to go sit down and absorb this disturbing information.

Anonymous said...

There isn't anyone sitting inside of person with a spare set of DNA. Essentially, chimera can be viewed as natural solution or adaptation to potential or actual disorders happening on the molecular level. So, no one was eaten.

To develop MPD, one doesn't need more DNA; one chain is plenty.

Chimera81 said...

Chimera's DO exist......I know this because I am one.