Recently, Doctors Craig Venter and Hamilton Smith reanimated a bacteria's former body with DNA which they sculpted. "The Economist" wonderfully explains the process in their article titled Genesis redux.
Venter and Smith's next step comes in the form of reanimating an algae cell. The big step here comes as bacterial DNA simply float around the cell like a hoola hoop, while Algae DNA exist within the nucleus in a chromosomal form. Chromosomes, rather than being one large loop of information, break the information into smaller sections which are coiled around small proteins which help to compact information that can stretch to two meters for a single cell into the cell's nucleus (a nice description of the process can be found here). That feat should prove much more difficult than the already accomplished reanimation of bacteria.
The more impressive move, however, would be to construct the actual cell from its natural ingredients, then animate it. While Venter and Smith proved Mary Shelley's visions of future scientific endeavors factual, they have still fallen short of creating life. Darwin's evolution theory would find its cornerstone should the actual creation of a cell be replicated. The feat lies on the horizon and may signal the coming of a new age in science and religion.
Side note: I've been wondering if Smith or Venter said anything to the liking of, "Let there be life," while inserting the DNA into the cells. Just something to ponder.
http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/sciences/zoology/animalphysiology/anatomy/animalcellstructure/Nucleus/Nucleus.htm
http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=16163006
No comments:
Post a Comment