• Question: Do you believe in Genetic mutation of animals?

    Asked by 0bilbobaggins0 to Laura, Nicola, Norman, Sandra, Thanasis on 12 Mar 2013.
    • Photo: Laura Soul

      Laura Soul answered on 12 Mar 2013:

      Yes, genetic mutation is the basis of evolution. Cells in your body divide all the time, to produce identical new cells, this is how we make new cells, the process is called mitosis. During the process all the genes inside the cell are copied exactly to go in to the new cell. However sometimes this goes a little bit wrong and the copy is not exactly the same, this is what a genetic mutation is, when it occurs and what the difference is is random.

      If this happens when egg or sperm cells are being made then the DNA inside the egg or sperm (half the amount of DNA inside all your other cells) might be used to make the offspring of the animal, and so all the cells in the new offspring will have this mutation. It’s normally only a very tiny thing that doesn’t make any difference, or it could be a tiny thing that makes a small difference, it’s very rarely any big change, and if there is a big change then sadly is means that the offspring doesn’t survive, even until it’s born. If it’s a tiny good change it might mean the offspring is more likely to survive and so it will pass on the mutation to its own babies, this is what evolution is!

    • Photo: Nicola Wardrop

      Nicola Wardrop answered on 12 Mar 2013:

      Yes, genetic mutations happen when cells are creating copies of their DNA and it goes wrong, so a bit of the DNA has the wrong code. If this happens at the egg/sperm stage then all other cells which are created from this will also carry the mutation.

      We know how to make mutations in cells – in animals, bacteria insects and all sorts, so we can test out what happens, We can also genetically modify things – where we change some of the organisms genes (perhaps by inserting genes from one animal into a completely different animal) to make the animal have certain features that you want. I once read about a salmon which had pig genes in it to make it grow bigger. I don’t really think this is a good thing to do though, as you never know what might happen in the future with these weird pig fish swimming around!

    • Photo: Thanasis Georgiou

      Thanasis Georgiou answered on 12 Mar 2013:

      Mutations happen all the time, not only in animals but in all living creatures. As Laura and Nicola mentioned it’s the basis of evolution. I will leave it here as they have a lot more expertise in this than me!

    • Photo: Norman Lazarus

      Norman Lazarus answered on 13 Mar 2013:

      Well, look around the animals that live close to humans, dogs, cats, cows etc. Nearly all of these are the way they are because they have been genetically selected by breeding programs. Thus some dogs have noses they cannot breathe through, some alsatian dogs have permanent arthritis of their hips, some farmed salmon are also specially selected for weight. So we have been genetically manipulating animals for centuries. What has changed is now a specific gene can now be put into animals that animals did not get by evolution. Mice can be made that glow in the dark because scientists can put the gene for glow worms into mice. I think this is what you are questioning. Should we do this kind of reaearch. I am unsure. Let us say climate change causes great destruction to the world and say that the only way animals can survive in this new world is for them to have a gene that will allow them to survive in the new conditions. I ask, should we now give these animals this gene which they do not have but which can be placed into their DNA? Would you do it to save people? Never say Never like James Bond.

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