Posted on 10/12/2018 6:19:58 PM PDT by Ennis85
Baby mice have been made with two mums and no dad, say researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
It took a substantial feat of genetic engineering to break the rules of reproduction.
The scientists said the "bimaternal" (two mammas) animals were healthy and went on to have pups of their own.
But there was bad news on the all-male front. Mice with double-dads were attempted, but died within days of being born.
Why even try?
The researchers were trying to answer fundamental questions about why we have sex.
Mammals, including us, can make babies only through sexual reproduction - aka you need an egg from mum and a sperm from dad.
But the rest of the natural world doesn't play by the same rules; some female fish, reptiles, amphibians and birds can go it alone.
Welcome to the bizarre world of virgin births known officially as parthenogenesis.
The aim of the Chinese researchers was to work out which rules of reproduction they needed to break to make baby mice from same-sex parents.
That in turn helps understand why the rules are so important.
"It's an interesting paper... they're trying to work out what you would have to do to turn us into turkeys," said Prof Robin Lovell-Badge at the Francis Crick Institute.
(Yes, your Christmas dinner can reproduce without having sex too.)
Go on then, how did they do it?
In short, with a lot of cutting-edge science.
It was easier with double mums. The researchers took an egg from one mouse and a special type of cell - a haploid embryonic stem cell - from another.
Both contained only half the required genetic instructions or DNA, but just bringing them together wasn't enough.
The researchers had to use a technology called gene editing to delete three sets of genetic instructions
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
Well, I suggest that same-sex human couples simply go at it until babies appear. After all, it’s natural!
If they don't understand why we have sex, there's no hope for them.
Since the inbred Brits are so enamored of buggery and androgeny maybe they can just diddle themselves into extinction while the Muzzie rabble simply takes over.
Science news from the country that makes fake toothpaste.
Where did I leave that king sized chunk of salt?
Male chromosomes have missing DNA. The female doesn’t. XY owrks OK because the X covers the Y deficiencies. XX has no deficiencies. YY has twice the deficiencies.
Using lab mutants to push their homo agenda again.
Coming next to procreative gay marriage.
“Using lab mutants to push their homo agenda again.”
Some posts are just ... nonsense.
Maybe there is some reason behind the saying “Go F—k Yourself”....(chuckle).
Does not equal asexual,
Heaven forbid something should go wrong.
What a stupid, stupid question.
I have to find the right woman to make baby mice with now.
Maybe there is some reason behind the saying Go Fk Yourself....(chuckle).
Your post (Raquel Welch?) most eloquently answered the question of why we have sex!! :)
Frankenstein mice
“But there was bad news on the all-male front. Mice with double-dads were attempted, but died within days of being born.”
? Not deigning to click on bbc to find out what this means.
FReegards
I like your response. It really does answer the question with a 1000 words.
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