Oh, it happens, new people are made that way already. Some woman don't have enough mitochondria in their egg cells, so either the nucleus of that woman is transplanted to an egg cell of another female, or cytoplasm of another female is added to the woman's egg.Originally posted by wasteofo2
Is it at all possible through genetic engineering, or through physically transplanting one, to add more mitochondria, vaculous, ribosomes etc. to existing cells, assuming they were simmilar enough to the current ones to not be viewed as invaders?
Why would you want to make parasitic organelles? It takes a lot of work to accomplish and doesn't serve a purpose. To produce mitochondria, you could just insert the correct genes in the already working genome..Originally posted by Sikz
What if you geneticly engineered a "parasitic" organelle? You could create an organelle with its own DNA that made its home upon an existing cell, taking its needs for survival from that cell. It could be essentially another nucleus, but empty of DNA- strands of DNA could be encased in "hormones" of a sort specific to this organelle. We could then inject the correct DNA hormones and then inject one that starts the process, and the parasitic organelle would begin production of things based on that DNA. We could even have it reroute things going to the regular nucleus...
In which case we could program our parasitic organelle to produce mitochondria or whatever we want, couldn't we?
Despite the importance of the mitochondria in disease, suitable mouse models to study mitochondrial dysfunction have proved difficult to generate because classical genetic techniques cannot be applied to the thousands of individual mitochondria in a single cell. Now, a team of researchers reports the introduction of these organelles from one mouse species into another, generating a mitochondrial mutant model that could be used to elucidate mitochondria-related disease mechanisms.
In the January 26 PNAS, Matthew McKenzie and colleagues at the University of Melbourne demonstrate the successful transfer of species-specific mitochondria into mouse embryos using mitochondrial DNA–depleted embryonic stem cells and cytoplast fusions that results in homoplasmy for the introduced mitochondrial background (PNAS, DOI:10.1073/pnas.0303184101, January 26, 2004).
There are a few different ways to add organelles to a cell. One method is through genetic engineering, where the cell's DNA is altered to express genes for specific organelles. Another method is through cell fusion, where two cells are merged together to combine their organelles.
Adding organelles to a cell can provide several benefits. For example, adding chloroplasts to plant cells can increase their ability to photosynthesize and produce energy. Adding lysosomes to animal cells can enhance their ability to break down and recycle cellular materials.
No, different types of cells have different structures and functions, so not all organelles are compatible with all cells. For example, adding chloroplasts to animal cells would not be beneficial since they do not perform photosynthesis.
There can be potential risks associated with adding organelles to a cell, especially if the new organelle interferes with the cell's normal functioning. Additionally, the process of adding organelles can be complex and may require precise techniques to avoid damaging the cell.
Yes, adding organelles to a cell can potentially improve its overall function and increase its capabilities. For example, adding mitochondria to a cell can enhance its ability to produce energy. However, it is important to carefully consider the potential risks and compatibility with the cell before adding organelles.