Blood transfusions-from CHIMPS?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the feasibility and implications of blood transfusions from chimpanzees to humans, exploring biological compatibility, ethical considerations, and the scientific understanding of blood components. It touches on theoretical, conceptual, and biological aspects.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express concern about the complications that could arise from blood transfusions between different genera, noting the significance of even a 1% genetic difference.
  • Warren suggests that while whole blood may pose issues due to the presence of chimp DNA in white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets do not contain genetic material.
  • Another participant questions why red blood cells and platelets lack DNA, prompting further exploration of the topic.
  • Warren later finds sources that seem to contradict his earlier claim about red blood cells containing DNA, indicating uncertainty about the biological facts.
  • One participant raises the issue of using chimpanzees for transfusions instead of humans, citing concerns about disease transmission and ethical considerations surrounding xenotransplantation.
  • There is a suggestion to eliminate redundancy in a poll regarding opinions on chimp blood transfusions, indicating a focus on the survey aspect of the discussion.
  • Participants engage in a technical discussion about the lifespan of red blood cells and how their numbers are calculated, indicating an interest in the underlying biology.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the safety and ethical implications of chimp blood transfusions, with multiple competing views and uncertainties expressed throughout the discussion.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in the understanding of the biological mechanisms involved, particularly regarding the presence of DNA in blood components and the implications of using chimpanzees for transfusions. The discussion also reflects varying levels of expertise among participants.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in biology, ethics in medical practices, and the implications of xenotransplantation may find this discussion relevant.

Blood Transfusions---from a CHIMP??!!

  • Yes, I'd be willing to even if it wasn't neccesary

    Votes: 1 16.7%

  • Yes, I'd be willing to only if it was neccessary

    Votes: 3 50.0%

  • No, I'd not be willing to if it wasn't neccesary

    Votes: 1 16.7%

  • No, I'd not be willing do it even if it was neccesary

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • I am unsure

    Votes: 1 16.7%
  • Total voters
    6
Imparcticle
Messages
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Blood transfusions--from CHIMPS?!

Yesterday I was watching a documentary about the close relationship between chimps and humans. I was appalled to hear the narrator explain the relationship of chimps and humans to be so close that humans could take blood transfusions from chimps. They gave a public survey and found that 25% (including Jane Goodall[sp?]) said that they wouldn't mind at all. The other 75% said no. I would too. How about you?
Wouldn't blood transfusions from different genuses result in complications? Even if the animal, like a chimp, has only a 1% genetic difference from human DNA? Obviously, that 1% is significant.
 
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Whole blood may be an issue, because white blood cells do contain chimp DNA. Blood products should not really be an issue. Red blood cells do not contain any genetic material, and neither do platelets.

- Warren
 
wow, chroot, that's really interesting. Why don't red blood cells/platelets contain DNA?


I can already see this thread shouldn't belong in General Discussion...if someone can put it in Biology, it would be appreciated. thank you.
 
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Well, I'm no biologist, so I could be wrong, and apologize if I am. I can't provide any references, it's just something I thought I picked up somewhere.

- Warren
 
Why use chimps if there are humans that you can get the material from? If chimps were to be used for this purpose, they'd have to grow up in a complete sterile environment since the carry-over of strange virusses and other pathogens is very large since we are so related.

Xenotransplantation is prohibited in the Netherlands for that reason, I'm not sure about the situation in other countries.

For what reason do you say you are appalled, Imparticle?
 
Options 2 and 3 on the poll mean pretty much the same thing ! Perhaps, you should eliminate 3.
 
  • #10
I can't edit the pole. You should ask an administrator.

During these 120 days, each and every red blood cell travels over 300 miles and traverses the heart 170,000 times! More amazingly this works out to over 14,000 passages per day or 60 times per hour or (gasp!) approximately one trip through the heart every minute.
Despite a 120 day life span, we have so many red cells that each day the normal adult produces almost 200 billion (that’s 200,000,000,000) new red blood cells to replace the 200 billion cells that are removed from the circulation due to old age.

Just out of curiosity, how do they know this? They must have a lot of time on their hands...
 
  • #11
Imparcticle said:
I can't edit the pole. You should ask an administrator.



Just out of curiosity, how do they know this? They must have a lot of time on their hands...


Seems like a simple calculation, if you know the average lifetime of a red blood cell, the number of them per volume of blood, and the volumes pumped by the heart to the lungs and to the arteries per time unit. You have to assume the blood system is continuous, that every volume pumped out from the heart eventually comes back to the heart.
 
  • #12
And how do they calculate the number of blood cells in a volume of blood? Do they take a small amount and then multiply the number of cells in the small amount by a given volume of blood?
 
  • #13
Yes, there are certain counting chambers where cells can be counted in a grid; for instance, a Burker chamber has squares of 0.1 mm deep and a surface of 0.04 mm2.. I guess about 10 cells could be counted per square (depending on the cell type).. you count about 100 cells and then see in how many squares those were and from there you can do further calculations.
 

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