Can We Change Human Dna?

[TheSoloPlayer]

 Here is what I want to know. What if we put humans in a cave/chamber like the Movile Cave and left them there for a certain period of time. We would leave them when the cave/chamber first seals, and create a environment like the Movile Cave. Could we change the DNA of the human inside? Also what would be the difference if we did a much faster experiment ( The first would be going like evolution, and the second would be in one lifetime.) and had the cave/chamber change climate (air, food, water, etc.) at the pace of one lifetime? Such as changing the figures every day or month. What would it be like? Could we change the DNA or "modify" the human being?

[venus666]

There is no definite way to change the DNA now, but DNA repair make some progress and three scientists won the Nobel prize for it. So it will boost the subsequent development of   DNA repair which can fix many gene disease.

[CraigD]

Here is what I want to know. What if we put humans in a cave/chamber like the Movile Cave and left them there for a certain period of time. We would leave them when the cave/chamber first seals, and create a environment like the Movile Cave. Could we change the DNA of the human inside?

In evolutionary biological principle, any isolated population will select traits that give a reproductive advantage to the individuals that have them. This selection of traits corresponds to changes in the DNA of the individuals in the population.

 

This process explains why, according to the “out of Africa” theory, populations of humans that became isolated in northern Europe to have slightly different body shapes, skin and hair pigmentation, etc. from their parent populations. That is, it explains the existence of the “races” of humans.

 

So, a little like how blind cave fish like those in the Amblyopsidae family evolved from isolated populations of sighted ancestors, a sufficiently large population of ordinary humans isolated in a sufficiently large cave could evolve to have traits that better enabled it to survive and reproduce underground – if some key criteria are satisfied.

 

One key criteria is whether enough generations pass that the populations has traits sufficiently different than the original population to be considered a “monstrously” different race, like the creatures depicted in the 2005 movies The Cave or The Descent.

 

According of the OOA theory, it took 50,000 to 150,000 years for human populations to evolve to have their present day racial differences, but few people consider any present day race monstrous. For a race of humans like the monsters in The Cave or The Descent to have evolved, I guess the original OOA humans would have had to have taken up isolated living in the cave system in question many 10,000s of years ago. Though this strikes me as unlikely, I wouldn’t call it impossible

 

Another key criteria is whether the initially isolated population of ordinary humans can survive long enough to reproduce, and their children survive long enough to reproduce – that is, if the population can survive even one generation.

 

I’m not sure the first generation of humans isolated in a cave could survive. Without sunlight, I suspect individuals would suffer from many severe diseases. Also, caves have dramatically less available food than the usual human habitat, so I suspect an isolated population of humans would simply starve, long before it could have raise children.

 

Taking a lesson from blind cave fish, I suspect that if a population of humans like those from The Cave or The Descent did evolve, a very special cave would be needed. Because cave have so much less food than the surface, blind cave fish can survive only in cave with strong influxes of plant and animal matter from the surface. By this criteria, the rainwater-fed caves of The Cave is more plausible than the dryer one of The Descent.

 

Even if it is possible, I doubt humans evolved for underground living would be like the superhumanly strong, vicious monsters from the movies. Rather than strength and aggression, I suspect they’ve evolve specialized, very efficient digestion and metabolism, sacrificing size, muscle strength, and brain size – though they wouldn’t necessarily be less intelligent, social, cultural, or technological than their ancestors.

 

We present-day humans appear to have evolved along these lines. Since the neolithic/agricultural revolution, about 12500 years ago, we’ve evolved to be good at eating grains and reduced our body and brain sizes to allow more of us to live off a give food supply, all the while inventing writing, science, and everything making up present day culture and technology.

 

Also what would be the difference if we did a much faster experiment ( The first would be going like evolution, and the second would be in one lifetime.) and had the cave/chamber change climate (air, food, water, etc.) at the pace of one lifetime? Such as changing the figures every day or month. What would it be like? Could we change the DNA or "modify" the human being?

I’m pretty certain this isn’t possible.

 

DNA can be damaged by disease or injury, but can’t change in the way needed for evolution, except from generation to generation. Evolution “works”, because individuals with beneficial gene-carried traits reproduce, while those without and with detrimental traits don’t, resulting in those genes becoming prevalent in the population.

 

The idea that and individuals genetic information – which we now know is carried in DNA - can be changed in their lifetime is know as Lamarckism. It was pretty much discredited as a scientific theory by 1920.

[Racoon]

In evolutionary biological principle, any isolated population will select traits that give a reproductive advantage to the individuals that have them. This selection of traits corresponds to changes in the DNA of the individuals in the population.

 

This process explains why, according to the “out of Africa” theory, populations of humans that became isolated in northern Europe to have slightly different body shapes, skin and hair pigmentation, etc. from their parent populations. That is, it explains the existence of the “races” of humans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't think thats the case.

How do European people have some Neanderthal DNA while Africans don't ?

 

Maybe that accounts for the disparity in civilization evolvement between Europe and Africa.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2599854/Europeans-closer-Neanderthals-thought-Ancient-DNA-humans-species-interbreeding-outside-Africa.html

 

Edited October 19, 2015 by Racoon

[Lisaduva]

ofcourse we can change our DNA.DNA belongs to epigenetics field,it contains more information on how the development, functioning and evolution of biological systems are influenced by forces operating outside the DNA sequence, including intracellular, environmental and energetic influences.

To know more...

https://www.heartmath.org/articles-of-the-heart/personal-development/you-can-change-your-dna/

 

 

[Speedjohn]

Environmental factors outside of DNA influence changes in gene expression.DNA can be changed through magnetic fields,heart coherence, positive mental states and intention.

[quickquestion]

ofcourse we can change our DNA.DNA belongs to epigenetics field,it contains more information on how the development, functioning and evolution of biological systems are influenced by forces operating outside the DNA sequence, including intracellular, environmental and energetic influences.

To know more...

https://www.heartmath.org/articles-of-the-heart/personal-development/you-can-change-your-dna/

"A steady diet of quantum nutrients."

 

Smells like psuedoscience.

I have heard that negative emotions can damage the DNA.

But I have never heard any evidence that positive emotions can customize the DNA.

If I want to fly and grow wings, I never heard that thinking I am a bird will change my DNA.

[Super Polymath]

A human will be born with genes that can go a few different ways. This is a sort of survival mechanism for mammals, so that we can adapt to changing environments.

 

If that's not enough, we're mapping the human genome for a reason. Drugs can have a profound impact on a person, though drugs are limited because they don't mess with gene expression - usually. 

 

However, if you want to go even further and give someone the ability to regenerate their hand like a Lizard can regenerate its tail, or change skin color like a Chameleon, then you'd need to splice DNA. There's a few ways you can do this, but some that work for sure. For instance, there have been cases where fungi have been known to pass mutagens onto a species. 

Edited April 27, 2017 by Super Polymath

[Super Polymath]

This is really inetresting! :)

Nature is nothing besides.