White Blood Cells; Mini Me

[HydrogenBond]

Here is an interesting angle. If we look at the white blood cells in our own bodies, they contain our entire DNA. In essense, each of our little white blood cells are us, if we were a single cellular lifeform. As fodder for sci-fi, picture if evolution had reached a point where single cellular lifeforms became as advanced as our own white blood cells. Because these have all the DNA info needed for a full multicellular entity, they might quickly evolve into multicellular trial balloons.

[Greg]

yeh Great read.. but we would be more vulnrable to disease..

[Racoon]

Perhaps HydrogenBond, but cosider this:

Which white blood cells (Leukocytes) would you use?? or Be???

 

White blood cells VARY in size, and shape of cell nucleus. (and subsequent genetic material.)

Although they all come from stem cells in bone marrow, there are 2 main categories: Granulocytes and Agranulocytes.

 

Granulocytes include Neutrophils, Eosiophiles, and Basophils. When stained under a microscope, there are clearly different 'granules' visible.

Most , (about 2/3,) leukocytes are Neutrophils, which follow a chemical trail to infected or damaged tissue.

 

Agranulocytes have NO visible granules in their Cytoplasm! These cells include monocytes ( that engulf invading microbes) and Lymphocytes ( B and Killer T's ) operate in Specific immune responses, and live for only a few days, or only a few hours.

 

Not all "white blood cells" are the same, or even similar. I do not know if they contain all our DNA. Does every white blood cell type contain all our DNA? or Does every kind together contain our DNA?

[Eclogite]

All our cells contain all our DNA, with a handful of exceptions.

Red blood cells have no nucleus, so no DNA.

Germ cells (eggs and sperm) have only half the story.

Any others?

[Racoon]

Then what was the point of the question?

.....If all our cells, minus a few red blood cells, contain all our DNA?

Liver cells are "mini me" too, as are Neurons, as are gall bladder cells....

 

so what IS the question? If you could be any type of White blood cell,What TYPE of White Blood Cell Would you Be? :xparty:

 

After re-reading the initial post, I can see what HB is getting at.

It would be all out war among cells.... Until the cell with the best DNA duplication finally reigns supreme.

[Eclogite]

Then what was the point of the question?

Exactly what I was trying to highlight. The only point I can see in singling out white blood cells is their comparative mobility. That would make them more fit, at the outset, to survive in some environments.

[HydrogenBond]

I chose the white blood cells because they are a single cellular organism loosely analogous to a bacteria that can exist on its own. The rest of the cells within our body would have more problems existing outside the ideal world of the human body.

 

The other point, is that with only a limited amount of DNA needed to do all the normal tasks of a white blood cell, and it containing all our DNA, its pseudo-junk DNA is connected to the all the genes needs of a complete multicellular lifeform. Does it seem far fetched that single cellular lifeforms with enough useful junk DNA could evolve into simple multicellular organisms?

[Eclogite]

The other point, is that with only a limited amount of DNA needed to do all the normal tasks of a white blood cell, and it containing all our DNA, its pseudo-junk DNA is connected to the all the genes needs of a complete multicellular lifeform. Does it seem far fetched that single cellular lifeforms with enough useful junk DNA could evolve into simple multicellular organisms?

I suspect I am missing a central point of your thesis. This is what you appear to be saying: please correct me.

 

1. White blood cells contain all our DNA. I agree.

2. This DNA contains instructions for making a complete multicellular lifeform.I agree.

3. The DNA that is not activated for its role as a white blood cell I shall call pseudo-junk DNA. I am not sure if that is what you mean. If it is, I shall accept it, though I think it is a poor choice of terms. It took me a while to figure out you were not talking about conventional junk DNA: I thought your use of pseudo was to indicate that you didn't think conventional junk DNA is junk at all. (A POV I could agree with, incidentally.)

4. So, this single celled 'beastie' could, by utilising its useful, but inactive, DNA develop into a multicelled organism. Theoretically, if you could activate those other genes, it might be plausible.

5. Therefore other single celled organisms could do the same thing.

 

It is the step from 4 to 5 that I find unwarranted and logically flawed. Other single celled organisms do not have the repertoire available to the white blood cell, because their ancestors never evolved them.

 

What am I missing?