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OT: A Question About Genetics

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RutgersRaRa

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Mar 21, 2011
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The genetic information of human beings is contained in DNA molecules, which are structured as a double helix. These contain the information for cells to replicate, and also the ability to join with another set of DNA to produce another human being. Given that the genetic coding is in the form of a double helix, and each human has one double-helix structure, is each double helix reduced to a single strand prior to joining with the mate's single strand, or are both double helixes joined, then "sorted out" upon conception and subsequent development within the embryo?

The nature of dominant and recessive genes had me wondering about when the individual strands are combined into just two strands to form the double helix that the new person has. Since the male and female each contribute a double helix, but the new person still only has a double helix (as opposed to a quadruple helix), the combination has to occur at some point. Whatchya got?
 
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superfan01

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Tom platz gave great advice I still listen today. "You can either be a victim to your genetics or your genetics can be a victim to you"

so quit complains about your bad genetics in the gym.
 
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NorthernKnight_rivals

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Jul 25, 2001
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RutgersRaRa said:
The genetic information of human beings is contained in DNA molecules, which are structured as a double helix. These contain the information for cells to replicate, and also the ability to join with another set of DNA to produce another human being. Given that the genetic coding is in the form of a double helix, and each human has one double-helix structure, is each double helix reduced to a single strand prior to joining with the mate's single strand, or are both double helixes joined, then "sorted out" upon conception and subsequent development within the embryo?

The nature of dominant and recessive genes had me wondering about when the individual strands are combined into just two strands to form the double helix that the new person has. Since the male and female each contribute a double helix, but the new person still only has a double helix (as opposed to a quadruple helix), the combination has to occur at some point. Whatchya got?
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I’ll take American History for $100, Alex.
 
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RUScrew85

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This one might best be answered by an expert elsewhere on the internet. Perhaps wikipedia entry on mitosis?

I don't think there's enough political interest in mitosis for wikipedia to screw that one up.

ETA: I just glanced you don't exactly want mitosis. You want something like chromosomes in reproduction. Didn't we all covered this in HS Bio? But who remembers the deets well enough now?
 
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RutgersRaRa

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RUScrew85 said:
This one might best be answered by an expert elsewhere on the internet. Perhaps wikipedia entry on mitosis?

I don't think there's enough political interest in mitosis for wikipedia to screw that one up.

ETA: I just glanced you don't exactly want mitosis. You want something like chromosomes in reproduction. Didn't we all covered this in HS Bio? But who remembers the deets well enough now?
Click to expand...
My belief is someone on here knows the answer (I don’t), and that we can raise the intellectual footprint of mankind all by ourselves. The first half of the bball game against Maryland imbalanced the universe, and now it’s our job to right the ship.

So double helixes, when two sets are mixed, how (and when) do the four become two?
 
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RUScrew85

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RutgersRaRa said:
My belief is someone on here knows the answer (I don’t), and that we can raise the intellectual footprint of mankind all by ourselves. The first half of the bball game against Maryland imbalanced the universe, and now it’s our job to right the ship.

So double helixes, when two sets are mixed, how (and when) do the four become two?
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When a man and woman are in love...

ETA: Too late.
 
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robcac26

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My sister is a genetic counselor, so I asked her to explain it. Basically the double helix doesn't split to combine with another one, we have two double helixes and each parent contributes one. Here's her answer:

Ok so the missing piece here is chromosomes. Our DNA (double helix) is very tightly wound up, much like a telephone cord getting wound up, to form our chromosomes. We have 23 pairs of chromosomes, and inherit one of each chromosome from each parent to make our 23 pairs. In other words, mom passes down one of "chromosome #9" and dad passes down one of "chromosome #9" so that baby has two pairs of chromosome 9. This happens for every chromosome until a baby has a full set of 23 pairs. These 23 pairs of chromosomes collectively make up a person's "genome" or total DNA. It's not as if it is just one long continuous double helix strand.
 
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RutgersRaRa

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robcac26 said:
My sister is a genetic counselor, so I asked her to explain it. Basically the double helix doesn't split to combine with another one, we have two pairs of double helixes and each parent contributes one. Here's her answer:

Ok so the missing piece here is chromosomes. Our DNA (double helix) is very tightly wound up, much like a telephone cord getting wound up, to form our chromosomes. We have 23 pairs of chromosomes, and inherit one of each chromosome from each parent to make our 23 pairs. In other words, mom passes down one of "chromosome #9" and dad passes down one of "chromosome #9" so that baby has two pairs of chromosome 9. This happens for every chromosome until a baby has a full set of 23 pairs. These 23 pairs of chromosomes collectively make up a person's "genome" or total DNA. It's not as if it is just one long continuous double helix strand.
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Thanks for looking into it, as I suspected we'd collectively figure it out without Wiki or Google. I'm on my out the door and will be back later tonight and look further into the post and others. Thanks to you and your sister!
 
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UMRU

UMRU

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RutgersRaRa said:
The genetic information of human beings is contained in DNA molecules, which are structured as a double helix. These contain the information for cells to replicate, and also the ability to join with another set of DNA to produce another human being. Given that the genetic coding is in the form of a double helix, and each human has one double-helix structure, is each double helix reduced to a single strand prior to joining with the mate's single strand, or are both double helixes joined, then "sorted out" upon conception and subsequent development within the embryo?

The nature of dominant and recessive genes had me wondering about when the individual strands are combined into just two strands to form the double helix that the new person has. Since the male and female each contribute a double helix, but the new person still only has a double helix (as opposed to a quadruple helix), the combination has to occur at some point. Whatchya got?
Click to expand...
Each double stranded helix is packaged as a chromosome. We have 23 pairs of chromosomes (so 46 in total). When the cells of our body divide to make more cells, all 46 chromosomes are duplicated before the cell divides (mitosis).

The chromosomes in sex cells (eggs and sperm, which are produced my meiosis) are not in pairs. When the egg and sperm combine, the pairs of chromosomes reform; one chromosome from mom and one from dad. The cells then can divide by mitosis again.

We are just half mom and half dad, however, because of a process call ”crossing over”, which results mixes up the genes on the two mom and dad chromosomes. Crossing over is a quite a bit harder to explain on a football message board.
 
RUfubar_rivals

RUfubar_rivals

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Mar 1, 2007
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Rahrah is mixing up "chromosome" which is made with "dsDNA."
During fertilization the gamete contributes one chrom (with dsDna) from mom and gets one from dad (or other unnamed sources) gamete (with dsDna) to equal 1 pair.
During meiosis the dsDNA is replicated to create 4 unique gamete cells (each w chromosome) from one progenitor. Quite ingenious and during that process of replication & division there can be some crossing over of genetic material (recombination) so that each chromosome ends up not exactly identical. But 4 chromosomes from one pair is not a bad deal.
 
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mildone_rivals

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It wasn’t enough that @RutgersRaRa wanted to know all our social security numbers back in the day. Now he wants DNA samples.

I’m not falling for it this time. My bank accounts and credit rating are still recovering.
 
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RutgersRaRa

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mildone said:
It wasn’t enough that @RutgersRaRa wanted to know all our social security numbers back in the day. Now he wants DNA samples.

I’m not falling for it this time. My bank accounts and credit rating are still recovering.
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I thought I restored them and your credit rating as soon as I discovered that you're a diehard Rutgers fan. My apologies for the delay. It should be all better now, as I put my best high-schoolers on it.
 
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RutgersRaRa

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RUfubar said:
Rahrah is mixing up "chromosome" which is made with "dsDNA."
During fertilization the gamete contributes one chrom (with dsDna) from mom and gets one from dad (or other unnamed sources) gamete (with dsDna) to equal 1 pair.
During meiosis the dsDNA is replicated to create 4 unique gamete cells (each w chromosome) from one progenitor. Quite ingenious and during that process of replication & division there can be some crossing over of genetic material (recombination) so that each chromosome ends up not exactly identical. But 4 chromosomes from one pair is not a bad deal.
Click to expand...
Just got back from daylong services and am returning tomorrow for the same. I read it and thank you for the response, but need a bit more focused attention to grasp what you said and where the gaps in my understanding are. Thanks again—I’ll be back tomorrow evening and hopefully lucid enough to parse the info.
 
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