In: Biology
How impossible is it to actually code for a gene that causes a mutation for supernatural abilities such as flight or super strength?
Not a hw question lol and probably a stupid question I'm just genuinely curious.
Ans. Any trait, say hair color, skin color, and the concerned superpower abilities (if possible) are the result of gene expression.
If a gene for black hair color is there in a human, the trait is expressed normally without any difficulty (most of the times). Say, if you inherit the gene for blue eye color at both the loci, the expression of respective gene would make your eyes blue. In other words, CODING or expression of a gene is natural and spontaneous if THERE IS THE GENE in the organism.
# However, humans don’t have the gene for superpowers. So, if there is NO gene for a super trait, it can’t be coded or expressed at any cost.
# It took billions of years for the life to evolve on Earth. What we are today is an outcome of evolution through millions or billions of years. Each gene in our genome appeared through evolution, mostly random, in order to increase the fitness of the species in the specified geographical regions. The same is true for all other organisms, too.
In due course of evolution, we did not get the genes in our genome that enable us to fly or super strength (say, like Hulk). Since such genes are not in our genome, it is IMPOSSIBLE for our cells to express the trait the genes of which are not present in the genome.
# In summary, the coding for a trait is IMPOSSIBLE if there is no gene for that trait in our body- be it the gene of super power or any other gene. For example, if my blood group is O, I can’t express antigen A or B or both to change my blood group to A, B or AB, respectively.
# If there is a gene in the genome that enable a person to perform extraordinary acts (say, ability to hold breath for longer time, ability to swim the fastest, abnormal skin stretching, etc.), the cells would naturally code that gene to express those extraordinary traits.
If the gene for a superpower is not there in the human genome, it can’t evolve as such- evolution is unpredictable!