Interesting story about Torties

As a new slave to a Tortie, this is something that I didn't know...

http://io9.com/5890039/how-tortoises...its-of-cloning


--
Nik Simpson

On 2/19/2013 9:52 AM, nik Simpson wrote:

As a new slave to a Tortie, this is something that I didn't know...

http://io9.com/5890039/how-tortoises...its-of-cloning


Interesting, thanks!

On 2/19/2013 9:52 AM, nik Simpson wrote:
As a new slave to a Tortie, this is something that I didn't know...

http://io9.com/5890039/how-tortoises...its-of-cloning


Interesting! I never thought about how tortie's get to be "tortie"

Jill

nik Simpson wrote:

As a new slave to a Tortie, this is something that I didn't know...

http://io9.com/5890039/how-tortoises...its-of-cloning

I knew about the randomness with which an X-chromosome is activated or
inactivated as cells multiply, so that two torties with identical DNA will
still end up with a different color pattern.

I did not know that when you harvest a cell to clone a new cat from, all
the cells in the clone will inherit the same activation/inactivation
pattern of the original. Meaning that if the original cell has an active
red gene, then *all* the cells in the clone will have an activate red gene
and inactive black gene, and the cat will be a "red" cat (orange). If the
original cell had an active black gene (and inactive red), the clone will
be an all-black cat.

What I don't understand about this is, why doesn't the same randomness
apply in the clone? In a normal tortie, any given cell will have one active
X and one inactive. So let's consider a cell with an active red gene.
Eventually, that cell will duplicate its DNA and the cell will divide,
creating two cells. The new cell might activate the red gene or it might
not. That's what makes each tortie unique, right?

So, why wouldn't the same thing happen in a cloned tortie? The clone
starts with a single cell that contains either an activate black gene
or red gene. As the cell multiplies, each new cell should activate either
the red or black gene, right? Just like it happens in normal torties?
What is the difference? Does anyone here know?

And does the same principle apply to cloned calicos?

(Also: why is anyone cloning cats??? Don't we already have too many?)

--
Joyce

Socialism never took root in America because the poor see
themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily
embarassed millionaires.
--John Steinbeck

nik Simpson wrote:

As a new slave to a Tortie, this is something that I didn't know...

http://io9.com/5890039/how-tortoises...its-of-cloning

Meanwhile, there's another story on the same site that makes me glad
I'm getting old, because I would hate to live to see this day:

http://io9.com/5985751/when-cats-are...&post=57668084

When cats are outlawed, I will be an outlaw!

--
Joyce

Socialism never took root in America because the poor see
themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily
embarassed millionaires.
--John Steinbeck