memory and dna..

[dannyday5821]

is it possible that memory is stored within dna? i was thinking...maybe this would explain things like de ja vu (which i get sometimes, although rarley, for no apparent reason) Maybe this would explain why some people think theyve had a past life? Or flashbacks and visions of a life they have not experienced? to be honest, i started thinking about this after playing the "BIOSHOCK" game. it has a theme based on splicing genes, and (i know its more complecated but im not exactly an expert at biology!) how after splicing genes continuously, subjects started to experience vision, or ghosts, which were actually other peoples memories mixed up.

also, if memory is stored in dna...what would be the good side to this? or, in other words, how would an organisation like the military be able to use the technology? could it be technical training (i.e sniper training) would no longer be a problem? Could they inject you with someone elses dna memory of all the lessons required? (lol, had a reminder of the matrix then, it sounds similiar to when they ring the operator and "download" the lessons to drive a motorbike or helicopter!)

im sure ive heard about research into this before...

and by the way, memory stored in dna was even mentioned in metal gear solid on the ps1! (see, computer games arent mind numbing, look how they got me curious about a subject id otherwise have never heard about!)

[jake-the-peg]

If that were the case your DNA would change thoughout your life as you acquired more things to remember wouldn't it?

I think this would be a bit of a problem for police forensic services!

Nice idea but no I don't think so

[chakka35]

No.
Your DNA is established at the moment when your father's sperm meets your mother's egg and remains the same for the rest of your life. It has no mechanism for taking on new information from your brain or anywhere else. Forget the idea.

[shopper]

Dont know if its really happens, but Ive read articles where
people who have had heart transplants have taken on the habits and personalities of the donar. Even though they didnt know that person.
It has been suggested that memory is inside all cells, not just our brains.
So in a way you may be correct.

[chakka35]

If it has been so suggested then whoever suggested it is wrong.

[kujawski]

what if you had a brain transplant?

[brendon2307d]

i think De ja vu is basically one of ur eyes recieving information a split second b4 the other, so ur brain wud register the image and a split second later wud register the same one again, leading u to believe uve seen that something below. but thats just my theory :s, just small time 16yr old trying to make it big on theanswerbank :P

[chadad]

Whether it is in the Genes, or the body cells, memory must be able to be inherited.
How else do you explain a birds ability to build a nest, or the bee's capability of maintaining a complex hive.
In an experiment, two groups of monkeys were threatened by a plastic snake. The group bred from monkeys exposed to snakes in the wild were terrified. While the group bred from monkeys that had no contact with snakes in the wild ignored the snake.
By the way, If you think that building a nest is so simple that a bird-brain can do it, try it some time.
We were given the task to try making one when I was at school. Even with our vastly superior brains and our opposing thumbs, the birds still beat us.

[taichiperson]

Re organ donors and memories - apparently many of the internal organs have some brain cells within them, so they retain some memories when transplanted. How this is accessed I don't know. Not all transplant recipients experience the memories of their donors.

[Peter Pedant]

DNA being immutable is a bit fifties-ish I am afraid.

Take somatic or germ line mutations.
If a DNA mutation is in the germ line then it gets passed on, but if it is not expressed in the germ line but only in some of the cells of the body then it is not.

Secondly take lymphoid cells - every possible antibody is expressed in the DNA butthe DNA has to be kiggled around ot get the DNA expressing that particular AB.

and so and so
the theory is a possibility
BUT......
I am absolutely certain someone has inhibited DNA synthesis and put some poor animal througha T maze and shown that memory is independent of DNA synthesis.

and also short term memory...
Hey Danny ! (yeh) Can you remember 321 ? (yeh)
what was the number Dan ? (321)

Are you saying that your DNA changed in the 5 secs it took you to memorise 321 ? not really even possible
So short term memory has tobe something else


Good idea though

[chakka35]

Sorry, Peter Pedant, I omitted mutations. What i meant was that a living creature cannot change its DNA by (as was suggested) depositing memories into it as if it were a RAM.
It is a ROM which, like any other ROM, can be corrupted occasionally.