• Question: what would happen if you swapped DNA from the animal to you?

    Asked by amccarroll037 to St Kilda Wren, Hazel Dormouse, Catshark, Barn Owl on 8 Dec 2017.
    • Photo: Lesser-Spotted Catshark

      Lesser-Spotted Catshark answered on 8 Dec 2017:

      It would depend what particular part of the DNA was that you swapped. Since 95% of our genomes do basically nothing, most of the time the swap wouldn’t affect anything at all! But for the remaining 5% it could have very profound effects that would be different depending on the species, and segment of DNA that was exchanged. This is a technique that biologists often use in order to figure out the function of DNA. By taking it out or putting it into a different organism in a different context slowly and carefully we work out the function of that DNA.

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