Are you curious to know how Claire can regenerate, Peter can fly and Hiro can teleport? Genetic engineering seems to offer a possible explanation…

Genetic engineering or GM seems to be the buzzword on everybody’s lips these days. In the past, humans used a much gentler, more patient approach called selective breeding to bring about changes in a plant or animal species. Genetic engineering is the ‘two minute noodle’ version of this process. Changes are brought on by scientifically altering an organism's genetic code.

Scientists cut up enzymes and use them to join parts of the DNA of one organism, and insert them into the DNA of another. In the resulting new organism, the inserted genes will code for one or more new characteristics - for example producing a new substance, or performing a new function.

 

How can this possibly work? Gene ‘splicing’ is possible because there is only one code for life. The instructions a gene is responsible for works across the bar - anytime, anywhere.

Just thinking about all the possible combinations boggles the mind!