These cells can be somatic cells - any cell in the body except for reproductive cells - or they may be incorporated into germline tissues, where specialized reproductive cells, or gametes (opens in new tab), such as sperm and egg cells, are produced, according to Behringer.Įxamples of such research tools include chimeric mice, which are bred for use in genetic research. When the cells of different parent organisms come together to form a chimera, they can incorporate into multiple parts of the chimera's body. Most often, however, chimeras are created in a laboratory for research purposes. Behringer, a professor of genetics at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, published in the journal Cell Stem Cell. Following the transplant, the recipient acquires two genetically distinct tissue and cell types, according to a 2007 review article by Richard R. For instance, tissue chimeras result from organ transplants or tissue transplants (such as a bone marrow transplant). Some examples of chimeras are already familiar to most people. Thus, a chimera is made up of populations of cells that are genetically identical to each of its parent organisms. Instead of a mixture of genes from each parent organism, a given cell contains the genetic information of only one parent organism. The defining feature of a chimera is that the individual cells in its body are not all the same they are genetically distinct. These "parent" organisms may be of the same or different species. A chimera is made of cells that are derived from two (or sometimes more) organisms. In scientific terms, the word "chimera" retains the essence of its mythical roots.
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