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From: brianm@cat21.CS.WISC.EDU (Brian Miller)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: Creating life
Keywords: Life
Message-ID: <3590@puff.cs.wisc.edu>
Date: 2 Nov 89 18:54:46 GMT
References: <2461@umbc3.UMBC.EDU> <1989Oct31.034851.24494@agate.berkeley.edu>
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Reply-To: brianm@cat21.CS.WISC.EDU (Brian Miller)
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In article <1989Oct31.034851.24494@agate.berkeley.edu> mkkuhner@codon2.berkeley.edu.UUCP (Mary K. Kuhner) writes:

>A small virus could probably be sythesized quite readily.

	Man currently lacks the knowledge to create viri from scratch.
	Modifying existing ones he can do clumsily however.
	


>My favorite experiment showing the complexity of non-DNA information
>in the cell was done with a protozoan which is covered with cilia,
>all lined up the same way.  Very precise microsurgery was used to
>cut a strip off of the cell wall and put it back in reverse.
>Somehow the cell survives this, and ends up with a row of backwards
>cilia.  All descendents of that cell have a similar row, because
>the old cell's cilia are used as templates for the new arrangement.

	Fascinating.


>Mary Kuhner
>mkkuhner@enzyme.berkeley.edu