A brief comment about using Lestat's sperm (strange to write those two words together), as it's after midnight :D
In vitro fertilisation (IVF) requires two gametes as each will contribute 23 chromosomes to form an entire 'human' complement of 46. In other words, the resultant offspring has two biological parents: Lestat and Flannery. Presumably, Flannery's physical similarity to Lestat (and Gabrielle) was an important reason for choosing her. Either note 2 or 3 in your section above.
Introducing Lestat's sperm to an egg that has had its nucleus removed will NOT produce a clone as sperm only have half the complement of chromosomes. There would be no effect at all: it just wouldn't work. In order to clone Lestat and make an identical copy of him, Fareed would need a whole cell from him (eg from his leg) and then place it inside a denucleated egg cell from Flannery before implanting it in her. In other words note 1 in that section is a non-starter.
I understand the bewildering confusion because a) AR actually uses the word clone and b) has Fareed say that the offspring had Lestat's 'full packet of DNA' (therefore cannot be from sperm) but AR insists he uses sperm and c) confusingly also states that Flannery is the biological mother: no mention of being a surrogate.
I'm only up to Chapter 18 but I get the feeling that Flannery is the true biological mother ie IVF so why not let nature takes its course or if for a definite 'test-tube' conception why not have Lestat use a condom as you say? One reason for IVF could be to ensure a Y chomosome carrying gamete was used so making a male embryo. An X chromosome carrying sperm would have given us a Gabrielle look-alive, lol!
Net result of all this, AR doesn't understand how cloning works. It's her confusion that is obvious here, not ours :D
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momijizukamori
no subject
Date: 2014-11-25 12:48 am (UTC)A brief comment about using Lestat's sperm (strange to write those two words together), as it's after midnight :D
In vitro fertilisation (IVF) requires two gametes as each will contribute 23 chromosomes to form an entire 'human' complement of 46. In other words, the resultant offspring has two biological parents: Lestat and Flannery. Presumably, Flannery's physical similarity to Lestat (and Gabrielle) was an important reason for choosing her. Either note 2 or 3 in your section above.
Introducing Lestat's sperm to an egg that has had its nucleus removed will NOT produce a clone as sperm only have half the complement of chromosomes. There would be no effect at all: it just wouldn't work. In order to clone Lestat and make an identical copy of him, Fareed would need a whole cell from him (eg from his leg) and then place it inside a denucleated egg cell from Flannery before implanting it in her. In other words note 1 in that section is a non-starter.
I understand the bewildering confusion because
a) AR actually uses the word clone and
b) has Fareed say that the offspring had Lestat's 'full packet of DNA' (therefore cannot be from sperm) but AR insists he uses sperm and
c) confusingly also states that Flannery is the biological mother: no mention of being a surrogate.
I'm only up to Chapter 18 but I get the feeling that Flannery is the true biological mother ie IVF so why not let nature takes its course or if for a definite 'test-tube' conception why not have Lestat use a condom as you say? One reason for IVF could be to ensure a Y chomosome carrying gamete was used so making a male embryo. An X chromosome carrying sperm would have given us a Gabrielle look-alive, lol!
Net result of all this, AR doesn't understand how cloning works. It's her confusion that is obvious here, not ours :D
I will return to the rest of your fabulous post.