Kandra babies?!

[Staphylococcus]

So. As we know, kandra can fully imitate humans - that means also the reproductive system.

And when repairing Marasi's wound, MeLaan somehow changed her own cells to imitate Marasi's - I think she also changed the genetic information, but I'm not sure, too lazy to open the book and look it up

So considering all this, I assume it would be possible for a kandra to imitate an egg cell - as they apparently can do various stuff with their cells. And have, I assume, human babies - as the genetic information of the egg cell would be, well, human.

It also comes to mind that the kandra wouldn't be able to shapeshift while carrying the baby, but otherwise this seems possible...What do you all think?

(If someone came up with this sooner, I'm sorry.)

 

[Faceless Mist-Wraith]

I think this has come up before, but I don't think there has been a definitive answer on whether a Kandra and a human can have a baby. However, if we did go by what you are saying (i.e the kandra is replicating human genetic information), this would just mean a regular human is born.

[Staphylococcus]

@Faceless Mist-Wraith Yup, that's what I think...

[The One Who Connects]

I'd have to scour the AMA again, but there was definitely a question about this. 

I don't think there was anything notable about Kandra DNA, but I can't be certain. Pretty sure it's mostly what you have assumed. It'd still require a second person like it does in real life, even if indirectly through IVF or something

[Staphylococcus]

8 hours ago, The One Who Connects said:

I'd have to scour the AMA again, but there was definitely a question about this. 

I don't think there was anything notable about Kandra DNA, but I can't be certain. Pretty sure it's mostly what you have assumed. It'd still require a second person like it does in real life, even if indirectly through IVF or something

Aaaaaactually, as you mentioned a second person.

I'm not really sure I agree.

 

********** Biology nerd broke loose, proceed reading for an instant headache. **************

The only reason people, and I'm pretty sure all mammals require both a male and a female in the process, is the absence of a mitotic spindle (the thingy that makes your cells divide) in the egg cells - we need a sperm cell to provide it, then the division can start. Many animals that DO have the mitotic spindle in their egg cells are capable of parthenogenesis - a process, where a single egg cell, with nothing else needed first duplicates the genetic information (as eggs are haploid = contain only half compared to all other cells)  and then proceeds to divide and form an embryo, and...well, you know how it goes  this is actually pretty common in insects and such.

So, as kandra can do, well, various stuff with their cells, I'm pretty sure they would be able to develop an egg cell with the mitotic spindle...and have babies with themselves

********************************** The end of bio-nerd blabber ****************************************

 

But thanks for confirming the rest  

[Kingsdaughter613]

Couldn't a Kandra just mimic a sperm cell AND an egg cell? Problem solved, no need for bio headaches. (But the above was super interesting; have an upvote!)

[Staphylococcus]

3 hours ago, Kingsdaughter613 said:

Couldn't a Kandra just mimic a sperm cell AND an egg cell? Problem solved, no need for bio headaches. (But the above was super interesting; have an upvote!)

Uh. Well, yeah, you are right. I just have to overcomplicate things and something this simple would never occur to me

[+robardin]

On 4/13/2017 at 9:32 PM, Kingsdaughter613 said:

Couldn't a Kandra just mimic a sperm cell AND an egg cell? Problem solved, no need for bio headaches.

If so, that leads to an interesting conclusion: any kandra could just create a human child all by itself, with a little training and effort. And repeat as desired.

[Mistform]

On ‎2017‎-‎04‎-‎12 at 8:53 AM, Staphylococcus said:

And when repairing Marasi's wound, MeLaan somehow changed her own cells to imitate Marasi's - I think she also changed the genetic information, but I'm not sure, too lazy to open the book and look it up

Well according to the wiki it is ch 21 of The Bands of Mourning. I think just copying the membrane proteins might be enough to prevent the body from  rejecting the skin graft. However given the level of fiction/its magic they might as well copy the DNA.

[Staphylococcus]

1 hour ago, Mistform said:

Well according to the wiki it is ch 21 of The Bands of Mourning. I think just copying the membrane proteins might be enough to prevent the body from  rejecting the skin graft. However given the level of fiction/its magic they might as well copy the DNA.

Yeah, you are right, copying the membrane proteins would be completely enough! Why didn't I think of that? But wouldn't they need to change at least the part of the DNA coding the membrane proteins? (Otherwise how make them?) But the rest is probably unimportant...

But, anyway, I'm seriously happy there's someone on the internet I can discuss this with

[+robardin]

7 hours ago, Staphylococcus said:

Yeah, you are right, copying the membrane proteins would be completely enough! Why didn't I think of that? But wouldn't they need to change at least the part of the DNA coding the membrane proteins? (Otherwise how make them?) But the rest is probably unimportant...

But, anyway, I'm seriously happy there's someone on the internet I can discuss this with

Hmm. Your enthusiasm is infectious. But your username makes me worry about that.

 

[Staphylococcus]

4 hours ago, robardin said:

Hmm. Your enthusiasm is infectious. But your username makes me worry about that.

 

Don't worry! Despite my nickname, I'm not infectious!  

Although, I wouldn't hate being able to infect people with my enthusiasm for cosmere and biology

 

There should be a bacteria, say, Staphylococcus cosmericus, that would make people feel a sudden urge to read Brandon's books  I think this world needs that.

[Faceless Mist-Wraith]

Quick idea, if this process could be used to replicate human dna and produce a human child, could a kandra use this same process but with their own dna?

[The One Who Connects]

1 minute ago, Faceless Mist-Wraith said:

Quick idea, if this process could be used to replicate human dna and produce a human child, could a kandra use this same process but with their own dna?

I believe Brandon has said that Kandra are incapable of reproduction other than spiking more Mistwraiths. If you mean using their own DNA for a sperm cell, I don't know for sure what that would do.

[Staphylococcus]

4 minutes ago, Faceless Mist-Wraith said:

Quick idea, if this process could be used to replicate human dna and produce a human child, could a kandra use this same process but with their own dna?

Well, the process would probably be possible to replicate but:

1 minute ago, The One Who Connects said:

I believe Brandon has said that Kandra are incapable of reproduction other than spiking more Mistwraiths. If you mean using their own DNA for a sperm cell, I don't know for sure what that would do.

This was exactly my idea, that kandra DNA isn't enough - you'd need spikes.

And what's a kandra without spikes? A mistwraith.

So I think we can answer the "what would happen" question: A mistwraith would be born.

(Correct me if I'm missing something.)

[The One Who Connects]

3 minutes ago, Staphylococcus said:

(Correct me if I'm missing something.)

Newly spiked Kandra have to be fed eyes and other parts to learn how to replicate them. But both Mistwraith's and Kandra have to use the donor's bones as support. This makes me think that they are unable to create bone, similar to their issue with hair.

What would a Mistwraith baby actually be like? The only known ones to be created already had bones of their own. (TLR's Ascension, the Kandra Resolution)

[Staphylococcus]

Just now, The One Who Connects said:

Newly spiked Kandra have to be fed eyes and other parts to learn how to replicate them. But both Mistwraith's and Kandra have to use the donor's bones as support. This makes me think that they are unable to create bone, similar to their issue with hair.

What would a Mistwraith baby actually be like? The only known ones to be created already had bones of their own. (TLR's Ascension, the Kandra Resolution)

An amoeboid blob of...something?  Which needs to be given bones and other tissue to function?

[kenod]

Alright, some fridge horror. We are talking about physical DNA now, but what about Cognitive DNA and Spritual DNA. As in this situation kandra could only synthesize human physical DNA, what would happen to the kid's cognitive and spiritual self? IIRC Spritual DNA from spikes could be passed on to children, so it is possible they wouldn't have the kandra cognitive block, but with the weird way Spiritual DNA works this has the potential to go wrong in many ways, if crossbreeding Spiritual DNA that differs this much would even work in the first place. I get the feeling that a kid born this way could be really messed up (and I'm not even getting started on Cognitive DNA here, as I don't have enough knowledge about it).

[Staphylococcus]

7 hours ago, kenod said:

Alright, some fridge horror. We are talking about physical DNA now, but what about Cognitive DNA and Spritual DNA. As in this situation kandra could only synthesize human physical DNA, what would happen to the kid's cognitive and spiritual self? IIRC Spritual DNA from spikes could be passed on to children, so it is possible they wouldn't have the kandra cognitive block, but with the weird way Spiritual DNA works this has the potential to go wrong in many ways, if crossbreeding Spiritual DNA that differs this much would even work in the first place. I get the feeling that a kid born this way could be really messed up (and I'm not even getting started on Cognitive DNA here, as I don't have enough knowledge about it).

Ok. I haven't thought about this AT ALL. Thanks for pointing it out. Yes, the kid would probably be really messed up.

[Yata]

Probably you will able to create a Human being with the same Mistwraith's Cognitive block (of something really similar), unless you win the Genetic roulette and you manage to pass down the Hemalurgy's effects (also if I think it's impossible for a Kandra to pass down a side effect of Hemalurgy)

I am more interested in the crossblood Kandra-Human baby. He has some chance to inherit from both his parent and maybe to dump or lighter the Cognitive block....Honestly you could in theory have a natural Kandra.

[Sanderson-Savant]

You might be missing something people, if the Kandra can copy DNA, who said that they have to make a human baby?

 

That might take out the issue with spiritual DNA, unless preservation gave away some of himself to rabits.

Edited May 8, 2017 by Sanderson-Savant
Misuse of full stop

[Staphylococcus]

Just now, Sanderson-Savant said:

You might be missing something people, if the Kandra can copy DNA, who said that they have to make a human baby. 

 

That might take out the issue with spiritual DNA, unless preservation gave away some of himself to rabits

Nah, they can make basically any baby they want, if my hypothesis is right, but the baby would inherit THEIR spiritual DNA.

[Sanderson-Savant]

So if they get Kandra spuritual DNA... it might be one really messed up rabit?

[Staphylococcus]

2 minutes ago, Sanderson-Savant said:

So if they get Kandra spuritual DNA... it might be one really messed up rabit?

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking

[dashardie]

The way I see it, as mistwraiths, Kandra are effectively masses of undifferentiated stem cells. When they are spiked into becoming full Kandra, they then have a consciousness to direct that differentiation, hence the need to consume their victims. The digestive process also allows them to mimic the cells of the donor, as well as clean the bones for the structural aspect of a body. I figure that, as mentioned above, they could theoretically have a baby with themselves with enough know-how. Kandra surrogates anyone?