Of the nature of DNA - (Jul/18/2015 )

I am not an experienced biologist; I'm to be an inventor. Nevertheless, I am curious.

I have heard or read that it is possible to take the DNA from a dead organism and implement it to create a new organism of the exact same nature ("dead' cloning). I would like to know exactly how this would be feasible, for I have been laboring under the assumption that DNA is organic material, and if an organism is deceased, that material subsequently breaks down or decomposes or loses the ability to produce further. Is it indeed feasible to extract enough strands from a dead organism to institute a complete chain into a stem process creating a new copy? What type of change does DNA go through when its host organism dies?

Also, are there different types of stem cells for which a particular type of DNA must be paired (plant, animal, bacterial, reptilian, human, etc.)?

Answers to any of these questions would be valuable.

Phaeous

WHat you read is true, as is your thought that DNA will decay over time. However, considering that you have approximately 2 m of DNA in each cell, and a huge number of cells in most (eukaryotic) organisms. The degradation process varies with time and the conditions under which the carcass is. Hot, humid results in more decay Basically as the body decays, so does the DNA), whereas cold and dry result in dessication or freezing, both of which are good for preservation of DNA. Museum specimens preserved in alcohol will have intact DNA for as long as the alcohol is maintained. 

Technology has also advanced recently so that we can now take highly fragmented DNA and "reassemble" the sequence by reading off the fragments. The actual DNA could then be synthesized and used in cloning, but the technology hasn't advanced to that point yet. Currently you need intact chromosomes from an organism to transplant it into a fertilized egg of a very closely related species. This has only been done for a few organisms and is very problematic and expensive.

completely agree with bob1. 

While Jurassic Park is potentially feasible in the far future. There are many steps to overcome before such a thing can happen. There are inherent problems with simple cloning, taking an adult cell from sheep (Dolly the sheep) and then making a clone, or exact copy with a viable cell, with viable DNA. 

While there would be parts and fragments of DNA preserved from an extinct animal, say a Dodo or a Tasmanian Tiger, it is not sufficient at this stage of science, to take those fragments and make a living animal (a clone essentially) of something that is extinct.

There is so much biology that we don't know in terms of processes and controls.

Interesting thought though.

Cheers

Nick

I appreciate the input.

Live long and prosper

Phaeous