The Philosophy Discussion Forum

Currently I am taking taking a few courses simultaneously in Biochemistry, Genomics, Genetics, Epigenetics, Molecular Biology & Nutrition from MIT and other universities.

Anyone seriously into the above and want to discuss the above subjects at present?

Learned the following from genetics;

With merely one change in the DNA letters [A, T, G, C] in a specific gene of a fruit fly, it will grow legs instead of the normal antenna;

This is interesting; I've read, for example, of how transplanting genes for the human eye into an insect species - I can't remember which - resulted in the growth of an extra insect (but not human) eye. As a philosopher, the question which interests me is, to what extent is genetic engineering analogous with ordinary garage-mechanical modification? There are mechanics who can tell you which motors are compatible with which car models, or which motor modifications are compatible with which motor models; does genetic science work on this basis, though perhaps at an exponential level of complexity?

Alternatively, Veritas Aequitas, you could frame a specific question in terms we could get a hold of?