We Are Frankenstein

David Robson muses on how our bodies can become hosts of another's cells after conception. Most of the article explores cases of chimeras that occur to a child in the womb or to a mother's body as a result of pregnancy.

In regard to the latter case, a remarkably high percentage of tested mothers (63%) show male DNA lodged in their brain (Chan et al., 2012), which presumably was the result of carrying a son in pregnancy. I speculate that in some subliminal way this "shared flesh" may bond mother and child.

-DD

DNA Testing Is a Mix of Art and Science

Charlsie Agro and Luke Denne write about a pair of twins who submitted DNA samples to a number of genetic testing firms . The results varied from firm to firm, and the same firms gave differing interpretations of the history or region of origin for each individual.

-DD