Stem cells Research in ancient India:
Creation from stem cell is age old process in Ancient India. Adi parva, one of the chapters of Mahabharata, it is said that Kauravas were created from pinda [a ball of flesh] which Gandhari delivered after two years of pregnancy. It was then handed over to the sage Dwapayan, which was then divided into one hundred parts and treated with herbs and ghee. The pieces were then covered with cloth and kept in a chamber to cool for two years; out of which the Kauravas were born. There cannot be any other explanation for this. The ancient sages of India must have perfected the art of regenerating entire human beings from cells. In fact Mahabharata clearly describes the various stages of processing pieces of flesh, which is in fact closely comparable to modern techniques of harvesting and processing embryonic stem cells. Perhaps stem cell research was altogether a lost science of ancient India.
The ancient sages of India must have perfected the art
of regenerating entire human beings from cells. In fact
Mahabharata clearly describes the various stages of
processing pieces of flesh, which is infact closely
comparable to modern techniques of harvesting and
processing embryonic stem cells. (sans the
sophistication!) . Perhaps stem cell research was
altogether a lost science of ancient India.
To make a clone embryo would require a human egg into which a cell nucleus from the progenitor could be inserted. However, something similar could probably be made by inserting the nucleus of a human cell into the egg of another species, such as a rabbit or a cow. The nuclear genes of the result would be human, but a handful of other genes, which inhabit structures outside the nucleus, called mitochondria, would be inherited from the rabbit. Genetically mixed embryos are referred to even by scientists as chimeras, after a monster from ancient Greek mythology. Perhaps that shows a lack of public-relations But researchers think the presence of a small amount of animal mitochondrial DNA in a chimera would be greatly outweighed by the ability to produce lots of them. Lord Balabhadra took birth from a cow named Rohini in such a way. Stem cells from Devaki was transported to the womb of Rohini cow. According to Jain mythology, the soul of the Lord Mahavira first got embodied as an embryo in the womb of a Brahmin mother. However, the Gods transferred it into the womb of a Kshatriya mother, per haves in a similar way.
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