Using genetic engineering, scientists have created transgenic goats and mice which produce spider silk proteins in their milk. Most species don't like hanging out together and getting enough material to do something with is a challenge. The only problem is that spiders are difficult to farm. Pound for pound, spider silk is roughly five times stronger than steel, making it an ideal material for all kinds of things like sutures and impact resistant fabrics. While a spider bite won't transmit spider DNA into your body or the body of anything else, we have managed to make non-spider animals with some spider DNA, through the magic and wonder of science! ANIMALS (BESIDES SPIDERS) WITH SPIDER DNA That's not a superpower in the strictest sense. It's possible that viral DNA was responsible in part for the development of the mammalian placenta. It's estimated that today roughly 8 percent of the total human genome was acquired in this way, and it's not all bad news. If the cells it infects are reproductive cells - sperm or eggs - that DNA can be passed down and become a lasting part of the human genome. Sometimes, a specific class of virus known as a retrovirus, gets novel DNA into our chromosomes during the process of converting its RNA. As a result, you get sick and your body fights to expel the invader, often infecting other people in the process. Most of the time, when a virus shows up, it invades a cell and hijacks its machinery to start making copies of itself. You may have heard of them they are called viruses. That said, there are organisms that have attacked you or your ancestors and left some of their DNA behind. ![]() They do not, unfortunately, transmit any superpowers or modify your DNA in any way.Ī spider encasing prey in its web. At worst, they're likely to cause painful reactions or tissue death around the site of the bite. Most spider venoms aren't very dangerous to humans and even those which are, usually aren't fatal. ![]() Other venoms are made of various neurotoxins which kill or immobilize prey, making it easier for a spider to consume them at their leisure. The venom of some spiders still consists mostly of digestive enzymes intended to liquify a meal before a spider slurps it up like the world's most disgusting smoothie. It's likely that venom in spiders initially evolved purely as a means of external digestion. Those venoms are as varied as the species who use them, but they typically have similar goals. Spiders use their bite to deliver venom from specialized glands. None of those are very good for crime fighting. The only superpowers you're likely to get from a spider bite are involuntary scratching and, depending on the species, the incredible ability to shake, vomit, and swell up.
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