Tomacco

Discussion in 'Free Thoughts' started by %BlueSoulRobot%, Sep 17, 2001.

  1. %BlueSoulRobot% Copyright! Copyright!! Registered Senior Member

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    Heyo!

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    Could tomacco really come to the supermarket nearest you? I mean, with all the genetic modifications these days, it's bound to become a possibility somehow, in some twisted way, right? (By the way, for the non-Simpsons fans out there, tomacco is the cross between a tomato and tobacco, brought to life by using nuclear waste or something like that. It looks like a tomato, but the insides are brown like tobacco, and it tastes really bad, yet it's addictive.)

    Let me know ur thoughts,

    %bluesoul, greensoul, whateversoul robot%

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  3. tmegeney Registered Senior Member

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    As a Plant Scientist, I can tell you that it is possible using genetic engineering, but it has no practical uses. Genetists have been doing even weirder things for a long time. There is even an example of a gene from a lighnting bug (firefly) inserted into the genetic sequence of a potato that caused the potatoes leaves to glow whenever they are under water stress.
    T,
     
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  5. %BlueSoulRobot% Copyright! Copyright!! Registered Senior Member

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    I see...

    Oh, I see...oh well, it looked good in the cartoon...but then everything looks good in a cartoon

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  7. sugarmatic Registered Member

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    tomacco.....

    First of all, tobacco and tomatoes are somewhat closely related, sharing the nightshade family with potatoes, peppers, eggplants, and tomatillos. Second of all, they are among the most intensively studied classes of plants around when it comes to plant genetics science. Third, tomacco already exists- some types of tomatoes really do have measurable quantites of nicotine. Some eggplant species have very significant amounts of nicotine in the leaves, enough to have physiological effects. It appears that tobacco plants share similiar genes with other nightshades that are responsible for nicotine production, and the domesticated plants generally have many, many copies of these genes.

    Nicotine is a great collective pest defense for these plants in the wild......
     
  8. tmegeney Registered Senior Member

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    Everything you said is true, but what is the commercial or practical value? Nicotine is used as a pesticide by soem organic farmers, but this is one case where the cure is worse then the disease. Nicotine based pesticides are dangerous for people to use. It is a natural part of plants true, but why engineer plants that will kill people.

    Incidentally LSD is found in the nightshade family too.
    Terry
     
  9. Bebelina kospla.com Valued Senior Member

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    Tomacco!

    I´m sure it´s just a question of time before it´s available in the supermarkets among with the green popsickle frogs...

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    Do you remember when Homer went to that island to preach and licked those frogs?

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  10. %BlueSoulRobot% Copyright! Copyright!! Registered Senior Member

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    Hehe

    Yep, I remember the frog-licking, lol
     

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