Does stomach Acid kill the DNA of semen?

Discussion in 'Chemistry' started by Alice in wonderland, Jun 5, 2010.

  1. Asguard Kiss my dark side Valued Senior Member

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    probably but not nessarly, for instance it is POSSABLE that its a 2 step proccess where either slaviva or stomic contents (probably acid but it could be something else) start digestion and then its finalised into a usuable and conductable product by DNase. However i doubt it
     
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  3. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    For Helicobacter pylori research gastric juice samples can be used to isolate the DNA. From that we can probably extrapolate that stomach acids do not destroy DNA
     
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  5. GeoffP Caput gerat lupinum Valued Senior Member

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    Maybe. How do we know it would survive the acidity? Extracted DNA, for example, doesn't do well outside fairly tight pH. Or at least not in my bloody lab, anyway.
     
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  7. Hercules Rockefeller Beatings will continue until morale improves. Moderator

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    Possibly. I dunno. :shrug:

    On an aside note, I’m not sure that breakdown of DNA creates “usuable” products. Whilst our GI tracts may break down DNA, I’m not sure that the products of DNA digestion are actually used by humans. AFAIK our cells synthesize all of our own purines and pyrimidines. Any purines or pyrimidines that we absorb are excreted back out. (Can anyone correct me on this if I’m wrong?)


    Maybe. But we’re talking about sperm cells, not H.pylori. These bacterial cells are not lysed by the stomach acid conditions, thus protecting the bacterial DNA inside the cells. I think it’s safe to assume, however, that sperm cells would degrade/lyse under the same conditions and release their DNA. So the question becomes whether ‘naked’ DNA can survive stomach conditions, not DNA inside intact bacterial cells.


    Yeah, same here. Long-term storage of DNA definitely requires neutral pH and a buffering solution. But I suppose this discussion is concerned with whether DNA can survive high acidity within the timeframe of the emptying time of the human stomach. What’s that, about 5 hours or so?
     
  8. Asguard Kiss my dark side Valued Senior Member

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    yes, the products of DNA hydrolyse (thank you for that, i was tearing my hair out trying to rember that word

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    BTW it means "to split" with water not to break down, compleatly different proccess and incorect when refered to the gut

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    ) ARE usuable (and nessary) products

     
  9. Hercules Rockefeller Beatings will continue until morale improves. Moderator

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    No, not incorrect.

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    Hydrolysis IS the mechanism by which many organic polymers (eg. proteins, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, fatty acids) are broken down during digestion. For instance, it’s the biochemical mechanism by which peptide bonds are broken between amino acids in a protein/peptide, and it’s the biochemical mechanism by which glycosidic bonds are broken between carbohydrate molecules in a polysaccharide. Hydrolysis is catalysed by enzymes (peptidases and glycosidases, respectively, in the above examples). Without the catalytic activity of our digestive enzymes, hydrolysis as a digestive mechanism would proceed way too slowly.


    Asguard, you need to read more carefully. I stated quite clearly that DNA was broken down and that the breakdown products (purines and pyrimidines) were absorbed. Your link agrees with this:

    Note that the term “base” refers to purine and pyrimidine molecules.

    What I subsequently said was that after having absorbed the purines and pyrimidines I don’t think our cells actually use them in biochemical processes as our cells make all their own purines and pyrimidines. Absorbed purines and pyrimidines from ingested and digersted DNA are merely excreted back out of the body.

    As I said, I’m not totally sure of this and I stand to be corrected. But your highly generalised link cannot do this one way or the other as it makes no comment on this issue.
     
  10. Captain Kremmen All aboard, me Hearties! Valued Senior Member

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    Not if she'd taken out her dentures first.
     
  11. kmguru Staff Member

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    aww..aww
     
  12. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    I vote this as creepiest post ever, especially when it's the first and only post by this member.
     
  13. Asguard Kiss my dark side Valued Senior Member

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    i just reread this post and i would like to disagree. The reason you produce gases when your dead is a) in the imidiate your spinkters relax releacing all the gas which is normally trapped in the GI tract and b) in the longer term because your GI tract is digesting your body. Without the constant replacement of the stomic lining for instance the stomics pepsin (activated by the hydrochloric acid) starts to digest the stomic and then the rest of the abdominal cavity. The same goes for the other digestive proccesses.
     
  14. gendanken Ruler of All the Lands Valued Senior Member

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    Asguard-- who by the way turns out to not be cerebral palsic-- is actually a moderator and its the opening post you find creepy?


    Fraggle:
    Are you implying prostitutes have good hygiene?
     
  15. Stryder Keeper of "good" ideas. Valued Senior Member

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    Ah but this is the point, if you for instance swallowed a spoon and intended to digest it (this is just an example for arguments sake), it would take time and require your body to continue producing a chemical reaction for digestion.

    If you died, the chemistry would stop being controlled, yes it would breakdown the persons internals however it would dialute itself with the materials. With no chemical moderation, the dilute will eventually be too weak to continue digestion.
     
  16. invert_nexus Ze do caixao Valued Senior Member

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    Why do you think you decompose?
    It's the digestive tract gone mad.
    Your tame little digestive bugs run wild and eat you.

    Although, I suppose a point could be made that it's mostly the intestinal tract and not the stomach that contains said fauna.
     

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