What is a Chimera?

According to the New England Journal of Medicine, a woman named Lydia Fairchild gave birth to her own child in 2002, but genetic tests performed on her skin and hair did not match her child (except to the degree a grandmother might match).

However, DNA from other tissue in Fairchild's body did match her child. Lydia carried two distinct sets of DNA within her body, the defining characteristic of a chimera.

The most likely explanation is that Lydia Fairchild herself was a fusion of two sets of chromosomes from her parents, when she was born. Her mother simultaneously ovulated two eggs, which were both fertilized by different sperm from her father.  Then the two eggs fused into a single embryo, which grew up to be Lydia.

In other words, as Lydia Fairchild developed, both types of cells within her participated in constructing her various organs, but not all the DNA was represented in all her organs.  She had two distinct sets of DNA, as if she had twins inside her own body.

So when Lydia Fairchild had a child of her own, the child inherited one set of her DNA, but not the other set.

Comments

[richard buxton]

I myself is probably A chimera.I wonder how i can fine out.I was born with Breast And A uterous And from And from neck down femin