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As far as my understanding goes, prions require contact with either the same or extremely similar proteins to have any affect, so they would require even greate
by captainclam 6y ago
As far as my understanding goes, prions require contact with either the same or extremely similar proteins to have any affect, so they would require even greater biological similarity. Are their prion-like agents that work differently than I suppose?
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- loa_in_ 6y ago> prions require contact with either the same or extremely similar proteins to have any affect There is no requirement for similarity or sameness. Even if there aren't any that I know of that violate this - it's not in the definition that prions require contact with either the same or extremely similar proteins to have any affect.
- hn2fast 6y agoContamination doesn't even have to be self-replicating to be a major concern. Many organometallic compounds are exceedingly lethal and accumulate in biotic life. If alien tissue uses any to a significant degree, it would have disastrous consequences. Obviously, the dangers of runaway self-replication makes even the smallest samples of primitive life potentially more deadly. And, while primitive life is far more likely in the universe at large, it is astronomically unlikely to reach our solar system undirected.
- rlonn 6y agoBut when talking of other solar system bodies, like Mars, isn't it the other way around? I.e. astronomically unlikely that contaminants haven't already found their way to earth, undirected, for billions of years now?