User:Crevaner
Heroes origin & genetics:
Most of the human genome is composed of what is commonly known as "junk DNA" because upon its initial discovery scientists could not find anything useful in it, i.e. the DNA stretches do not code for any proteins. More recently, parts of these non-coding stretches have been found to have regulatory and other functions. In addition, there are also inactive endogenous retrovirus that derive from the infection of the germline of our ancient progenitors. But, what is most amazing about junk DNA is that it also contains dormant DNA sequences that will endow a person with superhuman abilities. Each of these special sequences requires a specific hormonal signal to activate.
The superhuman DNA sequences were implanted in the early hominids as part of an extremely long-term social experiment by an extraterrestrial species. Several centuries ago, the aliens returned and once again began experimenting on human subjects. They implanted a genetic sequence in select groups of people all over the world. The descendents of those people are known to us as the "Heroes."
The genetic sequence that Heroes possess is a four gene complex that causes their brain to produce a hormone that at some point in their life (anywhere from pre-pubescence to early mid-age) interacts with the Hero's own individual stress hormones, behavior-related neurotransmitters, odor chemicals, immune system messengers, and other biochemical characteristics to create a hormonal activation signal for a superhuman dormant DNA sequence. Since the specifics of those biochemical characteristics are dependent upon a person's environment, individual genetic structure, and even emotional/psychological state, the specific hormonal activation signal produced is different in every Hero and therefore the specific dormant DNA sequence activated is different in every Hero. As a result, every Hero develops a relatively unique superhuman ability.
The four gene complex responsible for Hero abilities specifically involves two genes, each of which has two forms, or alleles. To be a Hero, a person must have at least one of each of the dominant alleles. A non-Hero may either have two recessive "a" alleles, or two recessive "b" alleles.
- A - Hero gene 1 (dominant)
- a - non-Hero (recessive)
- B - Hero gene 2 (dominant)
- b - non-Hero (recessive)
These combinations will make a Hero:
- AABB
- AaBB
- AABb
- AaBb
These combinations will make a non-Hero:
- AAbb
- Aabb
- aaBB
- aaBb
- aabb
Heroes born from two non-Heroes are produced if one parent has two "a" alleles and at least one "B" allele, while the other parent has two "b" alleles and at least one "A" allele. Because of this, they could produce Hero offspring.
AAbb x aaBB, for example, would produce all Hero offspring of the type AaBb.
Aabb x aaBb would produce Hero offspring in the proportion of one in four:
- AaBb = Hero
- Aabb = non-Hero
- aaBb = non-Hero
- aabb = non-Hero
Aabb x aaBB or AAbb x aabB would have a one in two chance of having Hero offspring.
Two Hero parents can even have non-Hero children. These non-Heroes are produced by two Hero parents who have at least one recessive allele of the same gene.
AaBB x AaBB could produce:
- AABB (1/4 chance) = Hero
- AaBB (1/2 chance) = Hero
- aaBB ( 1/4 chance) = non-Hero
AABb x AABb could produce:
- AABB (1/4) = Hero
- AABb (1/2) = Hero
- AAbb (1/4) = non-Hero
However, the cross AABb x AaBB would produce all Hero offspring, since only one recessive allele of each gene could be inherited by any offspring:
- AABB (1/4) = Hero
- AABb (1/4) = Hero
- AaBB (1/4) = Hero
- AaBb (1/4) = Hero
The cross likely to produce the most non-Heroes from two Hero parents is, obviously, AaBb x AaBb, in which the offspring have a seven in sixteen chance of being a non-Hero.