[TML] 3D Tissue Printer

[Knapp]

On Jan 28, 2008 6:16 AM, Jerry W Barrington <jursamaj at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> On 1/27/08 3:42 PM, "Knapp" <magick.crow at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >>>> If you are completely printing an adult sized human brain then
> >>>> assuming you also had the technology to scan one in the first place
> >>>> the printer will also create the hural pathways, hence personality,
> >>>> memory etc. Then run off lots of copies (making sure you
> >>> use a new ink
> >>>> cartridge to avoid fade) and there you are back to "clones"
> >>>>
> >>>> Antony
> >>>>
> >>> Yes, but clones don't have the same neural pathways or other
> >>> pathways, like antibodies, for that matter. Douglas E Knapp
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >> Ah but if these are printings of scanned images which came complete with
> >> nurla pathways then the print out will also have them.
> >>
> >> Antony
> > Yes, that is my point. These would not be clones but copies. Clones
> > are the same at birth (sort of) but then grow up and change. Copies
> > would be the same as the thing (adult) copied.
>
> Seems like a tissue printer would just put cells and stuff in place, and
> leave it to the cells to make their own connections.  That wouldn't copy the
> neural pathways.  In fact, it needn't even copy the specific position of
> each cell, just put the right types of cells in the right volume of space.
>
> And the neural pathways are partly in the nature of the cell.  Copying to
> that much detail *would* be reinventing the ST transporter.
I am not sure at what level of detail a cell would need to be made,
but I would think that thus putting the right type in the right space
might not be enough. Could be wrong though.
For sure, if there were no pathways made then the thing would not work
at all. Think of a long nerve pathway that goes from the brain to the
lungs to cause the lungs to breath not being connected up. Maybe if
this body were on some sort of complete life support for a long time
it would all grow together??
Douglas  E Knapp