Question

Do you think it is possible for scientists to incorporate chloroplasts into the skin cells of humans? What would this mean for humans?

Answer 1

Answer:

Part 1.

Yes it is possible possible for scientist to incorporate chloroplast in human skin cells.

Explanation:

• It would be bit difficult.
• For this purpose, scientist have to change the genetic material of stem cells which are going to be skin cells.
• The have to incorporate the gene of chloroplast into animal cells.
• This is done by recombinant DNA technology.

Part 2.

This means human will becomes autotrophs. They will start photosynthesizing.

Explanation:

• Chloroplast are organelles which are responsible for food production in plants.
• If human have this organelle, they will start their own food.
• As the chlorophyll has green pigment due to which plants appear greens.
• Another consequence will be green skin of human.
• 
  

Answer 2

Similarly to mitochondria on which the animals and fungi rely upon, the chloroplasts are the solar-power plants of the plant cell. With the advancement in the field of genetics and biotechnology, it may be feasible for scientists to incorporate chloroplasts into human skin cells. However, there may be few issues, which the human beings would have to encounter with, these are as follows:  

1. The immune system of the humans may attack the chloroplasts, but maybe they would be safe if they are present within the cell.  

2. As the skin of the humans would be undergoing the process of photosynthesis, then they would have to be in green color, thus, the melanocytes of the skin would have to be engineered in order to generate another pigment.  

3. The humans may get skin cancer and sunburns when they would be out feeding on sunlight, that is, the ultraviolet part of the sunlight would cause the destruction of the living cells.  

4. In order to undergo the reaction of photosynthesis, the humans would require more water than usually required by a normal human being, and this could be a disadvantage in a desert surrounding.  

5. The process would not help to generate much energy for an active species like humans, as the daily energy requirements for a human being would be attained by absorbing around 10000 kJ of energy, that is, around 150 hours in a day of sitting in the Sun, which is impossible.