Difference between revisions of "User:Deepspacecreeper/BadS Trait in Kerbal Genetics"

Latest revision as of 23:06, 14 March 2020

This section is humorous fan fiction. All its information is entirely unofficial and should not be taken at face value. According to the discussion page for whether fan fiction should be allowed, fiction is allowed in User pages whatever the result of the poll. It is assumed here that Kerbals reproduce sexually. The developers hinted that female Kerbals may be added later in the game.

This section contains a large amount of biology/genetic concepts and terminology. A basic level of understanding in biology, genetics, or medical knowledge is needed.

Scientists working at KerMendel Genetic Research (named after Mendel), after observing the "BadS" behaviour in Jebediah Kerman and his family, proposed that the trait is genetic related. After reaching the headlines of the Medical section on the KSC newspaper, a lot of readers thought that the claim was “outrageous and irrational”.

To prove their point, KerMendel started research on the BadS trait to search for reasons that may cause the trait. Firstly, the scientists proposed that the trait may be caused by a kind of pathogen with a low level of contagiousness, but easily passed on to the offspring of the carriers. They called on Jebediah Kerman for a blood test. They searched through all of the bacteria and viruses found in the samples, and also found some new bacteria species. After decoding and studying the genetic code of the bacteria, and taking blood samples from their fellow non-BadS researchers, they confirmed the new species of bacteria as harmless, but it was found in every Kerbal, regardless of the existence of the BadS trait. They then claimed some genes may provide the ability to suppress the effects of the bacteria, and some don't have the gene so they have the BadS trait.

But some scientists at the center then pointed out they were following the wrong path. Psychological traits are not easily affected by foreign substances and bacteria. They then discussed about bipolar disorder, an even rare trait found in a few individual Kerbals. They hypothesized that the BadS trait was also caused by a different allele (version) in the BadS gene. The rest of the scientists first disagreed with them, but they eventually accepted it as a possibility. Jebediah Kerman's family was called on to provide more blood samples. They found out that Jebediah and some of his family members with the same trait have significantly higher levels of endorphins than non-BadS Kerbals. The researchers deduced that the genes for controlling endorphin synthesis in BadS Kerbals may be different from those of non-BadS individuals.

Endorphins are a kind of morphine are produced by the central nervous system. It counteracts pain, stress and fear, making Kerbals feel less pain during near-catastrophic failures in spaceships, and rendering them fearless towards death. (Morphine is a analgesic, a. k. a. painkiller.)

The next step is to find out what gene is responsible for the BadS trait. Scientists at KerMendel specialized at cracking and mapping genetic codes, as well as researching genetic-related disorders. After comparing the genetic material of all the descendants of Jebediah's 4 grandparents, they concluded that their hypothesis was right: the BadS trait was determined by dominance in a single gene, and is hereditary related.

The gene is essential for controlling endorphin release in Kerbals. The lack of a dominant allele means that the Kerbal will lack the ability to control the release of endorphin, leading to psychological symptoms such as excessive fearlessness, uncontrolled laughing, immunity to pain, reckless behavior (including reckless piloting), and overconfidence, often leading to catastrophic failures, when BadS Kerbals don't realize the situation they are in.

The BadS trait explained in genetic inheritance

The BadS trait is caused by an autosomal recessive gene.

• AA will be expressed as A, Kerbal will not show BadS trait, will not carry gene

• Aa will be expressed as A, Kerbal will not show BadS trait but will carry gene

• aa will be expressed as a, Kerbal will be BadS

Each parent has two alleles (versions) of a gene, but will only pass on one copy, during meiosis.

Father's gene (copy 1 & 2) x Mother's gene (copy 3 & 4)

The "? & ?" in the middle 4 boxes stand for the alleles that the child Kerbal will get.

Aa x Aa

1 in 4 chance of getting a BadS child

2 in 4 will carry the gene but not show BadS

AA x Aa

No BadS child

2 in 4 will carry the gene but not show BadS

Aa x aa

2 in 4 chance of getting a BadS child

2 in 4 will carry the gene but not show BadS

No unaffected child

AA x aa

All children are carriers.

AA x AA

Apparently, this will not yield a BadS child.

aa x aa

Apparently, this will yield a BadS child.

See also:

w: Dominance (genetics)

w: Mendelian inheritance

w: Allele

w: Meiosis