Hi, it's Mike Chen.
Super speed, heightened senses,
flight, super strength, invulnerability,
these are just a few of the superhuman abilities
that we see on the big screen that most of us wish we could have.
I mean, for decades, we have all been fascinated by these powers and the people
who just happened to be born with them
or happened to get bit by spider.
Lucky them right?
I mean, who wouldn't want to have the ability to fly
and don't have to ever sit in a traffic jam again
or have the ability to move things through their mind
and to be able to just clean your gutters while sitting on the couch.
Okay, maybe that's not the best use of that ability.
But the notion of having superhuman powers
has always been relegated to the world of science fiction and fantasy.
But through centuries of scientific advancements and studies,
the notion may be much closer to reality than we think.
In fact, there may be genes in our bodies
that may just be waiting for the right time to evolve
and surprise us with a special set of abilities.
So in today's video,
we're gonna count down to ten genes and a genetic mutations
that could potentially give us superhuman abilities,
and fulfill our superhero dreams.
Number 10, more powerful than a locomotive.
Let's start with the obvious - super strength.
From characters like the Incredible Hulk to Superman himself,
what guy would now want to have the strength of 10,000 men.
If you are one of the few people with a condition called "Myostatin-related hypertrophy"
you wouldn't be able to become a superhero overnight,
but you definitely can put on muscle mass quicker than any of us,
who has to go to multiple trips to the gym.
The condition is a mutation of the gene
that produces a protein called "myostatin or MSTN".
The gene is responsible for producing a type of protein
that signals the body to stop producing muscle areas
where there is already enough.
The mutation basically inhabit or interrupts the signals sent to the body.
It is nothing life-threatening or lethal,
it's just that people who have this condition
tend to have more muscle mass than the average human being
You know, without working out.
Number 9, faster than a speeding bullet.
We've all been in a situation
where many of us wish that we had to speed up the Flash
or we could fly so we would never miss an important event ever again.
That's why the gene ACTN 3 is so interesting.
This gene is present in every human beings genetic structure.
It is the gene that controls the fast twitch muscles
that allows us to run sprint and have that quick burst of strength.
Interestingly enough,
the mutation that allows over production of ACTN3 protein in the body
is much more present in athletes such as professional runners
sprinters, in some weight lifters.
Another point of interest is that
even though we all have this gene embedded in our chromosomes.
Geneticists have discovered that some athletes have an extra ACTN3 gene in their system
which allows them to perform better than non athletic types.
Number 8, unbreakable
So maybe super strength is not really your thing
and maybe running fast isn't really your style.
Perhaps you're just looking to be more of the indestructible type.
Well, the conditions surrounding this genetic mutation
are called osteosclerosis and hyperostosis,
where protein in the body are recoded
to have an entirely new function
and kickstart bone cells to grow denser and bulkier,
giving the term 'big bone' a run for its money
The gene behind it all is called LRP5,
a gene whose main function is to aid in important cell processes
as well as cell development.
While it is not at all dangerous,
having mutated LRP5 gene do give you the advantage
of making your bones less likely to fracture than an average persons.
Number 7,
you know the saying "No pain, well here lots of gain".
People with the mutated version of the gene SCN11A
have a certain propensity to not really feel any kind of sensation related to physical pain
Known as Congenital Insensitivity to Pain or CIP.
This rare condition prevents certain receptors in the body to identify pain
because of the decreased amounts of sodium in the body cells,
especially those that alerts and transmit pain messages to the brain.
There is the downfall to this though.
I mean it's great to not feel pain
But pain is what tells us what not to do in life.
For example,
don't hold your hand over fire.
And maybe watch out for that Lego brick.
But without sensitivity to pain,
we never really learn these things.
So it's also much easier for people with this condition to hurt themselves.
Number 6, fantastic elastic.
The ability to stretch the body and twist it into any form possible.
I feel like it's a really underrated skill, right?
Characters like Mr. Fantastic and Plastic Man are two comic characters
that have exhibited this seemingly limitless possibilities of being elastic and elongated.
Now if we remove cosmic rays and gamma radiation
and strip it all down to genetics.
It happens that there is a real-life condition called Marfan syndrome
where the body's tendons and ligaments are basically transformed into rubber.
This is due to the over production of the protein fibrillin-1,
a protein linked to connective tissues
that allows the bodies of these individuals to contort and twisting
in almost superhuman waist.
Unfortunately, unlike some of the genetic mutations on this list,
people suffering from Marfan syndrome do have a risk of contracting problems.
They could develop conditions in their skeletal and nervous systems
as well as developing heart conditions.
Also, Marfan syndrome may affect physical appearance
as some individuals with the condition tend to have facial disfigurements
or unnaturally long limbs.
Number 5, super sleepers.
Okay, here's the thing.
Being a superhuman may have its perks
but saving the world on a daily basis
that can be a lot of work and pretty tiring.
Even super humans need a good night's sleep, right?
Thankfully, a special kind of genetic mutation
allows certain individuals to fully charge their bodies
with less than the prescribed eight hours of sleep.
These short sleepers occur naturally
and they are predisposed to extend their short sleeping habits to their blood line.
While researchers are still in the middle of discovering
the extent and effect of this quality of mutation,
they have identified it to the hDEC2 gene.
Number 4, super sight
On average, a pair of human eyes can identify and differentiate about a million colors.
However, due to a mutation in the opsin gene,
a gene we have to thank for in producing visual pigments for seeing color,
people who are born with the condition tetrachromacy
are gifted with the superhuman ability
to see almost 100 million different colors.
Now, it doesn't sound as impressive as super-strength
or are being physically unbreakable,
but this would almost guarantee you lifelong employment in a paint store.
Number 3, anti-fat ability
Now most people think this is just an Asian thing.
But the power to not gain inches around your waistline
may be more important to some people
than the powers of flight, invisibility, super-strength and laser eyes altogether.
While it may seem like an enticing ability,
the truth is that this condition called MDP syndrome
that affects around 80 million people worldwide may be lethal.
MDP basically prevents fat from being stored under the skin
and does allows it to enter the bloodstream
which then leads to serious health problems
such as diabetes, congested arteries and heart disease.
Number 2, reverse electro
Aside from tissues, muscles and organs,
the human body is also heavily composed of liquids and fluids
from our blood to our sweat.
These fluids aid the body and processing nutrition
and regulating temperature among other things.
With the amount of fluids and liquids running inside of us,
it comes as no surprise that we are absolutely susceptible to electrocution.
However, an extremely rare genetic mutation in one man
allows him to withstand the effects of electricity.
Because of his lack of sweat and salivary glands.
Slavisa Pajkic is Serbia man astounded the world
with his ability to simply allow electricity to glide over his skin
and right onto to any object in his hand.
Since there are no sweat glands to act as conductors on his body,
he is practically shocked proof.
It has made Pajkic setting several World Records due to his bizarre ability.
Finally, number 1 - poison proof
Of course, we all know the human body is extremely fragile
and hopeless against poisoning.
Especially when it comes to the chemical kind.
Humans have almost no means of naturally combatting lethal toxins.
However, a poison proof gene has been discovered in the chromosomes of villagers
in San Antonio de los Cobres in Argentina.
For over a thousand years,
these villagers have been drinking mountain water
laced with extremely dangerous levels of arsenic.
Surprisingly, to this day,
the village still exists and people continue to live happy and healthy lives.
What researchers have discovered is that
the villagers seemingly natural resistance to the poison
has been attributed to the gene AS3MT,
a gene that allows them to process arsenic in their bodies
rather than store it to dangerous levels.
A testament to the wonders of thousands of years of natural selection.
Today an estimated six thousand people are known to have this special gene.
I think way into the future,
we're either gonna wake up and have like extended claws coming out of our hands
or we're gonna grow a third eye because of all the pollution around us.
I think I'd rather do the claw thing.
Alright guys, thank you all so much for watching this video.
See you later.