CHIMERISM

Chimerism is the occurrence of genetically distinct cell

types in a single organism.
A chimera is a single organism composed of cells with
more than one distinct genotype.
CONDITIONS OF CHIMERISM
1. MICROCHIMERISM: This occurs when a mother
absorbs a few cells from her fetus or the fetus
absorbs cells from the mother which can remain in
the mother’s or child’s body for decades. This
condition is called microchimerism.
When a person receives a blood transfusion,
stem cell transplant, or bone marrow transplant
from another person and absorbs some of that
person’s cell. This is called artificial chimerism.
2. TWIN CHIMERISM: when a pair of twins is
conceived and one embryo dies in the womb. The
surviving fetus may absorb some of the cells of its
deceased twin. This gives the surviving fetus two
sets of cells; its own and some of its twin’s.
3. TETRAGAMETIC CHIMERISM: When two different
sperm cells fertilize two different egg cells. Then,
these cells fuse together into one human embryo
with crossed cell lines. It is called tetragametic
chimerism.

CONSEQUENCES OF CHIMERISM

1. Chimerism can lead to two or more sets of DNA

present in the body’s red blood cells.
Microchimerism plays a potential role in human
diseases including systematic scelerosis (SSc),
myositis, thyroid disease, etc
2. It can also lead to hyperpigmentation (increased
skin darkness) or hypopigmentation ( increases
skin lightness) in small patches or across areas as
large as half the body. It can also lead to two
different-coloured eyes.
3. It can lead to an organism having genitals that
have both male and female parts ( intersex), or
that looks sexually unclear ( this sometimes results
in infertility).