What happens to your DNA, when your organ is transferred to another body?

When you give another person your kidney, or another organ, what happens to your DNA in that organ? Does it get taken over by the donors DNA? How does this work out???

Well, I just don't know. There are medicines to prevent the body of the receiver of the donated organ to NOT kill it, as it is a foreign entity, now in the body. Lucky me, I got my kidney from one of my sisters. We were a perfect match according to the doctors. However, while I used to be a beer drinker, my sister is a whiskey drinker. And I developed a strong dislike for beer following the transplant. But, gee, whiskey seems pretty good to me now. My sister enjoys whiskey, and I used to enjoy beer. Although, I prefer something better than 10 High.

My paranoia increased. What can I say? My sister is quite the paranoid, however, I got that under control. I think so, at least.

And then there is this constant urge to sit when I pee, instead of standing.

My sister is gay, and, well, I began to enjoy women even MORE after the transplant.

Go figure.

I don't think the DNA undergoes a change, but, what do I know? I haven't seen any results from scientific studies concerning DNA changes, but, after my behaviours changed following my transplant, I did some research and found out that many people who have received transplanted organs take on characteristics of the donor.



[edit on 14-2-2010 by kyred]

You know...this is a really good question...every cell in your body contains the genetic information required to clone you...and cells constantly divide and die...do the foreign cells retain the donors genetic code and keep dividing or does the DNA of the host replace the donors DNA...what happens at the point where the organ is joined? I haven't thought about organ transplants in such detail before, but now that I do it poses some interesting questions...we are talking about 2 separate DNA sequences synchronizing and working together, adapting to the foreign DNA...which is a tremendously amazing task if you understand what I'm talking about...

EDIT: Haha...I know howstuffworks would have an answer...

How Organ Transplants Work

I don't know if it goes in to enough detail to find an answer to the question you have posed here though.

[edit on 14/2/10 by CHA0S]

Originally posted by Maddogkull
When you give another person your kidney, or another organ, what happens to your DNA in that organ? Does it get taken over by the donors DNA? How does this work out???

From the link Chaos posted:

A transplanted organ is made entirely of foreign cells, of course, which means the body will attack it if left to its own devices.

So the DNA is still the donor's DNA, and that's why the organ recipient runs a risk of rejecting the transplanted organ. They take anti-rejection drugs but the organ can still be rejected in spite of this.

If the DNA and everything matched, there would be no reason to reject it. So it continues to be separate DNA as far as I know.