Levo and Dextro

[Dreadnought]

how it works in real life? because we got an idea how it work in ME universe

[Vellari]

You mean what it relates to in real life?

Terms are actually latin meaning "to the left" Levo, and "to the right" Dextro. In this context though it refers to genome/DNA which is a spiral shape rotating either left or right. And the accompanying amino-acids (proteins) molecules also twist either left or right.

Levo would have DNA rotating to "left" and dextro to "right". Our human DNA would be Levo in this context.

However, whether the difference in left vs right actually matters, propably not. Scientific evidence suggests that the issue of levo- vs. dextro-amino food was significantly overblown in Mass Effect. For example, Penicillin and most sugars both contain dextro-amino acids, yet they are hardly toxic. That said, turians and humans still wouldn't be able to handle each others' food. Reverse-chiral food would probably pass harmlessly through the body, as mentioned repeatedly throughout the series.

[Dreadnought]

i mean
comparing how it works in ME universe and real life
(maybe i need another a day or two to reformulate the question)

also i only come to hear of this Levo/dextro stuff in ME so i'm quite curious

[Vellari]

It works the same way, it's not "invented for" mass effect. However, ME has exaggarated the possible effects of cross-chiral foods for example.

We eat dextro-handed stuff everyday, most sugars are dextro.

(EDIT: there is curios thing about that actually. Us humans(levo) can digest dextro sugars and levo proteins, but not levo sugars or dextro proteins. There is more to it than just levo or dextro, which is where ME does the exaggaration/black&white thing).

Cross-chiral reproduction would be impossible though. Doesn't even have to be cross-chiral to be impossible. A cat cannot reproduce with a dog, even though they are both levo. Many, many other things in play aswell.

Pure speculation here, since none of this exists: A turian (dextro) could eat human food (and if I'm not mistaken happens in ME world), but would not digest it properly (like lactose intolerant humans) being otherwise not harmful. A quarian however with hyper-sensitive immune-system on top, would propaly have an anyphylactic shock from the same food (severe allergic reaction).

[Dreadnought]

hopefully in the next ME game (wondering if i'm going to live that far enough) there will be more things to talk with Dextro/Levo departament!
so many possibilities!

[Danny]

Originally posted by Vellari:

A quarian however with hyper-sensitive immune-system on top, would propaly have an anyphylactic shock from the same food (severe allergic reaction).

A quarian doesn't have a hyper-sensitive immune-system, they barely have one at all... XD

[Rithm Fluffderg]

Originally posted by Danny:

Originally posted by Vellari:

A quarian however with hyper-sensitive immune-system on top, would propaly have an anyphylactic shock from the same food (severe allergic reaction).

A quarian doesn't have a hyper-sensitive immune-system, they barely have one at all... XD

It's more that quarians are allergic to everything that's not their homeworld, because their reaction to germs is more that of an allergic reaction than actually coming down with the sickness in question.

So, mostly, they end up dying from anaphylactic shock.

[Danny]

Originally posted by HeroicSkaldZach:

Originally posted by Danny:

A quarian doesn't have a hyper-sensitive immune-system, they barely have one at all... XD

It's more that quarians are allergic to everything that's not their homeworld, because their reaction to germs is more that of an allergic reaction than actually coming down with the sickness in question.

So, mostly, they end up dying from anaphylactic shock.

Yeah, their whole home world has many organisms that work together.
Even most of their parasites work more together with the host! XD