# Parts **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [March 13, 2011, 11:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/parts/62581 "2011-03-13T23:53:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ccoleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ed8c4c/32.png) [@ccoleman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ccoleman)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2011, 11:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/parts/62581/1 "2011-03-13T23:53:49Z")
I’m in the midst of writing a manuscript and am coming up short with the relevant linkages between “spare parts” and human genetic engineering. That is, discourse associates current “designer babies” with the search for “spare parts.” So here is my question: supplying human parts (e.g., kidney, liver) is like…locating what types of auto spare parts? Since I’m not an auto-afficianado, I depend on your kindness to direct me to relevant auto-part to make this metaphorical linkage. ---
**Author:** ![kizwiki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7cd45c/32.png) [@kizwiki](https://community.cartalk.com/u/kizwiki)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 12:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/parts/62581/2 "2011-03-14T00:02:19Z")
I don’t understand the question, particularly the part that states, "discourse associates current ‘designer babies’ with the search for ‘spare parts’. I think you want to know which auto parts are most closely related to the various human organs? Is that right? Please confirm or clarify. ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 12:29am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/parts/62581/3 "2011-03-14T00:29:43Z")
If that’s what the discourse does then first correct the discourse. Genetic engineering is nothing like a spare parts thing. Spare parts talk is more like organ donation or prostheses development. If you want to go to genetic engineering & designer babies then you do to automotive design. There you might find all of the relevant metaphors - both the aesthetic and the functional. But like kizwiki noted, its pretty much impossible to tell what you really want to know.