Are Midi-chlorians able to be infused or transplanted?

Question

The more questions about the Force I read in here, the more Midi-chlorian count is used as a reference. As I understood, Midi-chlorians are the measurement for the Force power level of one user.

As I remember, they are microscopic life-forms in the red blood cells that talk spiritually to the user.

This then leads me to a question, if it is possible to give someone else an infuse of blood with Midi-chlorians. That then leads me to another questions. What happens if you use Force blood to rescue someone without it? Do already-infused get stronger? As I only know the films and very few other cannon material (games), I have to ask you:

Are Midi-chlorians able to be infused to another body and do they have an impact to that another being?

Answer 1

TL;DR: They are able to be transfused, but not in enough amount to affect Force Sensitivity and not permanently.

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Midi-chlorians aren't contained in the blood per se (blood was merely used to TEST for the Midi-chlorian density as the easiest body part to test).

Midi-chlorians are part of ALL living cells in the organism (including blood).

While that is supported in canon, it also has support outside canon - the inspiration for Midi-chlorians were of course the Mitochondria:

Mitochondrion (plural mitochondria) is a membrane-bound organelle found in most eukaryotic cells

As such:

• Most Midi-chlorians in Jedi body are NOT found in the blood (which contain a very small portion of body's cells (20% according to this Biology.SE answer)

• Thus, giving someone else an infusion of Midi-chlorian-rich blood will only raise their Midi-chlorian count by relatively low amount compared to count of Midi-chlorians in a Jedi body.

• Since Force Sensitivity is determined by total Midi-chlorian body count, you can't become a real Force-sensitive by merely transfusing yourself with Jedi blood.

• Moreover, as far as I'm aware, the blood cells constantly die and are replenished with new ones^{[biology.SE citation needed]}. This means that as time from transfusion goes on, there will be less and less Midi-chlorian rich cells in your blood, further reducing even the miniscule amount you got from transfusion.

Answer 2

In Disney Canon

This is unknown. We never see anyone receive a blood transfusion from any Force-User to a Non-User

In Legends Canon

Probably no. In The Eyes of Revolution, General Grievous receives a blood transfusion using stored blood of Sifo-Dyas and does not gain any Force sensitivity or capabilities.

As Wookieepedia explains:

Dooku provided blood from the frozen body of Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas as a means of keeping Grievous's body alive during his transit to Geonosis, where Poggle the Lesser and his Geonosian scientists implanted his brain and eyes into a duranium alloy body reminiscent of a Krath war droid, complete with LX-44 robotic legs. His vital organs were housed in a synthskin gut-sack impervious to vacuum. The Geonosians would also alter his brain against his wishes, both to trim away disturbing memories—while enhancing his rage centers—and to enhance his equilibrium, allowing him to better employ his newfound agility. Internal implants were also placed in his eyes to sharpen his vision and to protect them from the vacuum of space. While the midi-chlorian-rich blood of Sifo-Dyas may have played a critical role in maintaining Sheelal's life, Grievous saw it as a personal failure that the transfusion did not also give him a degree of sensitivity to the Force.

It is not explained (here, at least) exactly why Grievous thought the blood transfusion would grant Force Sensitivity. Whether Grievous had seen this work before, or if his race (Kaleesh) had something to do with it is not addressed.

Answer 3

Legends Answer

This basically supports DVK's TL:DR.

Plagueis, pg 67-68

Research had long ago established that blood transfusions from Force-sensitive individuals did not confer Force powers to recipients, though blood with a high midi-chlorian count could grant temporary strength and resiliency. Experiments in absolute transfusion had gone horribly awry for recipients, suggesting to some that the Force exacted a toll on those who attempted to tamper with it. An individual's midi-chlorians seemed to know to whom they belonged and become unresponsive outside their dedicated vessel.

*See this answer for the difference between Canon, Legends, and non-canon.

Answer 4

Book Of Sith, Page 132, by Darth Plagueis: "a simple blood transfusion is the obvious answer, but I have found that the subject’s native midi-chlorians will reject the influx of foreign cells"

So no blood transfusion would not work.

Answer 5

Going only by the films, I think we can safely assume that midichlorian transfusions don't work.

Imagine the possibilities if they did work. As you say, one could turn normal people into Jedi, or Jedi into much more powerful Jedi, with a transfusion of blood from Yoda, Mace Windu, or whoever. The Jedi certainly could use the extra numbers; in Espisodes I and II, we repeatedly hear that they are too few to effectively keep the peace in the galaxy. Furthermore, Qui-Gon would not be nearly so excited about discovering Anakin if powerful Jedi could simply be manufactured on demand.

We don't see this occur, therefore there is some reason why they don't do it. Possibilities are:

1. It doesn't work. The transfused midichlorians die off or fail to provide Force ability in the new host.

2. It works, but it has a negative effect on the physical or mental health of the recipient.

3. It works, but the boost is so short-term that it's not considered worth it. (One could imagine Jedi carrying vials of high-midichlorian blood for emergencies, but maybe the midichlorians don't live long enough once they are separated from their original host?)

4. It works, but there is a law or custom against doing it. Perhaps the senior Jedi do not want to share their power with anyone!

We don't really know but (1) is the simplest explanation, so by Occam's Razor it is fair to consider it the correct one.

(Out of universe, midichlorians weren't mentioned at all in Episodes IV-VI. They were one of the many things that fans really disliked in Episode I, so Lucas quietly dropped them in Ep II and Ep III.)

Answer 6

Maybe. General Grievous had not enough living flesh to EVER be force sensitive. If someone had just under the midi-chlorian count required to use the force, a blood transfusion may TEMPORARILY help them.

Answer 7

While it may be true that midichlorians cannot be transferred from one genetic individual to another, it is unclear whether or not it's possible with identical genetic individuals i.e. Clones or twins etc. As shown in the tv show Star Wars The Clone Wars the Nightsisters MAKE Nightbrothers so by technicality they are using a different method for the same result as what Darth Plagueis attempted to do.