Transcript Genetics Gone Bad

Warm Up
• The largest flower in the world, called a rafflesia, is
three feet wide and weighs up to 36 pounds. The
rafflesia has no roots, stems, or leaves. It lives on
and takes nourishment from a vine called
tetrastigma. The rafflesia harms the vine. The seeds
of the rafflesia are dispersed in an unusual way.
Plantain squirrels and tree shrews eat parts of the
rafflesia plant. Scientists observe that when the
animals chew the rafflesia, seeds get caught in their
teeth. The animals will then chew on tetrastigma
vines, leaving the seeds where they can germinate.
• Specialized cells in the rafflesia flowers undergo a
process that produces gametes. What is this
process called?
Weird Genetics
Mutations
A change in genetic
information
•Can occur randomly (naturally)
•Or can be deliberately caused in the laboratory
by scientists
•Inherited
•Not always harmful
http://www.accessexcellence.org/
Natural Mutations
These are not
albinos; they
have pigmented
eyes.
White Bengal
Tiger
ALBINOS
• Little or no pigmentation in the eyes, skin, and
hair (or in some cases in the eyes alone).
• Inherited an altered copy of a gene that does not
work correctly.
• The altered gene does not allow the body to
make the usual amounts of a pigment called
"melanin".
• True albinos have pink eyes and skin.
White Bluebonnets
Pink Bluebonnets
Two Headed???
HUMAN INTERVENTION
SELECTIVE BREEDING
The selection of certain
seeds or animals for
reproduction in order to
influence the traits inherited
by the next generation.
SELECTIVE BREEDING
• The Liger is the result of breeding a female Tiger to a
male Lion.
• The liger has both stripes and spots. The stripes are
inherited from its tiger parent and the spots from the lion
parent.
• On their hind legs, ligers stand approximately 12 feet
tall. At most, ligers may weigh up to 1,000 pounds.
The Cama is the result of breeding a Llama
to a Camel.
Parents in background of picture.
The Zebroid is the result of
breeding
a female Horse and a male
Zebra.
The Zedonk / Zonkey is
the result of breeding
a female Donkey and
male Zebra.
Geep - These are the result of a sheep
and a goat.
The Mule is the result of breeding a female horse
(mare) to a male donkey (jack). The
mule is superior to the horse in strength,
endurance, intelligence and disease resistance.
Maroon & Red Bluebonnets
GENETIC ENGINEERING
The selective, deliberate change of
genes (genetic material) by man.
The technique of removing,
modifying or adding genes to a
DNA molecule in order to change
the information it contains.
Bright face of genetically modified corn plant: pestinfected non-GM (left) and pest-free GM plant (right)
planted side-by-side in a field trial. (photo: Dr. Yu Jialin,
China Agricultural University)
French genetic researchers created Alba for artist Eduardo Kac. Thanks to genes
borrowed from a jellyfish, the albino rabbit glows green when placed under special
lighting. In regular light, Alba appears like any other furry white rabbit. But place her
under a black light, and her eyes, whiskers and fur glow a otherworldly green.
"Glow in the dark" fish. these genetically modified fish were developed by a Taiwanese
aquatic firm, Taikong Group. They are planning to reproduce these fish in numbers and
sell them for pets.
http://www.fluorescentpets.com/index.htm
Scientists in the agriculture department of the Hebrew University in
Rehovot have genetically engineered a chicken that has no feathers.