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

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

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: pest- infected non-GM (left) and pest-free GM plant (right) planted side-by-side in a field trial. (photo: Dr. Yu Jialin, China Agricultural University)

Human Genome Project What is it? The Human Genome Project is a 13 year effort that was started in Two of the HGP goals were: identify all the approximately 30,000 genes in human DNA and determine the sequences of the 3 billion chemical base pairs that make up human DNA

What do the goals mean? Scientists started making a map of all of the DNA in humans.

So what does this mean for you? We now know where all of the genes in a human are located. We can determine traits and diseases before they happen. Ex. Heart Disease It makes transgenics possible for humans.

So What is Transgenics? Also known as genetic engineering. Transgenics is the moving of a gene from one species to another. Example: Alba “the glow bunny” Alba has a gene that was taken from a jellyfish. This gene makes Alba glow!

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.

They tried this technology with pigs. They took the same gene from a jellyfish and put it into a pig. The pigs hooves and nose glow

We have tried transgenics with other critters. Scientists have introduced a gene from a fish into a tomato. The gene was for the ability to survive cold weather. Now the tomato can survive cold weather!

Others… Rice with vitamin A Decaffeinated coffee and tea. Nicotine free tobacco.

Scientists in the agriculture department of the Hebrew University in Rehovot have genetically engineered a chicken that has no feathers.

All of that is cool Mr. Cali, But I want to know about CLONES! The cloning that scientists are doing should be called “twinning,” because they are really creating identical twins.