Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Day 21 -- Beautiful Flowers and Deformed Limbs

In this picture, the flower has experienced an inherited mutation of its cells. As we learned in the previous chapter of "Your Inner Fish", these types of mutations can be caused by environmental effects (radiation, UV, etc.). However, this effect was caused by a mutation that caused the streaks of purple and white at the same time. This effect (as well as others) may or may not affect its ability to survive in the climate. (While this is a flower, it is probably not affected.)


In the second picture, the extra fingers on the hand are also caused by a genetic mutation, one most commonly associated with the Sonic Hedgehog gene (see last post). This one is the result of excess ZPA gene, which contains finger-development instructions. Containing more of the gene will cause finger production to increase, causing more fingers than usual. (As similar to the Sonic Hedgehog, there are similar types of the gene for production of other limbs.) 

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