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

A change in genetic information 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 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.                                                                      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

The selective, deliberate change of genes (genetic material) by man. 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)

                                                                                                                    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.