Is Blinky best?or

Natural SelectionB1b7.3

Mutant – good or bad?

Mutant – good or bad?

What is a mutation?

• Genes are the instructions that make you what you are

What is a mutation?

• These genes link together of long chains called chromosomes (we have 46)

What is a mutation?

• When these chromosomes reproduce, sometimes the genes link in the wrong order – this is a mutation

Sometimes mutations can be bad• Inherited Breast Cancer

Plays Very Small Role in Breast Cancer • 1- Only 5-10 % of breast and ovarian cancer is

inherited, meaning the majority of women who develop breast and/or ovarian cancer do not have the genetic mutation.  Patterns that suggest that breast cancer may have been inherited include women diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age (< age 45).

• • 2- We all have the BRCA 1 and 2 genes, which

are located on chromosome 13 and 17, respectively.  A mutation in the form of extra DNA or loss of DNA that occurs in the gene is a  problem.

More bad mutations• Since the beginning of the

twentieth century, evolutionary biologists have sought examples of useful mutations by creating mutant flies. But these efforts have always resulted in sick and deformed creatures. The left picture shows the head of a normal fruit fly, and the picture on the right shows the head of fruit fly with legs coming out of it, the result of mutation.

Mutated frogs and flies

A mutant fly with deformed wings.

But sometimes they can be useful

• People with sickle cell also have a resistance to malaria

But sometimes they can be useful

• A mutation in some oysters made them resistant to Malpeque disease which wiped out nearly all the others

• Small• Flabby• Pus filled blisters• Die

A mutation gave the male peacock a larger tail

• Why is this useful?

A mutation made this cactus make spines instead of leaves

• Why is this useful?

Remember the peppered moth?

• Subscribe for a free 2 day trial by typing experience as a use name and echalk as passwork.(Or we might have licenses by now!)

• Then do to science/biology/peppered moth simulation

• Get a volunteer to move the mouse over the moths and click to “eat” them

Natural selection

• If the mutation is useful, the animal lives longer. This useful mutation is then passed from generation to generation and help them to survive. Mutations can cause rapid changes in a species.

Put these words in order

• Survival• Variation• Genes passed on• Mutation• Adaptation

Your turn

• What is a mutation?• Give an example of an unwanted mutation• Give an example of a useful mutation• Explain how mutations can cause rapid

changes in a species.

Plenary

• Create a mutant school child!