But what does it mean?

This picture is an example of an outcome of plant mutation. You see, mutations can occur when organisms are expose to some type of radiation or chemicals. According to Survival of the Sickest, Chapter 6, before we were able to modify our food on a molecular level with genetic engineering, plant breeders who wanted to grow more efficient crops would irradiate seeds by blasting them with a ray gun. The majority of the time, the seeds were not able to sprout after being irradiated; however, there were rare occasions when this genetic manipulation produced a beneficial trait. This flower could be a survivor of an irradiated seed. The mutation that has occurred in this flower, however, has nothing to do with efficient crops but with color. This flower has streaks of purple and white, which could be the cause of a change in the genes that control flower color.



This photo is an example of a half normal Sonic Hedgehog. Sonic hedgehog is one of dozens of genes that act to sculpt our limbs from shoulder to fingertip by turning on and off at the right time. According to Your Inner Fish, Chapter 3, something had to have gone wrong with Sonic hedgehog. Usually, when something goes wrong, the hands end up looking like a broad paddle with as many as twelve fingers, or eight as shown above, that all look alike.