Introduction:
Brassica Rapa comes from the family of Brassicaceae, also known as the mustard family; the genus Brassica L is known as mustard, and the species Brassica Rapa L is commonly known as field mustard (Plant Profile). There are several subspecies of Brassica Rapa, like a turnip, and they all have varying uses like oil and root production. We are using the Wisconsin Fast Plants that have artificially selected to be optimal for educational use. We are trying to increase the number of trichomes from one generation to the next. Trichomes are little hair-like structures that appear on the petiole of the Wisconsin Fast Plant (handout). Even though trichomes have a hair-like appearance, they are living cells. Like hair, they come in all …show more content…
Trichomes help the plant by insulating them from frost, reducing evaporation, keeping insects from eating the plant, and providing camouflage (Plant Hair). We are trying to increase the number of trichomes by artificial selection demonstrate how natural selection works. Artificial selection is breeding for a desirable trait or characteristic that is usually beneficial to humans. There are examples of artificial selection all over the place the one example people most commonly think of is dogs, but most commercial foods have been artificially selected along with most farm animals. Artificial selection is much quicker than natural selection you can sometimes see change in as little as a few generation. Natural selection occurs over a long period of time and is not goal oriented unlike artificial selection; this is the biggest difference between these two types of selection. Natural selection occurs when an organism has an inheritable trait that helps the organism survive and reproduce better in it’s environment. By selecting for the desirable trait ourselves it helps speed up the process while also demonstrating how evolution by natural selection works. (Handout) I hypothesize that we will increase the average number of trichomes on a plant from one
Brassica Rapa comes from the family of Brassicaceae, also known as the mustard family; the genus Brassica L is known as mustard, and the species Brassica Rapa L is commonly known as field mustard (Plant Profile). There are several subspecies of Brassica Rapa, like a turnip, and they all have varying uses like oil and root production. We are using the Wisconsin Fast Plants that have artificially selected to be optimal for educational use. We are trying to increase the number of trichomes from one generation to the next. Trichomes are little hair-like structures that appear on the petiole of the Wisconsin Fast Plant (handout). Even though trichomes have a hair-like appearance, they are living cells. Like hair, they come in all …show more content…
Trichomes help the plant by insulating them from frost, reducing evaporation, keeping insects from eating the plant, and providing camouflage (Plant Hair). We are trying to increase the number of trichomes by artificial selection demonstrate how natural selection works. Artificial selection is breeding for a desirable trait or characteristic that is usually beneficial to humans. There are examples of artificial selection all over the place the one example people most commonly think of is dogs, but most commercial foods have been artificially selected along with most farm animals. Artificial selection is much quicker than natural selection you can sometimes see change in as little as a few generation. Natural selection occurs over a long period of time and is not goal oriented unlike artificial selection; this is the biggest difference between these two types of selection. Natural selection occurs when an organism has an inheritable trait that helps the organism survive and reproduce better in it’s environment. By selecting for the desirable trait ourselves it helps speed up the process while also demonstrating how evolution by natural selection works. (Handout) I hypothesize that we will increase the average number of trichomes on a plant from one