One day you are walking down the street and see a weird light. Next thing you know you are in a weird room looking at some people. They look like people but there is something different about them.
As you stare at them they share a glance and then one starts to talk. "Hi, sorry about this but we are coming from the planet Zapaline and we hope you can help us." Your mouth drops, wait, are these aliens? She continues, "we are having an interesting situation on our planet and are not sure what to do about it. Earth is known through the universe for having great knowledge of inheritance of traits."
Oh no! They expect you to know something about genes! Let's hope you remember it better than you do when taking a test! The next think you know the door opens and you are on a different planet. Really, these guys can conquer space travel but they don't know inheritance patterns?
They point to a plant that looks different than the others around it. It's taller and the fruit is bigger. She speaks again, "Why is this one different than the others?" How do you get out of answering that? OH, asking them questions! "Are there other plants that look like that on the planet?" your best attempt.
With a questioning look she speaks again, "yes, we took smaller plants from the garden on the other side of the planet to start this garden. There is a small plant garden and a large plant garden. We only took the small plants, their fruit is sweeter. Fruit from the larger plants are usually given to the animals. So we want to know why do we now have a larger plant if we only took smaller plants?"
They aren't going to let you go home without getting an answer from you. Do your best to explain it using something you learned about in this unit (mutation, Punnett squares, etc). And you might want to hurry, the pizza shop closes in an hour.
You take a deep breath, trying to recall everything you learned about inheritance patterns on Earth. You start by explaining the concept of genetics and how traits are passed down from one generation to the next through genes.
You mention that in Earth's biology, there are various factors that can contribute to the variation in traits within a species, and one of them is genetic mutation. Mutations are random changes that occur in the DNA sequence of an organism, and they can lead to new traits or characteristics. These mutations can happen naturally or can be induced through artificial means.
In the case of the larger plant in their garden, you propose the possibility of a spontaneous genetic mutation. While the smaller plants were brought over from a different garden, it is possible that one of these plants underwent a mutation, leading to the growth of larger plants with bigger fruit. This mutation would have altered the genetic makeup of the plant, resulting in a change in its physical characteristics.
You also mention the concept of natural selection. If the animals on their planet prefer the fruit of smaller plants, then the larger plants with bigger fruit would not be preferred, which might explain why those fruits are usually given to animals. However, the fact that a larger plant with bigger fruit has emerged indicates that there might be a new selective pressure in their environment favoring these traits.
Considering this, you propose conducting experiments and observations to further understand the inheritance patterns on their planet. This could involve creating Punnett squares, studying the genetics of the plants in both the small and large gardens, conducting controlled crosses, and observing how traits are passed down from one generation to the next.
By doing so, they can gain a better understanding of the genetic basis of the larger plant and potentially manage their gardens more effectively. You emphasize the need for further research to make accurate conclusions and ensure that their findings are applicable to the whole population.
As you finish explaining, you can sense their curiosity and intrigue. They exchange excited glances, grateful for your input. You quickly excuse yourself, promising to return to continue discussions and further assist them in unraveling the mysteries of inheritance on their planet. With a sense of relief, you start making your way back to Earth, hoping to make it to the pizza shop before closing time.