For the past month, we have been growing Wisconsin fast plants (WFP) in my biotechnology class. WFP is a model organism since it is easy to control and has a rapid life cycle. In 1987, Dr. Paul Williams used selective breeding to produce a plant that could grow from seed to flowers within 14 days.
In our lab experiment, we are testing the possible offspring that we predicted from our Punnett Square. Wisconsin fast plants can have green leaves, which are dominant, or yellow leaves, which are recessive. They can also have a purple stem, which is dominant, or a green one, which is recessive. So, after drawing out the Punnett Square, we concluded that the possible outcomes for a purple stem with green leaves were about 56%, a purple stem and yellow leaves were about 19%, a green stem and green leaves were about 19%, and finally, a green stem and yellow leaves were about 6%.
We grew, in total, 4 Wisconsin fast plants, documenting their life with measurements after true leaves and photos. I saw the life of WFPs, from seed to flowers to the second generation of sources. I remember watering them almost every day first thing in class and watching them grow in a blink of an eye. They had bright yellow flowers that made the plant always want to tip over. To have them grow straight up, we used skewers and string. Currently, we are letting the plants dry and die out, so we can harvest the seeds, then test our Punnett Square.
Even though these plants were produced in the lab, they have diversity, unlike other organisms, such as bananas. It’s vital that they have biodiversity within their species because if a disease hits them, their population won’t die out. After all, they don’t have the same DNA with the same defense system. There will be survivors, while the Gros Michael banana clone species were wiped out by the Panama disease, causing researchers to create Cavendish. This different-tasting banana is resistant to that particular disease. Nevertheless, clones seem to be an advantage. You don’t have to worry about having a bad batch, and you can ignore any possible reasonings for different results within the plant, but they have a cost to pay if any misfortunes occur.
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