# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
GENETIC ENGINEERING | What Is GENETIC Engineering? | Genetics | The Dr Binocs Show | Peekaboo Kidz

# data[].attributes.headline
Argentina May Have Figured Out How to Get GMOs Right

# data[].attributes.subject
Argentina May Have Figured Out How to Get GMOs Right

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In the late 1990s, Raquel Chan found herself fascinated by sunflowers. They're particularly hardy, tolerating heat that would kill other plants. They can grow in poor soils, getting by with scant nutrients in environments where other seeds could never even sprout.

Chan, a biochemist at the National University of Litoral in Argentina, thought it would be great if other plants-particularly food crops-could handle the same harsh conditions. So she started sifting through the sunflower's genes, looking for the source of its strength.

When she found a promising candidate, Chan implanted the gene into a bacterium and then helped that bacterium infect the seed of a plant called Arabidopsis thaliana, a member of the mustard family that scientists often use in agricultural experiments. The bacteria delivered the sunflower gene straight into A. thaliana's genome, and changed it utterly. "We saw that the gene gave the transformed plants tolerance to drought, high salinity, and other non-biological stresses, along with increasing their productivity," Chan says. But while toughening up A. thaliana was super-exciting for Chan and her team, it wasn't particularly useful for the rest of the world. "We decided we had to try it in plants with more economic value." Like what? Corn, wheat, alfalfa, and soybeans.

Chan's work culminated earlier this month when Argentina approved a drought-tolerant soybean based on her research. The government approved a potato resistant to the destructive PVY virus at the same time, making Argentina the sixth country in the world, along with the US, China, Cuba, Indonesia, and Brazil, that produces homegrown genetically modified crops-perhaps better known as GMOs. About which, large swaths of the world would probably say: Yikes! But the path Chan's research took from lab to field hints at a new way of understanding transgenic crops-not as corporatized invaders wreaking havoc on the environment, but as a tool to help farmers cope with the stresses of a warming world.

Many people believe GMOs are dangerous to human health, environmentally destructive, and a tool for multinational corporations like Monsanto to control the global food supply. Scientists who work on transgenic crops counter that genetic modification is just another way of creating plants that serve our needs-no more dangerous than the conventional breeding techniques responsible for turning the nubby grass teosinte into modern maize. If anything, it's faster and more precise, they say. "Genetic manipulation isn't necessarily the creation of Frankenstein," Chan says.

To be clear: No one has ever found evidence that GMOs cause cancer or harm human health in any way. Researchers have found some evidence that they can exchange genes with non-GMO crops or other closely related plants, potentially spreading the modified genes to populations where scientists didn't intend to put them. And it's true that corn and soybeans engineered to be resistant to the powerful herbicide glyphosate allow farmers to cover their fields in the chemical-something no one would argue is good for the environment.

But Chan's soybean doesn't encourage farmers to spray more chemicals on their crops or alter the environment any more than farming already does. In fact, it helps them adapt to an environment that's getting hotter and drier by the day. As the world warms and the tropics-home to many of the world's poor-become basically unfarmable, drought tolerance is going to look increasingly like a pretty good trait to have.

"The world is demanding more and more food, and that's why we need to continue increasing the productivity of our crops," Carlos Casamiquela, Argentina's minister of agriculture, said at the ceremony where the approvals were announced. Argentina's transgenic soybean and potato are not only technological achievements, "but also economic and social ones that are going to produce more food for humankind." In fact, Argentina was an early adopter of transgenic crops that had been approved in the US and has been planting transgenic soybeans since the early 1990s.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Argentina May Have Figured Out How to Get GMOs Right

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In the late 1990s, Raquel Chan found herself fascinated by sunflowers. They're particularly hardy, tolerating heat that would kill other plants. They can grow in poor soils, getting by with scant nutrients in environments where other seeds could never even sprout.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Make Jello Animal Cell Model, Science,  Biology, Homeschooling

# data[].attributes.headline
What GM crops are currently being grown and where?

# data[].attributes.subject
What GM crops are currently being grown and where?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In 2015, GM crops were grown in 28 countries and on 179.7 million hectares - that is over 10% of the world's arable land and equivalent to seven times the land area of the UK. The USA, Brazil and Argentina are the leading producers. There are currently no GM crops being grown commercially in the UK although scientists are carrying out controlled trials.

The GM crops grown commercially included: potato (USA), squash/pumpkin (USA) alfalfa (USA), aubergine (Bangladesh), sugar beet (USA, Canada), papaya (USA and China), oilseed rape (4 countries), maize (corn) (17 countries), soya beans (11 countries) and cotton (15 countries).

GM crops were first introduced in the USA in 1994 with the Flavr Savr tomato, which had been genetically modified to slow its ripening process, delaying softening and rotting.

The farming of GM crops has massively increased since the mid 1990s. In 1996, just 1.7 million hectares (MHa) were planted with GM crops globally but by 2015, 179.7 million hectares of GM crops were grown, accounting for over 10% of the world's arable land.

The top GM crop grown in 2015 was soybean (92.1 MHa), followed by maize (53.6 Mha), then cotton (24 Mha) and oilseed rape (canola) (8.5 Mha) (Figure 4). This represents 83% of the world production of soybean, and 75% of production of cotton. GM crops made up 29% of the world's maize produce, and almost a quarter of the world's oilseed rape that year.

Among the countries growing GM crops, the USA (70.9 Mha), Brazil (44.2 Mha), Argentina (24.5 Mha) India (11.6 Mha) and Canada (11 Mha) are the largest users. Within Europe, five EU countries grow GM maize - Spain, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania and Slovakia. Spain is the leading country (0.1 Mha). In Africa, GM crops are grown in South Africa (2.3 MHa), Burkino Faso (0.4 Mha) and Sudan (0.1Mha), with the main crop being GM cotton.

See related questions

Page last updated: May 2016
Download all questions and answers (PDF)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What GM crops are being grown and where? | Royal Society

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In 2015, GM crops were grown in 28 countries and on 179.7 million hectares - that is over 10% of the world's arable land and equivalent to seven times the land area of the UK. The USA, Brazil and Argentina are the leading producers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Making an edible plant cell project might sound like a time consuming project to take on at first, but they are easy to make. It's also a fun way to learn the parts of a plant. My son had to make this edible plant cell for a classroom project in science and he kindly let me know on a Tuesday that this was due on Friday! YIKES! I'll admit I panicked a little.

I'm a working mom with a LOT going on this month with reading fairs and book fairs, so adding a science project in the mix was almost enough to send me over the edge. However, thanks to the internet, we were able to get some great ideas for making edible plant cell projects and it turns out, there really wasn't anything to get worked up over.

Edible Plant Cell Project

If you decide to go the cake route for making an edible plant cell, you may as well buy your favorite flavor of cake and icing, because chances are, you're going to be bringing a lot of this cake home. We're partial to chocolate cakes with fluffy white frosting, so a trip to Dollar General was all we needed to get the necessary cake mix, frosting, and candy to decorate with. We also bought a disposable pan to use for this in case the cake didn't make it back home. It's easier to transport than a heavy cake pan and no clean up afterward!

I mixed the cake up and put it in the oven to bake. While that was baking, I made some little flags to identify each part of the plant cell. I just typed these up and printed them out, then wrapped them around tooth picks. This was probably the most tedious part of the whole edible plant cell project. If we would have had more time, I would have ordered these awesome little food flags to use.

Plant Cell Parts

Once the cake was finished and cooled, I frosted it and then my son was able to start decorating it like a plant cell. This is the candy and food items he used to decorate each part:

Nucleus/Nuclear wall/nuclear envelope- Hostess Sno-Ball with a jelly bean in the middle for the nucleus

Cell wall- small colored marshmallows

Cell membrane- yellow decorator icing

Vacuole- Blue decorator icing

Mitochondria- Fruit Gushers

Endoplasmic Reticulum- sour gummy worms

Golgi apparatus- Fruit by the Foot

Cytoplasm- Cake frosting

Chloroplast- green sprinkles

Lysosomes- jelly beans

He was pretty pleased with how it turned out and he ended up getting an A for the edible plant cell project itself and another A for his presentation of it. I never would have came up with an idea like this, and I have to admit it was a fun project to do together and it really helped him learn the parts of a plant. There are so many different variations of this edible plant cell project online...I've seen them with gelatin, pizzas, and other ideas. I guess it just depends on how much time you can put into it. The cake was quick and easy for us.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Make an Edible Plant Cell Project for School

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Making an edible plant cell project might sound like a time consuming project to take on at first, but they are easy to make. It's also a fun way to learn the parts of a plant.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Learn how to make an edible cell model, using cake and candies, that looks as incredible as it tastes.

Our science text had instructions for a Plaster of Paris model, but I'm somewhat opposed to projects I have to store and very much in favor of those we can eat! Yeah, we opted for making our model out of cake instead.

It looked amazing and it tasted delicious. Much better than the Plaster of Paris cell would have tasted - and no storage required! Learn how to make an edible cell cake for your next biology project.

I scoured the web for inspiration and found a great plant cell cake and an animal cell cake. We used the animal cell directions as our main source of inspiration.

Ingredients for an Edible Cell Model

Cake mix (and ingredients to make it)

Vanilla icing

Various candies to represent organelles

Suggested candy for an edible cell model:

cooking Materials and tools Needed

How to Make an Edible Cell Model

Step 1

Bake the cake mix according to package directions. We used round cake pans since we were doing an animal cell model. We also used a little of the batter to make one cupcake to represent the nucleus. Allow the cakes to cool completely, then, assemble as normal with some of the icing between the two layers.

Step 2

Use food coloring to tint the icing so that you have one color to represent the cytoplasm, a second to represent the cell membrane, and a third to represent the nucleus.
Pro Tip: Start with white frosting and use colors that mix easily to form new colors. That way, you don't have to divide icing and guesstimate how much you'll need for each cell part.
Add a few drops of food coloring to the vanilla frosting and mix well to create the cytoplasm. Frost only the top of the cake.

Next, add a few drops of food coloring (using a different color) to tint the icing a different shade (green pictured). Frost only the sides of the cake with the second color. This color represents the cell membrane.

Finally, add a few more drops of food coloring to the remaining icing to create a third color to represent the nucleus. We chose to add red, which created a rather unappetizing color. Just something to think about.

Cut the top off the cupcake. Place it on the top of the cake to represent the nucleus and frost it.

You can discard the bottom of the cupcake if you chose. However, I recommend, that you put a little leftover icing on it and eat it while your kids aren't looking!

Step 3

Place the candies on the cake to represent the cell's organelles. As we placed each candy on the cake, we reviewed the job of the organelles.

My kids decorating the original cell cake

Pink Mike and Ikes = smooth endoplasmic reticulum. This is where the lipids that form the cell membrane are made.

Blue Mike and Ikes = mitochondria. These are the powerhouses of the cell, where energy is created.

Candy disc sprinkles = ribosomes. They create the proteins that are used in the cell.

Airhead Xtremes = rough endoplasmic reticulum. These are the "conveyor belts" that take the protein created by the ribosomes to the Golgi apparatus.

Sour gummy worms = Golgi apparatus. This is where the simple proteins are assembled into more complex proteins.

Air Heads Bites = vacuoles. These are the storage closets of the cell, where supplies and waste are stored.

Pink icing = cytoplasm, the jelly-like substance inside the cell.

Purple icing = cell membrane, the part of the cell that encloses and protects it.

Cupcake = nucleus, where the cell's DNA resides.

Step 4

Use the toothpicks and mailing labels to make flags and correctly label each of the organelles. As you label each, review the organelle and its job again.

Step 5

Take lots of pictures...then, eat your yummy cell cake!

Have fun learning together!
Did you enjoy making this edible cell model? Please pin, tweet, or share on Facebook! This article was written by Kris Bales-the previous owner of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.
You Might Also Like

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Make an Edible Cell Model - Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn how to make an edible cell model, using cake and candies, that looks as incredible as it tastes. Our science text had instructions for a Plaster of Paris model, but I'm somewhat opposed to projects I have to store and very much in favor of those we can eat!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
HUMAN CELL - The Dr. Binocs Show | Best Learning Videos For Kids | Peekaboo Kidz

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What is genetically modified food? - BBC What's New

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What is gene editing and how does it work? | Wellcome

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Extracting DNA in the kitchen? I know what you're thinking. That *sounds* cool, but I'm sure it's way too complicated. At least, that's what I thought. I'd seen some instructions in the past that involved weird ingredients and lots of waiting and I figured, my kids won't be up for that. Then we did it. We extracted DNA from a strawberry. It took like 10 minutes using supplies we already had. And it was amazing.

We probably never would have done this experiment if it weren't for this really cool crime-solving kit my 8 year old got for Christmas. In it, we had to extract DNA from a piece of fruit in order to catch the treasure thief. There was no way around it. To solve the crime, we had to do the experiment. I couldn't skip over this activity like I normally do when I see it in science books.

Now, to be honest, I don't think my kids were as blown away by the simple elegance and biological beauty of the activity as I was. They were like, "oh, that's so cool!" then went back to shooting each other with their new nerf guns. I, however, could not get over the fact that I was holding in my hands clumped together strands of genetic material.

As I stood admiring the gelatinous goo, my 5 year old daughter said, "What would happen if you shook it?" I said, "I don't know, honey," and gently swirled the test tube. She took it from me and said, "No, not like that...like this," and violently shook the tube up and down. At least my girl isn't afraid of science. It turns out, the DNA was still clearly visible and just as cool.

Please note that there are a great many ways to perform this experiment. For example, many instructions involve a blender. Some don't involve the straining step. The instructions below are loosely based on the crime-solving, spy kit that my son received. I liked this version since I found the process to be simple and the results to be impressive. If you're interested in more of the science behind the experiment, I recommend this article by Scientific American.

Recommended Age Range: Elementary, Middle School, High School
Time Required: ~10-15 minutes (though rubbing alcohol should be put in the freezer 30+ minutes before the experiment)
Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Less than $5. We had everything on hand. However, if you don't have rubbing alcohol, dish soap, or salt, you may need to purchase those items. Although it is not necessary, to have DNA float on its own, you may want to spend under $10 on a round-bottomed test tube.

Materials:

2 teaspoons water (not pictured)

1/4 teaspoon dish soap

pinch of salt

about 1 cup of rubbing alcohol (or much less if using a test tube instead of a glass cup)

strawberry

Ziploc bag

paper towel (could also use cheesecloth or even a wire mesh)

skewer (Optional, not pictured. Used to pick up the DNA. Could also use a toothpick, fork, or sharpened pencil.)

Supplies:

container such as a glass cup (alternatively, you can use a round-bottomed test tube similar to the one that came with our crime kit.)

rubber band

measuring spoons (specifically teaspoon and 1/4 teaspoon)

Instructions:

1. Put rubbing alcohol in the freezer. It's recommended that you leave it in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, but it won't freeze in the freezer, so you could put it in as long as you like in advance. Also, during one of our trials, we forgot and left the alcohol on the counter for about 20 minutes before adding it to our solution and it still worked fine, so I don't think the amount of time is critical. The activity just works a little better if the rubbing alcohol is cold.

2. Put the strawberry in the Ziploc bag and seal it.

3. Mash it up. My kids got a little over enthusiastic and made a big mess the first time, so maybe remind them to mash and squish it near the bottom of the bag.

4. Add 2 teaspoons of water to the glass.

5. Add 1/4 teaspoon dish soap to the water in the glass. The dish soap helps to open up the strawberry cells releasing the DNA.

6. Add a pinch of salt. This helps the strands of DNA to clump together, making them visible to the naked eye. Note that I just put a little salt in our quarter teaspoon as shown.

7. Stir the mixture. This is your extraction solution.

8. Add the extraction solution to the mashed strawberry.

9. Squish the bag to mix the extraction solution into the strawberry. Again, remind kids to keep the mixture towards the bottom of the bag away from the seal. This should take a couple minutes.

10. Use a rubberband to secure a paper towel to the top of the glass.

11. Push down in the middle of the paper towel gently to create a well to hold the strawberry mixture.

12. Pour the strawberry mixture onto the paper towel.

13. Now, wait patiently to collect some droplets of the mixture. We waited about 3 minutes.

14. After a few minutes, take off the paper towel and strawberry mixture. You should have some drops in your glass. It's okay to have only a few drops. There will still be DNA.

15. Remove the rubbing alcohol from the freezer and add it to your solution. You don't need to add a lot, but I added about a cup.

16. Observe if any DNA starts moving into the alcohol on it's own. We saw a few strands start to rise up.

17. Take a skewer or other pointy tool like a toothpick or pencil and pick up your DNA!

18. Have fun swirling your DNA and watching it move through the liquid.

When we had done the experiment in the test tube, the DNA actually floated all the way to the surface. I think this has something to do with the round bottom allowing the DNA to clump together better and be carried to the surface by air bubbles.

However, what we observed in our drinking glass on the skewer was still definitely the same gooey strands.

Have fun exploring genetic material with your budding biologists!

Click here for more Biology activities and printables for kids.

Related Links

Easy Robotics Projects for Kids
Science Activities for Kids
Learning Activities for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Extracting DNA from a Strawberry - ResearchParent.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Extracting DNA in the kitchen? I know what you're thinking. That *sounds* cool, but I'm sure it's way too complicated. At least, that's what I thought. I'd seen some instructions in the past that involved weird ingredients and lots of waiting and I figured, my kids won't be up for that.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Last week at my homeschool co-op class, I taught our Magic School Bus Science class and did a lesson all about DNA and Genetics. It was a really fun lesson to prepare and to teach and I wanted to share some of the DNA teaching resources I used to help you teach on this subject.

We started by talking about genes. My class was very young (ages 5-7), so we kept it pretty simple. I found this great chart on the education.com website that shows dominant and recessive traits. I explained to the the difference between dominant and recessive traits. Then I gave each of them a copy of this and had them walk around the classroom to interview the kids in the class. They marked for each one which of the traits everyone had. It was fun to see!

Recessive & Dominant Traits Activity:

I read to the class the book Gregor Mendel: The Friar Who Grew Peas. It is an amazing story about a man who is regarded as the first geneticist. He pollinated peas on his own and figured out dominant and recessive traits. I love this book!

I showed them how to extract the DNA from an onion next. This is a cool & easy experiment to do with kids. You can do it with any fruit or vegetable, or even with your own saliva! I got this idea from our Usborne book, 50 Science Things to Make and Do.

How to Extract Onion DNA

To do this experiment you need to chop an onion into small pieces and put them into a bowl. Pour in enough dish soap to coat them, but not cover them. Add in 1/2 tsp. of salt and 2 Tbsp of water. Stir gently but try to avoid making bubbles.

Leave the mixture for 10 minutes, then stir again and drain the liquid into a clear bowl or jar. Scrape off and bubbles or foam. Pope rubbing alcohol into the jar. The alcohol will form a separate layer. Do not stir it.

Let it sit for 20 minutes. A stringy white substance will appear on the top layer. This is the DNA of the onion. Pick them up with a toothpick to examine under a microscope.

How does it work??

The salt & dish soap break down the cells of the onion and release the DNA. DNA does not dissolve in alcohol, so it appears as a solid strand and floats on top.

Make Candy DNA:

Last we made a candy DNA model using licorice, colored marshmallows, and toothpicks. I explained to the class that this is what a strand of DNA looks like. It is a map of DNA and the different combinations are what makes up who we are. They of course loved making and eating this project!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Last week at my homeschool co-op class, I taught our Magic School Bus Science class and did a lesson all about DNA and Genetics. It was a really fun lesson to prepare and to teach and I wanted to share some of the DNA teaching resources I used to help you teach on this subject.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Is DNA? | The Dr. Binocs Show - Best Learning Videos For Kids | Peekaboo Kidz

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
DNAftb blog:

It's the season of hibernation, something I've always wished I could do. Oh, to wrap up in a ball, sleep away the winter, and wake to a beautiful spring day - like Bambi! Although the thought has always intrigued me, it never really occurred to me what a feat hibernation actually is. It turns out that all of the bears, squirrels, rabbits ... that I thought were just sleeping, are breaking biological laws!! If I was to stay dormant for 5 months, without food or drink and little to no movement in freezing temperatures [...]

Feature:

We have relaunched theWeed to Wonder site as a flexible "e-book" that can be viewed as a website, an app, or a printable PDF.

Mailing List

Gene News

- Has a second person with HIV been cured?

Find the DNALC on:

Language options:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
DNA from the Beginning - An animated primer of 75 experiments that made modern genetics.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
DNAftb blog: It's the season of hibernation, something I've always wished I could do. Oh, to wrap up in a ball, sleep away the winter, and wake to a beautiful spring day - like Bambi! Although the thought has always intrigued me, it never really occurred to me what a feat hibernation actually is.

# data[].attributes.headline
Difference between plant and animal cells.

# data[].attributes.subject
Difference between plant and animal cells.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
All life on Earth is made from cells. Without cells, there can be no life.

Almost all cells are so small that you need a to see them. Some organisms, like are made of only one cell. These are unicellular organisms . Others, like trees and blue whales, are made from millions or even billions of cells. These are multicellular organisms. These often have different types of cells, each with a different function. These are .

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
All life on Earth is made from cells. Without cells, there can be no life. Almost all cells are so small that you need a to see them. Some organisms, like are made of only one cell. These are unicellular organisms . Others, like trees and blue whales, are made from millions or even billions of cells.

# data[].attributes.headline
Sexual reproduction - how babies are made - for kids

# data[].attributes.subject
Sexual reproduction - how babies are made - for kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Sexual Reproduction

Sexual reproduction occurs when the sperm from the male parent fertilizes an egg from the female parent, producing an offspring that is genetically different from both parents.

Subjects

Biology, Genetics

Image

Mottled duck eggs

Mottled ducks (Anas fulvigula) lay their eggs in grass nests near to the ground, usually close by water. Though this nest looks quite full with nine eggs, a clutch of mottled duck eggs can contain as many as twelve or thirteen eggs.

Photograph by James P. Blair

Organisms are genetically diverse because of sexual reproduction. Sexual reproduction begins with sperm and egg cells, which are produced through a process called meiosis. These cells are referred to as haploid because they contain half of the number of chromosomes as the parent. In sexual reproduction, a haploid sperm from the male parent fertilizes the haploid egg from the female parent to produce what is called a diploid zygote.

Zygote is the technical term for a fertilized egg. The diploid number of chromosomes is the normal number of chromosomes found in all of the regular cells of an organism. The zygote grows and develops into a new organism. It is genetically different from both parents because half of its chromosomes came from the male parent and half of the chromosomes came from the female parent, giving it a unique combination of genes.

Sexual reproduction occurs in both plants and animals. Among plants it is used most notably by flowering plants. The pollen grains of flowers contain the sperm. The vase-shaped female reproductive organ in the base of the flower, or the pistil, contains the eggs. When the pollen grains land on top of the pistil, they make a pathway to the eggs. Each zygote develops into a seed that, when in soil, can grow into a new plant.

Sexual reproduction occurs in a variety of ways in animals. In some species, such as fish, the male releases sperm over the eggs after the female has laid them. In other species, such as birds and most mammals—including human beings—the male releases sperm into the female reproductive tract. Some animals, such as earthworms, are hermaphroditic—they possess male and female sexual organs and can produce both sperm and eggs. They mate with other earthworms, however, to produce genetically diverse worms.

Credits

Media Credits

The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited.

Director

Tyson Brown

, National Geographic Society

Author

National Geographic Society

, National Geographic Society

Production Managers

Gina Borgia

, National Geographic Society

Jeanna Sullivan

, National Geographic Society

Program Specialists

Sarah Appleton, National Geographic Society

, National Geographic Society

Margot Willis

, National Geographic Society

other

User Permissions

For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. She or he will best know the preferred format. When you reach out to him or her, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource.

Media

If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media.

Text

Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service.

Interactives

Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Sexual Reproduction | National Geographic Society

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sexual reproduction occurs when the sperm from the male parent fertilizes an egg from the female parent, producing an offspring that is genetically different from both parents.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Like other mammals, humans reproduce sexually. A woman's body supports a baby as it grows. For these reasons men and women have different reproductive organs.

Male Reproductive System

In men the main reproductive organs are the testes. The two oval-shaped testes sit behind the penis in a pouch called the scrotum. The testes make the male sex cells, called sperm. Sperm are too tiny to see without a microscope. They are shaped like tadpoles with long tails.

The sperm travel through a tube toward the penis. They mix with other fluids to form a liquid called semen. During sexual intercourse a small amount of semen passes through the tip of the penis into the woman's body. This semen contains between 200 and 300 million sperm. The sperm then travel toward the woman's sex cell, or egg.

Female Reproductive System

In women the main reproductive organs are the ovaries. The two almond-shaped ovaries sit inside the lower belly. When a girl is born her ovaries contain up to 500,000 egg cells. Two tubes, called fallopian tubes, connect the ovaries to the uterus. The uterus is a muscular organ that holds a growing baby.

Beginning when a girl is about 12 years old, one ovary releases an egg once a month. This process is called ovulation. The egg travels from the ovary through the fallopian tube to the uterus. If the egg does not meet a sperm cell on its journey, it dies. The egg and some blood then pass out of the uterus and through the vagina, a muscular tube that leads out of the body.

Fertilization, Pregnancy, and Birth

Sperm enter the woman's body through the vagina. The sperm swim up through the uterus and into the fallopian tubes. If an egg is in one of the fallopian tubes, the sperm try to join with it. Only one sperm can enter, or fertilize, the egg. The rest of the sperm die.

Once the egg is fertilized, pregnancy (or gestation) begins. The fertilized egg moves into the uterus. As it travels it starts to divide into many more cells. After about five or six days these cells burrow into the wall of the uterus. There the cells begin to develop into a baby. At first the developing baby is called an embryo. After about eight weeks the baby is called a fetus.

In the uterus the baby grows inside a pouch called the amniotic sac. The amniotic sac is filled with clear liquid. The liquid protects the baby and lets it move around. A bundle of blood vessels, called the umbilical cord, connects the baby's belly to the placenta. The placenta is a structure that lines part of the uterus. The placenta brings nourishment from the mother's body to the baby. It also takes away wastes from the baby.

After about nine months of development the baby is ready to leave the woman's body. The bottom end of the uterus, called the cervix, expands to create a wide opening into the vagina. The muscles of the uterus contract, or tighten, to push the baby downward. The baby moves slowly through the vagina and out of the mother's body.

When the baby is born the umbilical cord and the placenta also leave the mother's body. The newborn baby is cut free from the cord and the placenta. After several days the stump of the cord dries up and falls off the baby's belly. It leaves behind an indentation called a navel, or belly button.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Like other mammals, humans reproduce sexually. A woman's body supports a baby as it grows. For these reasons men and women have different reproductive organs. Male Reproductive System In men the main reproductive organs are the testes. The two oval-shaped testes sit behind the penis in a pouch called the scrotum.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Created with Hot Potatoes by Half-Baked Software, registered to Richard King.

# data[].attributes.headline
Types of Asexual Reproduction | The Dr. Binocs Show | Best Educational Videos for Kids By Peekaboo

# data[].attributes.subject
Types of Asexual Reproduction | The Dr. Binocs Show | Best Educational Videos for Kids By Peekaboo

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Types of Asexual Reproduction | The Dr. Binocs Show | Best Educational Videos for Kids By Peekaboo

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Asexual reproduction is reproduction without mating.

In this form of reproduction, a single organism or cell makes a copy of itself. The genes of the original and its copy will be the same, except for rare mutations. They are clones.

The main process of asexual reproduction is mitosis. This type of reproduction is common among some single-cell organisms, for example, .

Many plants also reproduce asexually, for example by means of runners.

The individual zooids in a particular coral or bryozoan are usually genetically identical. They are formed by asexual reproduction of the first individual to arrive in a place. One whole order of the rotifers, the bdelloid rotifers, has no sexual reproduction.

Many types of living things have a double cycle. At one stage they have sexual reproduction, at another they simply multiply by splitting or producing eggs which develop without fertilization (aphids). All the daughters of the honey bee develop from unfertilized eggs. So, asexual reproduction is common in many forms of life.

Images for kids

Vegetative plantlets of mother-of-thousands, Bryophyllum daigremontianum (Kalanchoe daigremontiana)

Linckia guildingi "comet", a starfish regrowing from a single arm

Aphid giving birth to live young from an unfertilized egg

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Asexual reproduction is reproduction without mating. In this form of reproduction, a single organism or cell makes a copy of itself. The genes of the original and its copy will be the same, except for rare mutations. They are clones. The main process of asexual reproduction is mitosis.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Asexual reproduction - Asexual and sexual reproduction - National 4 Biology Revision - BBC Bitesize

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In National 4 Biology learn how bacteria and plants reproduce asexually and how sexual reproduction in plants and animals introduces variation.

# data[].attributes.headline
DIY Terrarium Craft for Kids: Make a Gnome Garden

# data[].attributes.subject
DIY Terrarium Craft for Kids: Make a Gnome Garden

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
DIY Terrarium Craft for Kids: Make a Gnome Garden

# data[].attributes.headline
Build a Tiny Plant World! | Science Project for Kids

# data[].attributes.subject
Build a Tiny Plant World! | Science Project for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Build a Tiny Plant World! | Science Project for Kids

# data[].attributes.headline
How To Propagate Succulents Like A BOSS!

# data[].attributes.subject
How To Propagate Succulents Like A BOSS!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How To Propagate Succulents Like A BOSS!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Genes (say: jeenz) play an important role in determining physical traits - how we look -and lots of other stuff about us. They carry information that makes you who you are and what you look like: curly or straight hair, long or short legs, even how you might smile or laugh. Many of these things are passed from one generation to the next in a family by genes.

What Is a Gene?

Genes carry the information that determines your traits (say: trates), which are features or characteristics that are passed on to you - or inherited - from your parents. Each cell in the human body contains about 25,000 to 35,000 genes.

For example, if both of your parents have green eyes, you might inherit the trait for green eyes from them. Or if your mom has freckles, you might have freckles too because you inherited the trait for freckles. Genes aren't just found in humans - all animals and plants have genes, too.

Where are these important genes? Well, they are so small you can't see them. Genes are found on tiny spaghetti-like structures called chromosomes (say: KRO-moh-somes). And chromosomes are found inside cells. Your body is made of billions of cells. Cells are the very small units that make up all living things. A cell is so tiny that you can only see it using a strong microscope.

Chromosomes come in matching sets of two (or pairs) and there are hundreds - sometimes thousands - of genes in just one chromosome. The chromosomes and genes are made of DNA, which is short for deoxyribonucleic (say: dee-ox-see-ri-bo-nyoo-CLAY-ik) acid.

Most cells have one nucleus (say: NOO-clee-us). The nucleus is a small egg-shaped structure inside the cell which acts like the brain of the cell. It tells every part of the cell what to do. But, how does the nucleus know so much? It contains our chromosomes and genes. As tiny as it is, the nucleus has more information in it than the biggest dictionary you've ever seen.

In humans, a cell nucleus contains 46 individual chromosomes or 23 pairs of chromosomes (chromosomes come in pairs, remember? 23 x 2 = 46). Half of these chromosomes come from one parent and half come from the other parent.

Under the microscope, we can see that chromosomes come in different lengths and striping patterns. When they are lined up by size and similar striping pattern, the first twenty two of the pairs these are called autosomes; the final pair of chromosomes are called sex chromosomes, X and Y. The sex chromosomes determine whether you're a boy or a girl: females have two X chromosomes while males have one X and one Y.

But not every living thing has 46 chromosomes inside of its cells. For instance, a fruit fly cell only has four chromosomes!

How Do Genes Work?

Each gene has a special job to do. The DNA in a gene spells out specific instructions-much like in a cookbook recipe - for making proteins (say: PRO-teens) in the cell. Proteins are the building blocks for everything in your body. Bones and teeth, hair and earlobes, muscles and blood, are all made up of proteins. Those proteins help our bodies grow, work properly, and stay healthy. Scientists today estimate that each gene in the body may make as many as 10 different proteins. That's more than 300,000 proteins!

Like chromosomes, genes also come in pairs. Each of your parents has two copies of each of their genes, and each parent passes along just one copy to make up the genes you have. Genes that are passed on to you determine many of your traits, such as your hair color and skin color.

Maybe Emma's mother has one gene for brown hair and one for red hair, and she passed the red hair gene on to Emma. If her father has two genes for red hair, that could explain her red hair. Emma ended up with two genes for red hair, one from each of her parents.

You also can see genes at work if you think about all the many different breeds of dogs. They all have the genes that make them dogs instead of cats, fish, or people. But those same genes that make a dog a dog also make different dog traits. So some breeds are small and others are big. Some have long fur and others have short fur. Dalmatians have genes for white fur and black spots, and toy poodles have genes that make them small with curly fur. You get the idea!

When There Are Problems With Genes

Scientists are very busy studying genes. They want to know which proteins each gene makes and what those proteins do. They also want to know what illnesses are caused by genes that don't work right. Genes that have been changed are called mutations. Researchers think that mutations may be partly to blame for lung problems, cancer, and many other illnesses. Other illnesses and health problems happen when there are missing genes or extra parts of genes or chromosomes.

Some of these gene problems can be inherited from a parent. For example, take the gene that helps the body make hemoglobin (say: HEE-muh-glow-bin). Hemoglobin is an important protein needed for red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body. If parents pass on altered hemoglobin genes to their child, the child might only be able to make a type of hemoglobin that doesn't work properly. This can cause a condition known as anemia (say: uh-NEE-mee-uh), a condition in which a person has fewer healthy red blood cells. Sickle cell anemia is one kind of anemia that is passed on through genes from parents to children.

Cystic fibrosis (say: SIS-tick fi-BRO-sus), or CF, is another illness that some kids inherit. Parents with a changed CF gene can pass it on to their kids. People who have CF often have trouble breathing because their bodies make a lot of mucus (say: MYOO-kus) - the slimy stuff that comes out of your nose when you're sick - that gets stuck in the lungs. People with CF need treatment throughout their lives to keep their lungs as healthy as possible.

What Is Gene Therapy?

Gene therapy is a new kind of medicine - so new that scientists are still doing experiments to see if it works. It uses the technology of genetic engineering to treat a disease caused by a gene that has changed in some way. One method being tested is replacing sick genes with healthy ones. Gene therapy trials - where the research is tested on people - and other research may lead to new ways to treat or even prevent many diseases.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Genes (say: jeenz) play an important role in determining physical traits - how we look -and lots of other stuff about us. They carry information that makes you who you are and what you look like: curly or straight hair, long or short legs, even how you might smile or laugh.

# data[].attributes.headline
What Are Genes? | Educational Videos for Kids

# data[].attributes.subject
What Are Genes? | Educational Videos for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Are Genes? | Educational Videos for Kids