Extra-toed Cat Toes: Is it a benefit or a detriment mutation?
Mid-term Question 2
The outcome of a genetic mutation most often is harmful, but some mutations can be beneficial. Did you know that most cats have five toes on their front paw?
But there is a mutation found in cats where they have seven toes on the front paw.
These extra toes are on the thumb side of the paw. Now I know that you did not study the genetics of cats so you may use Google for seven-toed cats to help you.
Here are two sites that you may use:
https://pets.thenest.com/rare-cats-seven-toes-11182.html
Her is some information that you may need as well as the concepts in your Textbook. Remember I have the hyperlinked pdf in the course content.
You may not use Wikipedia or any sites other than the two I provided.
Extra-toed Cat Toes: Is it a benefit or a detriment mutation? The affected protein in extra-toed cats is sonic hedgehog (SHH). SHH is a signaling protein normally made by cells on just the pinky side of the developing foot. As the toes form, their number and identity depend on their exposure to SHH protein. Cells exposed to the most SHH become the pinkie toe. Cells exposed to intermediate levels of SHH become ring or middle toes. And cells with the least exposure to SHH become the index toe. IS there a selective advantage to this variation for the cat?( incorporate in your essay)
Genes can jump around and even translocate to other chromosomes. Identify the famous geneticist who discovered the jumping gene(incorporate in your essay) A single-base change outside the protein-coding sequence of the Shh gene makes a new switch. This switch turns on the Shh gene on the other side of the foot.
Directions Read and think and follow.
In an explanatory essay, explain why this is an unusual inheritance pattern. Incorporate in your answers, the questions below and any boldfaced questions in the above paragraph, but do not respond to them separately. Incorporate the responses in an organized approach.
Is it a variation or a disease?
Is it harmful or beneficial?
Could this odd mutation happen in other animals?
Identify the mutation pattern.
Here are some questions to help guide your
Part 2
1. Set up a Punnett square you must determine if this is sex-linked or is it autosomal.
Show your work.