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Micracle Tomatoes
Each of our cells have a nucleus. What type of cells do we have? How do you tell the difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?
In the nucleus, there are DNA and genes. In the article, Tomatoes that trick taste buds by Stephen Ornes, tomatoes have been made that allow sour things to taste sweet. How did scientists do this? Describe how the genes are modified. Why would anyone want to eat something that changes your taste buds?
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Humans have eukaryotic cells, just like all other animals do. Eukaryotic means our cells have a nucleus. Prokaryotic cells do not have a nucleus. The scientist Kazuhisa Kato figured out how to make sour things taste sweet. There is already a plant that can do this, called Miracle Fruit. Kato figured out that a protein called miraculin was the reason for the flavor-change. He then was able to extract miraculin from the Miracle Fruit and put it in the DNA of tomatoes. This caused the tomato to produce the same effect as Miracle Fruit. These tomatoes could be useful for people who want to lose weight. Most people don't want to eat sour-tasting food that is low in calories, but if there is miraculin in it there would be no problem. This article relates to what we are learning in class because we are learning all about cells. Cells are where DNA is stored. The DNA is inside the nucleus, in the form of chromatin.
ReplyDeleteHow did scientists do this? Describe how the genes are modified. Why would anyone want to eat something that changes your taste buds?
ReplyDeleteScientists achieved being able to modify taste buds by changing genes in tomatoes. Apparently, there are berries that already do this, but these berries are in short supply. So several Asian scientists figured out a way to change the DNA of tomatoes to match those of the berries. They did this by inserting the genetic code of the berries into that of tomatoes. Now the tomatoes produce the same chemicals the berries do. People would want this sort of a product to make bad tasting sour diet foods taste sweet and good.
All animals are made of eukaryotic cells; therefore, being animals, us humans are made of eukaryotic cells. Prokaryotic cells have no nucleus or organelles. However, eukaryotic cells contain both of these traits. Prokaryote means "before nucleus," while eukaryote means "after nucleus."
ReplyDeleteKato and his fellow scientists at his lab found a way to trick taste buds using the genetic traits of an African berry. This berry is nicknamed the "miracle berry" for its unique ability to make the eater taste sour food as sweet after the fruit is eaten. By identifying the appropriate gene, scientists were able to create genetically modified tomatoes which also contained the gene. This specific gene produced miraculin, a protein-carbohydrate hybrid which has the property of temporarily affecting the eater's taste buds. With the newly implanted genes, these tomatoes also produced miraculin, giving them the same taste bud altering sensation as the miracle berry while being easier to produce. The unique traits of these new tomatoes can be applied in many ways, such as dieting help and healthier trick-or-treating.
A man named Kazuhisa Kato leads a team of scientists working on an extraordinary task. How can one make something as sour as a lemon taste sweet like candy? Well Kato's research is answering that question. Kato collects berries from West Africa that contain a chemical called Miraculin. Miraculin is what causes the effect. By genetically modifying tomatoes and adding Miraculin to them, Kato and his team will be able to mass-produce the Chemical. This article shows the practical use of biology and how everything we learn can be put to use.
ReplyDeleteWhat do tomatoes and humans have in common? Both humans and tomatoes have eukaryotic cells. Eukaryotic cells differ from prokaryotic cells because they are complex cells each containing a nucleus, whereas prokaryotic cells are more simple cells that lack nuclei. The nucleus contains DNA that holds genes which instruct a cell to create certain proteins. The scientists found a protein called miraculin in "miracle berries", that changes taste buds and allows sour foods to taste sweet. They then took from the berries the gene for making miraculin, and placed it in the genetic code of tomatoes. This allowed the tomatoes to produce miraculin, which would allow them to change someone's taste buds after being eaten. These new tomatoes could be used to turn a disgusting food into a delicious food!
ReplyDeleteIn class we are learning about proteins and how they affect the body and the cells within the body. In the article “Tricky Tomatoes,” a laboratory is developing a tomato that changes the eater’s sense of taste. For example, if you eat one of these tomatoes before lunch and then take a bit out of a lemon, it will taste very sweet instead of sour. The main ingredient in these tomatoes is called miraculin. This molecule is a protein that is found in berries that grow in a part of West Africa. These berries can be used as a diet supplement to lose weight. Scientists have been trying to make more of this protein. They have been extracting DNA out of this protein and are inserting it into the tomatoes. As a result, it makes the tomato have the ability to change a person’s taste.
ReplyDeleteAll animals, including humans, have eukaryotic cells. Eukaryotic cells, unlike prokaryotes, are eukaryotes and have their DNA inside a nucleus.
ReplyDeleteKazuhisa Kato, a scientist, did something amazing involving DNA. He took miraculin, a glycoprotein that makes sour food taste sweet and sweet foods taste sour, and made tomatoes grow this protein. Some berries have a certain gene inside its DNA, in its chromosomes, that allow miraculin to grow. What Kato did was insert that gene of those "miracle berries" into tomatoes to make a tomato that naturally produces miraculin. With these miraculin enhanced tomatoes, one can enjoy a sweet taste without having sugar. These tomatoes are a scientific, culinary, and dietary breakthrough.
Humans have eukaryotic cells, that contain a nucleus. Prokaryotic cells such as bacteria have no nucleus whatsoever. Scientists implanted a gene in the genetic code of a tomato to produce micraculin, a glycoprotein which give the tomato its special effect. This glycoprotein is found in berries grown in west Africa. These tomatoes can now be grown in vast quantities indoors, so those "miracle berries" won't always need to be harvested. Researchers still do not know what this amazing revolution in eating can be used for. One possibility is using it as a dieting aid.
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