New BioInteractive!

A new mutations interactive, corn-y resources on artificial selection, and a special holiday gift! Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. DECEMBER 14, 2016

A Change of Genes Mutations can occur at any time in an individual’s lifetime and in different cell types – and in some cases can be passed on to the offspring. In humans, mutations can lead to diseases such as autism, cystic fibrosis, or cancer. In this new interactive, explore how somatic and germline cell lineages are generated during development and how mutations in either lineage give rise to disease.

Spotlight on: Middle School

Meet Us in the Middle If you teach middle school students, be sure to explore our new collection of multimedia resources that will enhance life and earth science classes. The collection includes engaging, high-quality animations, hands-on activities, short films and videos, and our WildCam Gorongosa project.

Data Point

Corn-y Isotopes When did corn become a staple crop? In this Data Point, explore how scientists analyzed carbon isotope ratios in ancient human remains to determine when corn became an integral part of the North American diet.

Featured Clip

Tasty Selection Corn was originally bred from the teosinte plant by native Mexican farmers. This short clip compares the morphologies of modern-day corn and teosinte plants to illustrate how artificial selection can bring about dramatic changes in a species.

Events and Announcements

BioInteractive Emojis Our holiday present to you: BioInteractive stickers for iMessage! Our emoji ‘sticker pack’ features images and graphics from many of our most popular films and interactives – including our favorite green mascot, Howie. Find them for free in the iTunes store by searching for 'biointeractive.'

Educator Tip

Foundational Food The short film, “Popped Secret: The Mysterious Origin of Corn” is a fantastic case study to help high school biology students understand evolution. Concepts illustrated in this film include selection and adaptation, and the role of mutations and master regulatory genes. The film reveals the exciting collaboration between an archaeologist and a geneticist as they describe compelling evidence of a food source that built civilizations! This film is marvelous, making the complexity of evolution understandable and applicable. –Robert Marraccino, Instructor of Career and Technical Education in NYC, Department of Education, New York Do you have a favorite BioInteractive resource and want to tell us how you use it in your class? Email us the tip atBioInteractive@hhmi.org. If we feature yours, we'll send you a T-shirt!