North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Stephen Sadler" <Docshiva@Docshiva.org>]

A sport is another example of a type of mosaicism, although the genetically
different cells are not distributed throughout the plant.  A sport occurs
when there is suppression of some genetic material through 'random
mutation', which can be caused by normal background radiation or exposure to
other environmental factors.  It can also be due to crossover, especially in
a rapidly reproducing set of cells (such as a bud).  As the cells divide, a
gene at the end of one chromosome can become attached to a different
chromosome due to simple physical inefficiencies in the process of cell
division.  One of the newly divided cells may end up with no copies of a
gene, and another with an extra copy.  The resulting sport would be a
mosaic.

Stephen Sadler, Ph.D.
USDA 9, AHS heat zone 8, 
Sacramento CA - Mediterranean climate


-----Original Message-----
From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of rob hamilton
Sent: Thursday, February 17, 2005 7:04 AM
To: North American Fruit Explorers
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] It doesn't take a genus to see that there must be
somerelationship...

Fascinating!

Now is this different than what is usually termed as a
"sport"?
Which I assumed was an actual change in the genetic
material or in the way it is expressed.

rob