A seed that lands in the forest soil is homozygous mutant for the CONSTANS (CO) gene, and as a result does not produce any functional CONSTANS protein. What do you predict will happen during the development of this seed?
A. It will germinate and grow vegetatively, but will never produce flowers.
B. It will fail to germinate.
C. It will germinate and grow vegetatively, and then it will produce flowers earlier than wildtype.
D. It will germinate and grow vegetatively. If it is from a photoperiodic species, it will fail to produce flowers.
Clarify Question
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
What type of thinking is required?
Gather Content
What do you already know about the CONSTANS gene? What other information is related to the question?
Choose Answer
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?
Reflect on Process
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?
D. It will germinate and grow vegetatively. If it is from a photoperiodic species, it will fail to produce flowers.
Clarify Question
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
· This question is asking you to identify the function of the CONSTANS protein.
What type of thinking is required?
· Analyze level:
o This is an analyze question because you have to break the CONSTANS gene and seed production into their component pieces to understand how they function.
Gather Content
What do you already know about the CONSTANS gene? What other information is related to the question?
· The CONSTANS gene links perception of daylength with a signal that results in flowering.
· The expression of the CONSTANS gene varies with the time of day, with low expression in the dark and higher expression during the day.
· Phytochrome and cryptochrome also regulate CONSTANS expression.
· Phytochrome and cryptochrome are red and blue light receptors
Choose Answer
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?
· Since the CONSTANS gene is involved in flower production as directed by photoperiod, the mutation that is described here will not prevent germination or vegetative growth. This mutation may not even prevent flower production if the plant’s flower production is not linked to daylength. If this is a species that relies on photoperiod for floral development, since CONSTANS function is tied to light receptors, it will not flower.
Reflect on Process
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?
· Analyze level:
o Answering this question correctly depended not only on distinguishing between normal and mutant forms of the CONSTANS gene, but on your ability to break down the effects of a mutation on plant development. If you got an incorrect answer, did you remember that the CONSTANS gene facilitates flower production, or that the function of this gene is linked to photoperiod? Did you have trouble breaking down the role of the CONSTANS gene to determine the correct answer?
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