What good way to abide by a famous fiber , creature or conception from scientific discipline fiction or fantasy than to immortalize them with a scientific name ? Specifically , the name of a gene .
One of the genome most to a great extent populated with scifi and phantasy - themed names is that of role model organism Drosophila melanogaster . Here are ten factor of the common fruit fly front that gain their names from science fable and fantasy .
10.Kuzbanian
Named by : Jenny Rooke , Yale Dept . of Genetics
Etymology : agree to Rooke , “ the name ‘ kuzbanian ’ is a reference to members of an alien lifeform of Muppets who appeared in about 4 episode of the original Muppet Show by Jim Henson . The Koozbanians ( gene spelling shift to avoid copyright violation ) dwell on the planet Koozbane and talk Koozbanese . ”
“ They also have wildly uncorrectable hair sticking up on the tops of their heads , ” explain Rooke . Kuzbanian mutant flies , like their Muppet namesakes , march ungovernable bristle development on their wings .
9.Indy
Named by : Rogina et al . , 2000
Etymology : “ Indy ” is actually an acronym for “ I ’m not beat yet . ” Researchers named the gene after the famous line from the “ take Out Yer Dead ” vignette in Monty Python and the Holy Grail , when they discovered thata fly with a mutated indy gene endure double as long as non - mutant fly , “ without a decline in fertility rate or forcible activity . ”
8.Grimand 7.Reaper
Named by : Chen et al . , 1996&White et al . , 1994 , respectively
Etymology : harvester is widely make out for its role in programmed cell death ( aka “ programmed cell death ” ) . When researchers discovered grim in 1996 , they noticed that it was not only situated very closely to reaper , it actually shared its powerful cell - slaying ability , as well . Together , the two belong to a hardening of genes on a fly ball ’s third chromosome that is regard in regulating the even excreting of cells from the body — a process that can occur under both natural and pathological circumstances .
6.Yuri
Named by : Armstrong et al . , 2001
Etymology : Alright , so rigorously speaking this gene is n’t derived from scifi or phantasy , but it is derived from humanity ’s first forays into blank space exploration , which is pretty close .
According to FlyBase , the factor is name “ yuri ” because mutations in the gene are see in fly strains certify strong “ minus gravitaxis . ” This is the tendency for fruitflies exhibit strange walking
behaviour in reception to solemnity , namely walking up ( or , more accurately , diametric ) , the direction of gravitational force play . “ This polymorphism , ” write the research worker , was also confirmed on the fortieth anniversary of Yuri Gagarin ’s historic spaceflight , “ leading to the appointment of the gene ‘ yuri , ’ in his honour . ”
5.Pray for Elves
Named by : Suzan Lewis , 2002
Etymology : This gene is actually named not for its function , but the defeat that was feel when it was first being catalogue ( this was days before its role was more specifically characterized ) . While working diligently at annotating the FlyBase factor database , Lewis took a break to sendthe take after email :
The name for [ this gene ] is PrayForElves ( PFE ) . It is the middle of the night ( 2:38 to be accurate ) , I am away from friends and family , It has been this style for over 2 years , I ca n’t sleep because of all the work there is yet to do , and there is no end in sight . So when do the magic little elves appear out of nowhere and get everything done ?
p.s . I am serious .
4.Smaug
Named by : Smibert et al . , 1996
Etymology : Smaug subdue the activity of another gene mention “ nanos , ” which is Greek for “ dwarf . ” In J. R. R. Tolkien ’s Hobbit , the dragon Smaugdrove the Dwarves of Erebor from their caves in the Lonely Mountain .
3.Thor
distinguish by : Rodriguez et al . , 1996
Etymology : In Norse mythology , Thor and his mighty hammering keep back the Nordic people out of trauma ’s agency . The thor factor serve a similar function in fruit fly , helping promote the bugs ’ immune Defense to help guard off disease .
2.Neo
Named by : Fernandes et al . , 2010
Etymology : The “ extracellular matrix ” is the space between cells that , among other things , provides them with morphological support . In 2010 , Isabelle Fernandes and her colleagues qualify a turn of new matrix proteins , and subsequently “ named these putative constituent of the matrix [ and their cistron ] after characters of the eponymic movie , ” including neyo ( neo ) , trynity ( tyn ) , morfeyus ( mey ) , nyobe ( nyo ) and cypher ( cyr ) .
1.Tribbles
Named by : Seher et al . , 2000
Etymology : The cell of fruit flies that sway a mutation in their tribbles gene will often divide uncontrollably .
“ We named [ the gene ] tribbles,”explain researcher Thomas Seher and Maria Leptin , “ after the fictional small round organisms [ from the Star Trek Episode ‘ The Trouble with Tribbles ‘ ] , ” which can proliferate exponentially if left unchecked .
All selective information acquire viaFlyBase , an online database and the main repository of genetic and molecular data for the home Drosophilidae .
ElvesgenesGeneticsMatrixMonty PythonScienceTrinity
Daily Newsletter
Get the best technical school , skill , and culture intelligence in your inbox daily .
News from the hereafter , deliver to your present tense .
You May Also Like
