Phenocopy

Phenocopy is a biological phenomenon where environmental factors cause an organism to develop characteristics that mimic the traits of a different organism. This can occur in both plants and animals, and can be induced by a variety of factors, including temperature, light, and chemicals.

Definition

A Phenocopy is an individual whose phenotype, under a particular environmental condition, is identical to the one of another individual whose phenotype is determined by its genotype. The term was coined by the German geneticist Richard Goldschmidt in 1935.

Causes

Phenocopies can be caused by a variety of environmental factors. These can include:

• Temperature: Changes in temperature can cause organisms to develop different characteristics. For example, certain species of fish can change sex depending on the temperature of the water they are in.
• Light: The amount and type of light an organism receives can also affect its development. For example, some plants will grow differently depending on the length of the day.
• Chemicals: Exposure to certain chemicals can also cause phenocopies. For example, some pesticides can cause insects to develop resistance to them, which can then be mistaken for a genetic trait.

Examples

There are many examples of phenocopies in nature. Some of these include:

• Drosophila: In fruit flies, exposure to certain chemicals can cause the flies to develop wing shapes that are normally associated with different genetic traits.
• C. elegans: In this species of worm, changes in temperature can cause the worms to develop different numbers of offspring, which can then be mistaken for a genetic trait.

See also

• Genotype
• Phenotype
• Epigenetics

References

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