Plants evolve solutions to problems. Blueberries create a blue-purple pigment that acts as a sunscreen, a seed dispersal-enhancer, and a health-promoting antioxidant. Farmers seek to breed a berry that passes these benefits on to humans.
NGSS Performance Expectation: Construct an explanation based on evidence for how natural selection leads to adaptation of populations.
Discussion Questions:
- What is a secondary metabolite?
- What is an antioxidant?
- Why do blueberries manufacture anthocyanins?
- How do anthocyanins increase adaptation to blueberry populations?
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