Mystery Seed: What Basil do You Have?
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Each variety of basil looks, smells, and tastes different than the others. Compare your growing seed(s) to the pictures below, which basil do you have? How soon can you tell? If you have more than one plant, how soon can you tell them apart?
Sweet Basil |
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Lemon Basil
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Thai Basil
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Cinnamon Basil
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Red Rubin Basil
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Fino Verde Basil
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Why do the different basil look so diverse?
There is great diversity found between living things! From bacteria to sponges, to trees, to cats and birds, life takes many shapes and sizes. But we can also find differences between members of the same species. All of these basils belong to the same species! Take a minute and think about dogs that you have seen recently and how different they look. Well, they are all the same species, Canis lupus familiaris!
Variations within a species are caused by differences in the genes or DNA of each individual. These differences come from the reproduction process. Many organisms, such as some types of plants and animals, reproduce sexually. In this kind of reproduction, the traits of both parents are combined in the offspring. So, for example, a small white cat and a large yellow cat can potentially have offspring that are small and yellow or large and white. The mixing of traits through sexual reproduction helps to create diversity. Also, random mutations in an individual’s DNA can cause new characteristics to arise. For example a mutation of the gene that controls the normal coat color of a tiger (light orange) could cause new coat colors (white or dark orange) to arise. Genetic differences are not limited to simply coat color, but can affect almost every aspect of a plant or animal (size, shape, life span, etc.) Learn more about variation »
Did you know that broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage are all variations of one species? They are all varieties of a species of plant called Brassica oleracea. Over many years, humans have bred different varieties for different qualities, such as taste.
And variation within a species, sets the stage for
artificial selection!..
Artificial Selection or Domestication
For many years, people, especially farmers, have been using variation to their advantage. For example, farmers select the strongest horses to mate to produce strong horses, or control the pollination of plants to make the hardiest vegetables. This is called domestication or artificial selection. So, domestication is when humans choose specific individuals from a species that have a desired characteristic, and allow these individuals to breed. As time goes on and individuals with a desired characteristic are encouraged to reproduce, the new offspring become more and more unique and distinct from the original individuals. Look to the picture on the right and see how different the many kinds of Brassica oleracea are!
How Artificial Selection helped Darwin understand Evolution
Darwin realized the evolution was very common and could be observed in farmers’ work. Just like the farmers would choose the fastest horse to mate, Darwin proposed that, for example, a dry environment would select animals that are able to survive with less water to survive longer and reproduce more. Overtime, the species would evolve to be better adapted to its dry environment. This way environmental conditions would affect He called the environmental conditions “natural selection.”
Learn more about how Darwin’s principle of evolution »
Basil Fun Facts!
- Basil originated in India or Southeast Asia over 5,000 years ago.
- Basil oil has been shown to have strong anti-oxidant properties, and is used to treat anything from asthma to diabetes.
- In Greece, basil is brought to church as an offering or gift.
- In Italy, basil is a symbol of love.
- There are over 30 different varieties of basil.
