Genetics Rap

If you a Mendel fan, go on throw 'em up! If you got 46 (chromosomes, that is) go on throw 'em up! Mrs. Harveylicious has penned her 7th rap introducing genetics and natural selection. LYRICS: Mrs. Harveylicious In C300 Rappin' fo her students About ge-genetics So let me start with, this dude named Mendel He was a monk with a garden and lots of brain cells While in his garden, he saw some green peas He noticed some were different from the other pea seeds He did some studies, while meditating AH-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah, he did some mating He took those pea plants, crossed them together And found the laws of dominance, it couldn't be better You see the reason why you look like dad and mother You got a mix of both their genes just like yo brother Not jeans like pants, genes on your chromosomes Now what the heck am I supposed to rhyme with chromosome?! Now since we humans, our number's 46 That's 23 from mom and dad, and yes that's quite a mix Egg and sperm meet, to make a baby With a set of 46, I don't mean maybe Now on these chromosomes there be some information It's called yo DNA, in different combinations Deoxyribose, Nucleic Acid That double helix makes you you, and that's fantastic On just one section, we'll find a genotype Which codes for what you look like, it's called yo phenotype Brown hair, blue eyes, freckles, dimples, blood type These are all some possibilities for phenotypes Some are dominant, some are recessive The ones who dominate are sure to be expressive These traits will show up, if you should get one They're usually common in the human population But there's a way to get, some recessive traits You have to get the genes from BOTH mom and dad, as mates Not heterozygous, it's homozygous Why can't I find a word to rhyme with homozygous?! If you Mendel fan, go on throw 'em up If you gon' pass da test, go on throw 'em up If you got 46, go on throw 'em up If you in C300, go on throw 'em up! Let's go to nature, to see these genes change Over time a species has to change to maintain It's survival, and reproduction My man Darwin don't need no introduction!! It's adaptations, that help a species thrive *If they don't adapt, they ain't never gon' survive! So they pass on, the best traits to their offspring And hope their babies will survive to make more offspring Darwin called this, natural selection It's a never-ending quest for this perfection As nature changes, so does the gene pool And if you can't keep up, you gon' end up like a fool It's time to peace out, I'll give a shout out To all geneticists who know just what I'm talkin' 'bout! I'm proud of my genes, I hope you're proud too Now go on throw 'em up for science if you want to!! If you Harvey fan, go on throw 'em up If you gon' ace da test, go on throw 'em up If you got 46, go on throw 'em up If you a science geek, go on throw 'em up! --Written and performed by Mrs. Harveylicious 05/02/10