The Invisible Colours of Flowers
This year JIC scientists explained how the diverse flower shapes and structures we see are determined by invisible patterns that are created early in flower development. Using a mixture of live plants and giant model flowers the JIC’s spectacular display described how important genes are switched on and off, in the young flower bud. We can imagine this as “painting” invisible zones in the immature bud, that then determine the structure and shape of the mature flower.
Flowers are one of two basic shapes; they either have radial symmetry (like roses and tulips) or bilateral symmetry (like orchids and peas). One half of the display described how a simple gene "switch" that operates in the early flower bud and controls which type of symmetry is seen in the mature flower bud. The other half of the display described how the familiar pattern of sepals, petals, stamens and carpels is established in a developing flower bud, and how novel flowers result when mutation damages the genes that create the invisible plan for flower structure.
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You can find more information on the science of flower shape and structure on the science pages of the JIC website.