Genetically Modified Plants Grow Plastic.

Plants have been used for centuries as medicines – now genetically modified plants can produce plastic, skin tissue agents and human blood proteins.
Biotechnologists have created genetically modified (GM) plants that can grow plastic. They managed this by inserting 4 genes from a plastic-producing bacteria into varieties of oilseed rape (Eurasian plant) and cress. Conventional plastics are made from oil and do not degrade easily, but the plant plastic is biodegradable. But it is expensive, at this costing five times more than petroleum-derived plastic. BTW, the word plastic comes from the Greek plastikos, meaning “to form” or “to shape.”
Money doesn’t grow on trees but one day, perhaps, credit cards will!


Genetic engineering
Actually, man has been “genetically modifying” everything from food to dogs for many centuries, but in the past the only tool has been selective breeding. There are a variety of ways that scientists now modify plants and animals with genetic engineering techniques (see How Stuff Works ).


Take good care of your plants
In the meantime, before you grow your own plastic plants, take good care of your real plants. Clean them often, speak to them, and play them some nice music – there is a lot of research that shows that playing melodic or classical music to plants make them grow healthier.

Why is Blue for Boyz and Pink for Girlz?

In ancient times, it was believed that certain colors could combat the evil spirits that lingered over nurseries. Because blue was associated with the heavenly spirits, boys were clothed in that color, boys then being considered the most valuable resource to parents. Although baby girls did not have a color associated with them, they were mostly clothed in black. It was only in the Middle Ages when pink became associated with baby girls.

Feathers Per Square Inch

A swan has up to 25,000 feathers but a hummingbird has the fewest feathers of all birds – only about 1,000 feathers. But being so small, it has more feathers per square inch than most other birds.

A hummingbird beats its wings up to 80 times per second, flying at speeds up to 35 mph (56km/h). Its heart beats more than 1200 times per minute. Which means it needs a lot of food and liquid for energy. It eats up to half its own weight and drinks 8 times its weight in water each day.  Its long tubular tongue licks nectar at 13 times a second.

The hummingbird is one of the smallest bird species and the only one that is known to be able to fly backwards.