'Severe abnormalities' found in Fukushima butterflies

Summary: Two months after radioactive materials released from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, scientists have found mutations in pale grass blue butterflies that inhabited the surrounding areas. The mutations consisted of smaller wings and irregularly developed eyes. After collecting and breeding the butterflies, researchers were able to find that the following generations of butterflies developed new mutations. Malformed antennae were found, and in insects, antennae are used to find mates and explore their environment. These butterflies are very useful in the experiments of finding impacts of exposure to radioactive contaminants because it shows the long-term results of exposure. Even though the contamination of food has decreased, the mutation rate has not lowered because it has been passed from each generation's genetic material to the next.

Relevance: The findings of the mutations in butterflies is relevant to our studies because we learned what mutations are and how they affect genes; mutations are changes to the nucleotide sequence of the DNA. This is a real life situation to how changes in the environment can cause mutations in organisms living there.

Source:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19245818
by Nick Crumpton. 13 August 2012.