Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

hi. i read an article and i had found that there is a specific gene that controls the mammoth's coat color. From mummified specimens, they have found that there is a gene called the melanocortin type 1 receptor, or MC1R for short. this contorls the hair color in peromyscusus, which is a mouse. i wanted to ask if it is possible to take human hair and be able to pick out the gene in humans or other animals. is this a porject that a high school student can do?

Hi SW!

Submitting "What gene controls human hair color?" to answers.com,
the first answer is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hair_color, the Wikipedia entry for human hair color. I believe this page answers your about genes.

I don't know if there is suitable project hiding in here. Maybe someone else can help.

Please buzz back in if you have additional questions.

There can be a science project hidden somewhere in there. Just brainstorming here but if you take human hair and look into its gene then a good question could be looking back into its gene and see where they got that hair color, try to find a human hair that differs from their parents hair. Like my friend has blond hair and her parents and brothers have brown, she still has no clue who has blond hair! You might be able to make an experiment out of that.

Hi sana!

The wikipedia entry from my last post is pretty comprehensive, and I suggest you read through it. The only variable conditions relating to hair color are non-genetic the "Medical conditions affecting hair colour." I suspect these are rare.

Note: to read the wikipedia entry, you can't just click on it. That will get you a page not found error. You'll have to copy the URL and delete the ",".

As to science projects, since most of the genetics is well known and fully catalogued, I'm at a loss.

I'd suggest opening a new thread where it will get higher visibility.