FlipFact of the Day:ย Aside from being typically associated with the color red, apples and roses share another interesting (and undeniably deeper) connection: They’re literally from the same family.
The rose family (Rosaceae) is a medium-sized family of flowering plants, with 4,828 known species in 91 genera. The apple tree (๐๐ข๐ญ๐ถ๐ด ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ช๐ค๐ข) belongs to this family. Incidentally, quite a few other edible fruits (including cherries, strawberries, and raspberries) fall under the Rosaceae family as well. Interestingly,ย studying the rose family has helped scientists in understanding fruit diversity across geological time.
Today’s Science History Milestone: On September 6, 1943, English molecular biologist Sir Richard J. Roberts was born. Both he and American molecular biologist Phillip A. Sharp won the 1993 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for their independent discovery of split genes, which paved the way for gene splicing and genetically modified (GM) crops.
Still remember your 5th-grade science classes? Test your knowledge and see if you still remember these facts and fundamental concepts in human anatomy, biology, botany, and other branches of science. Click here to try the “Are You Smarter Than A Pinoy Fifth-Grader” Challenge.
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Cover: Miljan Vasiljevic
References
- https://phys.org/news/2016-11-rose-family-fruit-diversity-geological.html
Author: Mikael Angelo Francisco
Bitten by the science writing bug, Mikael has years of writing and editorial experience under his belt. As the editor-in-chief of FlipScience, Mikael has sworn to help make science more fun and interesting for geeky readers and casual audiences alike.
