Green fluorescent protein facts for kids

GFP ia a Green Florescent Protein, that can be found in a moon jellyfish. This is a substance that helps scientists with looking at cell molecules. There is also another substance the is called RFP that serves the same purpose but is red, and is found in coral. For GFP scientists have learned that if you take away one molecule it can change the whole color of the substance, along with if you add a molecule to the original substance it will also change the color. Scientists have made the color Cyan (ECFP), and Pink (mRaspberry). The GFP is a florescent substance that is kind of like a highlighter.

Images for kids

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  Aequorea victoria

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  The diversity of genetic mutations is illustrated by this San Diego beach scene drawn with living bacteria expressing 8 different colors of fluorescent proteins (derived from GFP and dsRed).

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  Live lancelet (B. floridae) under a fluorescent microscope.

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  Green fluorescence in the marine copepod Pontella mimocerami.

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  Different proteins produce different fluorescent colors when exposed to ultraviolet light.

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  White light image, or image seen by the eye, of fluorescent proteins in image above.

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  E. coli colonies expressing fluorescent proteins.

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  GFP Movie showing entire structure and zoom in to fluorescent chromophore.

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  Superresolution with two fusion proteins (GFP-Snf2H and RFP-H2A), Co-localisation studies (2CLM) in the nucleus of a bone cancer cell. 120.000 localized molecules in a widefield area (470 µm2).

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  Mice expressing GFP under UV light (left & right), compared to normal mouse (center)

See also

In Spanish: Proteína verde fluorescente para niños