if all store bought bananas are clones, then how come they can vary so much in size? Some are absolutely huge whereas some are extremely tiny. If they are biological identical, shouldn’t they be of similar size?
In: Biology
Take a set of identical twin humans (same DNA, like clones). Raise one with great food, comfy housing, regular exercise, and low stress. Raise the other one in a dark cage, feeding it a small plate once per day, never leaving the basement. It’s guaranteed the well-reared twin ends up much taller and heavier than the famine twin.
“But they have the same genes, shouldn’t they look and grow the same?”
But growth and development is the combination of genes *and environment*. In the same environment, yes they would!
How does this apply to bananas? Different banana farms get different amounts of sun, of rain, of heat. They use different amounts of different fertilizers. They have different pests. Their growing seasons are of different lengths. Even within one farm (which are often on hills), one side of the field may be shadier or drier. One side of the *tree* may be shadier or drier. One side of *that single bunch* may be shadier or drier!
All these factors and more affect how each banana lives up to its genetic “potential”.
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