This is a list of unusual biological names, given to biological inventions and discoveries. One might consider the listed names unusual due to their containing pop culture references or puns.
Genes and proteins In the early days of genomics, genes were often given creative names upon discovery. A nomenclature committee later established naming guidelines, but several early names remain.
Name Explanation Bag-of-marbles Has role in regulating gamete differentiation and division of precursor cells; a null mutation may cause the gonads to appear as "Bags of marbles" Buttonhead Mutations in this gene causes head development to fail Cheap date Mutations in this gene cause marked susceptibility to alcohol intoxication Deadpan An essential pan-neural gene DIABLO Direct IAP binding protein, low Dreadlocks Mutations in this gene cause cell projections to clump together like dreadlocks Dunce A memory-related gene associated with Rutabaga ELMO Engulfment and Cell Motility, contains the family ELMO1, ELMO2, and ELMO3 Exuperantia Named after St. Exuperantia, this gene is associated with dividing the head and body into regions Fizzy-related Flippase and floppase Protein that "flips" and "flops" phosphatidylserines on the cell membrane from the inner side and the outer side, respectively Hedgehog signaling pathway, and the associated genes: Sonic hedgehog (and formerly associated with tiggywinkle hedgehog) Desert hedgehog Indian hedgehog Smoothened Frizzled Dishevelled Patched Named for the video game character Sonic the Hedgehog, these are critical genes involved in development and tumorigenesis Headcase Hunchback Mutations in hunchback cause disruptions in body shape in model organisms, such as a "hunchback" Indy Short for I'm not dead yet, mutations in this gene extend the lifespan of D. melanogaster Ken and Barbie Mutations in the ken and barbie locus of this drosophila gene cause loss of external male and female genitalia in a fraction of homozygous flies Lunatic Fringe, Manic Fringe, and Radical Fringe Makes caterpillars floppy Gene in Photorhabdus luminescens, codes for a toxin which leads to insects’ bodies breaking down MAP kinase kinase kinase and MAP kinase kinase kinase kinase MinosPhrime Bacteriophage named after Minos Prime from the video game ULTRAKILL. Mothers against decapentaplegic 1–9, and the associated Daughters against dpp Takes the name from "Mothers against drunk driving" and similar campaigns, mutations in the gene of the mother cause improper development in the mother's offspring Moron gene A prophage gene that has no role in the phage's lysogenic cycle. NEMO NF-kappa-B essential modulator Methuselah-like proteins Named for Methuselah, extends the lifespan of an organism MTHFR1Short for METHYLENETETRAHYDROFOLATE REDUCTASE 1 NUDEL-Gen German for "Noodle", NudE Neurodevelopment Protein 1 Like 1RINGShort for Really Interesting New Gene POKEMON POK erythroid myeloid ontogenic factor, changed to Zbtb7 after a lawsuit was threatened Pikachurin Named after Pikachu, a species and mascot of the Pokémon franchise PUMPKIN Short for PLASTID 55 UMP KINASE, encodes a functional UMP Kinase located in the plastid that binds to group II intron plastid transcription products. Mutants show decreased accumulation of target transcripts/proteins. Salvador Scramblase An enzyme that "scrambles" phospholipids between the inside and outside of the cell membrane SisyphusPhrime Arthrobacter phage named after Sisyphus Prime from the video game ULTRAKILL. Slingshot homolog Slit-Robo and the associated Netrin-Frazzled SMURF1 and SMURF2, SMAD Ubiquitination Regulatory Factor 1/2, interacts with Mothers against decapentaplegic 7 Son of Sevenless A protein involved in MAPK signal cascade SPOCK1 Zebrafish with this mutation develop pointed-ears reminiscent of Spock SWEET transportersSugars will eventually be exported transporter, transports sugar Swiss cheese Mutations cause the brain to develop with lesions resembling Swiss cheese Spätzle based on the spaetzle-like (German for a type of noodle) shape of the larvae of D. melanogaster Tafazzin Named after the masochistic comic character Tafazzi (portrayed by Giacomo Poretti, member of the Italian comedy trio Aldo, Giovanni e Giacomo) after alleged hardships in its discovery Time for CoffeeRegulator of circadian clock in Arabidopsis thaliana Tinman gene Named for the tinman who was lacking a heart, model organisms with mutations in tinman had cardiac abnormalities Toll-like receptors "Toll" is German for "Amazing", "Awesome". Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard and her colleague Prof. Eric Wieschaus sat at a double microscope that allows two people to examine the same object at the same time. When they saw an embryo mutant one day whose development was ventralised, they were both completely surprised and spontaneously exclaimed "Toll" (great). UNICORN Regulates planar growth in Arabidopsis thaliana The following genes in the Arabidopsis thaliana HD-ZIP III family: REVOLUTA (REV) PHABULOSA (PHB) PHAVOLUTA (PHV) REVOLUTA was first described in 1995, while PHABULOSA and PHAVOLUTA were described in 2001. PHB and PHV were intentionally given similar-sounding names to REV because of their related mutant phenotypes and functions in regulating shoot and leaf development. The following genes related to stomata development in Arabidopsis thaliana: SPEECHLESS (SPCH) MUTE FAMA SCREAM 1/2 (SCRM1/SCRM2) Stomata in Arabidopsis resemble mouths under the microscope.
SPEECHLESS (SPCH), MUTE, and FAMA act sequentially during stomatal lineage development. Accordingly, SPCH mutants lack stomata; MUTE mutants arrest stomatal development at the meristemoid stage; while FAMA mutants produce clusters of overproliferated stomatal lineage cells that resemble stacked mouths. FAMA is named after Fama, the Greek goddess of rumor and fame. SCREAM1/2 (SCRM1/2) promote stomatal lineage development and, when mutated, cause an increased number of meristemoids and consequently an increased number of stomata - which appear as a field of screaming mouths. BODENLOS (BDL) & TOPLESS (TPL) in the Arabidopsis thaliana auxin response pathway BODENLOS (BDL) means "bottomless" in German; bdl embryos fail to form the embryonic root meristem, giving rise to rootless seedlings. TOPLESS (TPL) is named for the topless mutant phenotype, in which the embryonic shoot (apical pole) is transformed into a second root (basal pole), effectively losing its "top." Both genes are involved in auxin-dependent embryonic patterning.SCHENGEN (SGN) in Arabidopsis thaliana casparian strip formation The casparian strip controls entry of water and nutrients; an SGN mutant forms a discontinued casparian strip. The name is a reference to the Schengen Agreement relating to boarder control in europe.The artificial CRASH-IT safety switch systemThe Chemically Regulated - SH2-delivered Inhibitory Tail is designed to control genetically engineered CAR-T and TCR-T cells. As in, crashing a car.
Controversies Unusual names have caused issues for scientists explaining genetic diseases to lay-people, such as when an individual is affected by a gene with an offensive or insensitive name. This has particularly been noted in patients with a defect in the sonic hedgehog gene pathway and the disease formerly named CATCH22 for "cardiac anomaly, T-cell deficit, clefting and hypocalcaemia for chromosome 22q11.2 microdeletions". This name was abandoned due to the no-win connotations.
In 1993 Alfonso Martinez Arias, a researcher at the University of Cambridge, was ordered to change the name of the gene he had discovered, VELCRO, because of copyright issues with Velcro. The gene was renamed to puckered. In 2005, Pokémon threatened to sue the discoverer of POKEMON because the name was attracting attention when its link to the development of cancer was published.
Molecules Moronic acid, a natural triterpene Traumatic acid, a monounsaturated dicarboxylic acid naturally occurring in plants
Species
Some species with unusual scientific names, because of length, repetition, or origin or meaning of name, include:
Agra vation Aha ha Allobates niputidea (the specific name means "no fucking clue" in Spanish) Ameronothrus retweet and Ameronothrus twitter Amorphophallus yaoi Anableps anableps Argentina Ba humbugi Bajacalifornia Bazinga Boops boops Bremia krungthepmahanakhonamonrattanakosinmahintharayuthayamahadilokphopnoppharatratchathaniburiromudomratchaniwetmahasathanamonpimanawatansathitsakkathattiyawitsanukamprasitnonopsis, the current longest scientific name Bremia o, the species with the shortest specific epithet Careproctus comus (whose name translates to "comical-looking anus face") Colon rectum Torpedo torpedo Crash bandicoot Crikey steveirwini Cyrtodactylus australotitiwangsaensis Dinosaurus Distorsio anus Dracula Drinker Dziwneono ("Dziwne ono" means "it is strange" in Polish) Emo vorticaudum Extra extra Foa fo Funny valentine Gelae baen, Gelae donut, Gelae belae, and Gelae fish Stupidogobius flavipinnis Gorilla gorilla gorilla Griseotyrannus aurantioatrocristatus Han solo Heerz lukenatcha and Heerz tooya Homo erectus Hotwheels sisyphus Ia io (the shortest species name, tied with Yi qi) Irritator challengeri Kamera lens La cerveza, La cucaracha and La paloma, moths whose names translate in Spanish to "The beer", "The cockroach" (a popular Spanish folk song) and "The dove" (also a popular Spanish song) Labia minor Lagiacrusichthys Lento lento (meaning "slow slow" in several Romance languages) Lomankus edgecombei Magnapaulia (translating to "large Paul") Megaloblatta longipennis Metallica Mini ature, Mini mum, and Mini scule Myxococcus llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogochensis Parastratiosphecomyia stratiosphecomyioides Penstemon whippleanus Phallus Pinus rigida Bison bison bison Punk ferox Salsa tartara (meaning "tartar sauce" in Spanish) Socca pleia Spongiforma squarepantsii Smegmamorpha Turdus maximus Tuta absoluta Umma gumma Unguinychus onyx Vini vidivici Wakiewakie lawsoni Whakamoke guacamole Yi qi (the shortest species name, tied with Ia io) Zig zag Zygonemertes cocacola
Some species with unusual biological common names include:
A.E.E.C.L.'s sportive lemur Atlantic gymnast, a species of fish Batman moth Bastard, a species of mussel, however the name is shared with Gadus morhua, a species of fish Bastard Cavalley Pilot, a species of fish Bastard Margaret, a species of fish Bony-eared assfish Bride, a species of moth Brother moth Bulldog catshark, which is not a bull, dog, bulldog, or cat, a species of shark Can-opener smoothdream, a species of fish Cheesy bug (UK), Chuckie Pig (US), Doodlebug (US), Pissebed ("Bed pisser" in Dutch), Smooth Randy (Global), Roly Poly/Rollie Pollie (Various countries in the Anglosphere), and other names for Armadillidiidae. Notable for variety of names in addition to unusual nature of names. Chilipepper, a species of fish Chub, a type of fish Dirty ordure snapper, a species of fish Doormat parkinglightfish Dumb gulper shark E.T. sponge Florida pirate, a species of fly Freak, a species of butterfly Furry coffinfish German cousin, a species of moth Happy Eddie, a species of shark Happy moments, a species of fish Hairy balls, a species of plant Harry hotlips, a species of fish H-animal, an enigmatic, extinct animal Heck cattle Hornyhead chub or jerker, a species of fish Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa, a species of fish Infant, a species of moth Jackass morwong, a species of fish Joker moth Laugher, a species of moth Lettuce shark, a species of moth Little devil, a species of moth Malaysian exploding ant or suicide ant Mealybug destroyer, a species of beetle Minipizza batfish Mountain chicken, a species of frog Neighbor moth Newcastle Big Boy, a species of funnel-web spider Nonconformist, a species of moth Obese dragonfish