Multimedia Gallery - The level of vitamin A precursors in yellow and orange corn can't be determined from its appearance.

Corn used in studies of genetic factors associated with levels of vitamin A precursors in corn.

January 17, 2008

The level of vitamin A precursors in yellow and orange corn can't be determined from its appearance.

White corn has no vitamin A precursors. Yellow and orange corn show only a very poor correlation between color and vitamin A precursors. Therefore, the level of vitamin A precursors in yellow and orange corn cannot be identified merely through visual inspection. But by identifying genetic markers that are associated with high levels of vitamin A precursors, scientists developed a new method to quickly screen for corn strains that are high in vitamin A precursors.

Credit: Catherine Bermudez Kandianis, University of Illinois

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