miyamoto_m_16L_animation from AMI on Vimeo.
Category: L Animation
Title of entry: X inactivation – Genetics of calico cats
Entrant’s name: Mao Miyamoto
Membership Type: Student
Other contributors:
Address: Chicago, IL
Client:
Medium / software used:
Final presentation format:
Primary audience:
Intended purpose: This animation is made to introduce pre-medical and higher-level college
students majoring biology to X inactivation. X inactivation involves concepts and expertise of
developmental biology, genetics, and molecular biology. Thus, it is an excellent subject to teach
biology comprehensively while it is a challenging topic for students to fully understand. This
animation starts with an introduction that calico cats, the most visible example of x inactivation, are
almost all females. By using a calico cat as the main character, the animation strives to tell the story
in a more engaging way. A 2D animation technique is used to explain the conceptual information
such as set up of sex chromosomes in mammals and genes of fur colors in calico cats while 3D
techniques are used to explain in depth information of the molecular biology. The concept part and
the technical part are brought reciprocally to make the transition smoother and more natural, and to
tell the story more interestingly.