10 Genes Named After Fantasy Icons

7. Pokémon

This one is actually a gene named after the entire franchise itself! Pokemon was the phenomenon that took the world by storm in the early 90s. It was a colorful capture game that had you scouring a fantasy land, kidnappi- ... er ... collecting Pokemon who would later evolve and change into newer and more powerful forms with battle experience. While it's name might be lighthearted and fun, the Pokemon gene itself may or may not be the 'master switch' for the cancer gene and is responsible for the infection of surrounding cells. But don't freak out just yet: Pokemon needs a mix of other genes in order to evolve into its full potential, if you'll pardon the pun. The name Pokemon stands for "POKerythroid myeloid ontogenetic factor", and, like Sonic hedgehog, has faced some major backlash surrounding its cutesy name and the negative connotation. Now, we just call it 'Zbtb7' to be safe.