In the 1970s, a gene related to how our brain grows our limbs was given the name “hedgehog” in relation to the spiky appearance of fruit flies with a defective version of the gene. In 1995, three strains of the “hedgehog” gene were found and named “Desert-Hedgehog”, “Indian-Hedgehog”, and amusingly, “Sonic-Hedgehog”. In recent years the “Sonic-Hedgehog” gene has become the subject of much focus, due to its relation to stem-cell division and the development of certain cancers.