A chimera is a mythical creature with the body of a lion, the head of a goat protruding from its back, and a tail that ends in a snake's head. It is often depicted as a symbol of chaos and destruction in Greek mythology. The term "chimera" is also used in genetics to describe an organism that contains a mixture of genetically different tissues, typically as a result of genetic mutation or fusion of embryos. In popular culture, the term has been used to describe anything that is a combination of different elements or ideas.