DNA Fingerprinting

Introduction:
1. DNA is unique for everyone. The only exception is if a person has what?
1A. If a person has an identical twin then their DNA is not unique.

2. What are DNA fingerprints used for?
2A. DNA fingerprints are used for many things such as identifying a biological parent, or as evidence in a crime.

Part 1 “It Takes a Lickin”
3. What “crime” was committed?
3A. Jimmy's property had been damaged (his lollipop was eaten).

4. What bodily fluid was removed from the “crime scene” to get DNA?
4A. To eat a lollipop you have to lick which means a trace of the criminal's saliva was left. The saliva is what will be used to create a DNA fingerprint.

Part 2 “DNA Fingerprinting at the NOVA Lab”
5. What does a restriction enzyme do?
5A. A restriction enzyme chops the DNA at different places like a pair of scissors. The location in which the enzyme cuts depends on how the molecule/gene is coded. A certain sequence can make a certain enzyme cut at a certain spot.

6. What is agarose gel?

6A. Agarose is a thick gelatin-like matter that strains molecules, letting smaller DNA particles percolate better than larger ones.

7. What is electrophoresis?

7A. Electrophoresis is the process in which molecules move along an electric current. Since opposite poles attract, the negative DNA bits are pulled towards the positive end of the tray.

8. Smaller fragments of DNA move easier than longer strands.


9. Why do you need to place a nylon membrane over the gel?
9A. You need to place a nylon membrane over gel so you can pick it up easily. It is pretty difficult to pick up the gel by itself, but the nylon membrane, a paper-like substance, will suck up the DNA.
10. Probes attach themselves to DNA fragments (on nylon membrane).

11. Which chemical in your “virtual lab” is radioactive?
11A. The chemical(s) in the lab that are radioactive are the probes.

12. Sketch your DNA fingerprint.

13. Based on your DNA fingerprint, who licked the lollipop?
13A. The culprit was Honey Sweet.

Click on the Link “DNA Workshop” (if this link won't load, scroll down to the bottom where it says "try the non-java script version)
Once you’re there, go to the link “DNA Workshop Activity” and practice with DNA replication and protein synthesis.

Browse the DNA Workshop site.


14. What kinds of things could you do at the DNA workshop?

14A. I was able to go through the process of replicating DNA and synthesizing protein in which I matched up base pairs, transcribe DNA, match anticodons,

The Phases of Mitosis

The stage that the chromatin condenses into chromosomes is Prophase and during this first mitotic stage, the nucleolus fades and chromatin (replicated DNA and associated proteins) condenses into chromosomes. The stage that the chromosomes align in the center of the cell and tension is applied by the spindle fibers aligns all chromosomes in one plane at the center of the cell. The stage that is the longest part of the cell cycle is Interphase and this is the longest period of the complete cell cycle during which DNA replicates, the centrioles divide, and proteins are actively produced. The stage that the nuclear envelopes breaks down is Pro metaphase and in this stage the nuclear envelope breaks down so there is no longer a recognizable nucleus. The stage that the cell is cleaved into two new daughter cells is Cytokinesis and it is in this region that a contractile ring cleaves the cell into two daughter cells. Microtubules then reorganize into a new cytoskeleton for the return to interphase. The stage that the daughter chromosomes arrive at the poles is Telophase and the daughter chromosomes arrive at the poles and the spindle fibers that have pulled them apart disappear. There are 4 chromosomes visible at the beginning of mitosis. At the end of mitosis there will be 8 chromosomes in each daughter cell. The little green T shaped things on the cell are the Centrioles. During mitosis the centrioles are together in one cell and during they move around and at the end they are split up by themselves in one of the two daughter cells. The three stages below are phases of mitosis. The first stage is Metaphase. The second stage is Cytokinesis. The third stage is Prophase.

Prophase The chromosomes condense/ nucleus disappears/ the centrioles go to opposites sides of the cell/ and spindle network fiber forms.

Metaphase Spindle fibers attach to kinetochores / chromosomes align on meta phase plate.

Telophase Nuclear envelope reforms/ chromosomes disperse/ spindle fibers dissolve/ cytokinesis= the cell is pinched in two by ring of action protein

You will have 36 cells to classify. When you’re finished, record your data in the chart below.

	Interphase	Prophase	Metaphase	Anaphase	Telophase	Total
Number of cells	20	10	3	2	1	36
Percent of cells (calculate: number of cells divided by total cells x 100 )	55.5%	27.7%	8.3%	5.5%	2.7%	100 %

	View 1	View 2	View 3	View 4	View 5
Whitefish	telophase	metaphase	prophase	anaphase	wasn't a 5th view
Onion	anaphase	metaphase	prophase	interphase	telophase

Introduction to Genetics

The introduction to genetics was kicked off with a man named Johann Gregor Mendel. Knowledge of cross fertilization was found when Mendel had studied the pea plants. When you take one part of the flower which was the male part and was switched with the other flower's male parts with the end result of another flower with characteristics of each flower to a third one. Mendel should be considered the "Father of Genetics" according to many people.

As generations went on in his studies and his pea plants began to give him a ton of data he states that there were three laws to his discoveries that can be categorized: Law of Segregation (when traits are found a gene pair and sex cells unite to fertilize and an inherited trait is defined by a gene pair. The oars are separated in the cells so that the cells on y contain one of the two. Offspring therefore inherits one genetic allele from each parent., Law of Independent Assortment (assorted in categories in which traits are not needed to be categorized together to move on to another generation) Law of independent assortment: genes of different traits are sorted apart form each other so that the inheritance of one trait will not need to have another gene inherited for it to be inherited., and Law of Dominance( a dominant trait or gene.) Law of dominance: a life form will inherit the dominant gene in a trait. Traits have two alternate forms. Mendel found that a seed color can be green or yellow. Each visible trait is called a phenotype. He worked with the phenotypes of flower position and stem length for stem and stem and flower traits. The pod traits is the pod shapes and pod color. Also, seed traits the seed shape, the seed color, and seed coat color.

Pure-bred seeds are when they are only green or only yellow and they produce only green or only yellow. Mendel looked at the pea plant as individual part, rather than as a whole so that he could analyze all of the genes easier. To figure out which genes are inherited from which parent, Mendel had to figure out which genes each parent carried. The traits like a seed color are controlled by one gene, which has a green form and a yellow form. Each form is called an allele. The pair of these are called the genotypes. Pure-bred pea plants when crossed did not produce offspring with blended traits. When the green color disappeared because the yellow gene is more dominant than the yellow gene. The end result was never a mix it either had one or the other. Some genes are dominant and others can be recessive. Heterozygous is two different alleles. Homozygous is two same alleles. A gametes is what everything started as. When sperm and eggs come together that is what the gamete is.

A Punnett square is like a multiplication table for genotypes or alleles. This is the 3:1 ratio. A dihybrid is the cross between two different organisms. Genes are real, but not living. Because of this, it look Mandel a long time to get his work approved. All cells come from pre-existing cells and every hour or so cells duplicate. Mendel deduced that Genetics come in pairs and are inherited as distinct units, one from each parent. Peas have well categorized traits that are inherited in ways that are fairly predictable.