Copying the Code DNA

With this copying the code worksheet/internet assignment, I learned a few things about DNA and how to tell the difference between observations, opinions, and inferences. I sorted though all the clues in my mind and decided which ones represent solid evidence of DNA replication and transcription/translation. For example, When DNA from a virus is injected into a bacterium, the bacterium produces viral protein and thats evidence supporting transcription/translation.

4. Write an explanation detailing why this clue represents solid data and is not an opinion or an inference.
Clue 8 is solid data and not an opinion or an inference because it explains what they saw and what happened step by step and what it was with what was happening by saying the bacteria with heavy DNA, when it was transferred to a culture tube with lighter nitrogen, did form DNA molecules that were made of half heavy and half light. It gives reasons and it explains what happened therefor, it IS solid fact and NOT opinion OR inference.

5. a) Why is it difficult to tell the difference between an observation and an inference?
It is hard to tell the difference between an observation and an inference because an inference is a conclusion or a deduction based on observations and an observation is data collected with any of the senses or tools such as graduated cylinders, dalliances, rulers or pH meters.

    b) Which of the clues included in the table is an inference?
 Clue 9, It also goes step by step in what happened and kinda how it happened also.
   
    c) Which of the clues included in the table is an opinion?
Clue 10, it seems like it is just a statement made with only some knowledge of DNA.

6. Francis Crick was the first to recognize that information flows from DNA to RNA to protein. This concepts known as the Central Dogma. At the time the Central Dogma was first stated, it was an inference based on observations. Explain why.
Because no one knew for real weather it was that way or not. No one actually looked yet so they just guessed.

DNA Model

The DNA model is a molecule that encodes the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms. DNA also stands for Deoxyribonucleic acid. There are two sides of a DNA molecule. Both sides are made up of nucleotides whos bases connect with each other with a weak hydrogen bond. When both of the bases meet, they form a base pair which is kind of like the part you step on when you’re on a ladder. Each nucleotide has three parts that make it up. Those three things are: Sugar, Base, and Phosphate. The other side to each nucleotide is always going to be flipped, being opposite to the other. Then, after everything is connected, the shape or twist it replicates is called a double helix. Everyones DNA might not be the same, but in detail, they are all made the same way.

Picture from: http://dnamazing.com/mini-dna-model-product-review/

DNA Scavenger Hunt

1. It took him eight years and more than 10,000 pea plants to discover the laws of inheritance.
    Gregor Mendel

2. Even though he added an extra strand to the structure of DNA, he ultimately won two Nobel Prizes: the Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the Nobel Peace Prize.
    Friedrich Meischer

3. The scientist won two Nobel Prizes in Chemistry: one for his work on the structure of protein and another for work on the determination of base sequences in nucleic acids.
     Carl Correns

4. These scientists used a common kitchen appliance to help show that phage DNA carries instructions to make new phage particles. Thinking of making a milkshake?
    Hugode Vries and Erichuon Tschermak

5. Next time you're munching away at the moves, think of this Nobel-Prize winning scientist who figured out the process of transportation in corn chromosomes.
    Thomas Morgan

6. When did Drs. Watson, Crick and Wilkins receive the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for solving the structure of DNA?
    1962

7. This scientist found that some viruses have an RNA-dependent DNA polymerase that was later named "reverse transcriptase." He was one of three who shared in the 1975 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
   Fredrick Sanger

8. Even though he had worked on a potato farm, Steve Fodor's work led to the development of this kind of chip (you can't eat it!)
    Genechip

9. J. Craig Venters company, Celera Genomics, worked on this very important project.
    EST method of finding genes

10. Meselson and Stahl invented this new technique in their quest to prove that DNA replication is semi-conservative
    Density giodient center function

11. In which year was the first test-tube baby born?
    1978

12. I first isolated DNA using pus collected from bandages at a local hospital. Since white blood cells are a major component of pus, they were my source of DNA. Yuck!
    Fredrich Miescher

13. The "fly room" at Columbia University was established through my efforts. Imagine working in a room filled with bottle after bottle of fruit flies!
    Thomas Morgan

14. We worked together to demonstrate how genes work during development to change egg cell into a complex organism. Follow our experiment and find out what the names of the stages are that a fruit fly goes through when maturing from a fertilized egg to an adult.
    Eric Wieschams & Christane Nusslen

15. I showed that RNA could act as its own catalyst. Because of my work, it is no longer correct to state, "all enzymes are proteins".
    Thomas Cech

CREATE-A-BABY REVIEW

1.
 Chromosome- a threadlike structure of nucleic acids and protein found in the nucleus of most living cells, carrying genetic information in the form of genes.
 Codominant- a phenomenon in which a single gene has more than one dominant allele.
 Diploid- (of a cell or nucleus) containing two complete sets of chromosomes, one from each parent
 Haploid- (of a cell or nucleus) having a single set of unpaired chromosomes.
 Meiosis- a type of cell division that results in four daughter cells each with half the number of chromosomes of the parent cell, as in the production of gametes and plant spores
 Multigenic- an inherited characteristic that is specified by a combination of multiple genes
 Recombination- process of recombining things


2. What was the probability that you and your partner would produce a boy? A girl? Explain.

It was a 50-50 chance because you can only get a boy or a girl. You cant get any other baby unless there is a defect in the baby's structure.




3. Explain how it is possible for your baby to have a visible trait that neither you nor your partner have.

That is only possible if the recessive trait dominates the dominant trait or if both partners have the same recessive trait

4. If you and your partner repeated this exercise and produced another imaginary baby, do you think it would look just the same as the one you produced already? Explain.

I dont think it would look exactly the same but its possible that it might have the same features as the other because its coming from the same two partners. So the possibilities will always be different with some similarities.


5. A woman who is heterozygous for the chin dimple trait marries a man without a chin dimple. What are the possible genotypes and phenotypes of their children?
possible genotypes: nn, Nn   possible phenotypes: Dimple, no dimple

6. What is the probability that the man and woman discussed in the preceding paragraph will have a baby with a chin dimple?
 There is a 50/50 chance the baby with either have or not have a chin dimple.

7. A man and a woman who are both heterozygous for two traits, the cheek dimple and the chin dimple traits, get married. What is the probability that they will have a baby that has cheek dimples, but not a chin dimple? there is 50% chance the baby will have a cheek dimple and a 50% chance it will have a chin dimple

8. What is the probability that a man with dark blonde hair and a woman with red hair will have a baby with brown hair? there is a good chance that the baby will have brown hair about 75% chance.


Link to CREATE-A-BABY-CHART----------> https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Are7fmaiSrKidFZNT2RhMHNSYXlQYndDVkFvUEJWUXc#gid=0

6 Box Graphic Organizer w/ Central Theme

With this graphic organizer, we all went over genes and which alleles were which, for example: Aa, AA, aa, that kind of thing. Like, the big 'A' is representing the dominant trait, whereas, the little 'a' is representing the recessive trait. Also a gene is one place or location on a chromosome.
here is the link to my graphic organizer w/ central theme.
https://docs.google.com/a/lajunta.k12.co.us/drawings/d/1C0M3jGcgGLqPFsvlJMSggmDzQfIBXwhs5dgY74_RqfQ/edit

Cell Cycle

In biology I just learned about the cell cycle and how it all works and its pretty neat! Theres a whole process that each cell goes through individually just to make another copy of itself and its a repeating thing that happens with cells. In these labs/activities, I figured out what processes did what, and what the stages actually look like and I gotta say, its more interesting than I thought it would be! I really thinks its cool.

1. What percent of cells were in interphase?

55.56%

2. What percent were in mitosis?
100%

3. Which phase of mitosis takes the longest?

Interphase.

4. During which stage is the nucleolus visible as a dark spot?

Prophase.

5. How can you recognize a cell in metaphase?

When the cells are splitting apart.

6. How might you figure out how long (in minutes and/or seconds) each phase of the cell cycle takes based on the data from these onion root cells? Explain your logic and show your calculations and results below.

	Interphase	Prophase	Metaphase	Anaphase	Telophase	Total
number of cells	20	10	3	2	1	36
percent of cells	55%	27%	9%	6%	3%	100%

7. Produce a pie chart in Create-a-Graph that shows the relative lengths of each stage of the cell cycle in these cells including interphase and each stage of mitosis. You can embed the graph here or directly in your blog.

Enzyme Lab

We recently did a lab where we(Lauren, Damon, and I) tested enzyme activity at different factors to see what changes we can identify. I thought that when we added more enzymes it would make the solution, which was Hydrogen Peroxide diluted in Water, have more of a reaction. The reaction was the pressure sensor plug popping off. That was the first test we did.
The second test we did was with the yeast. With this test I thought that the more yeast we put in, the quicker we would have the reaction of the sensor plug popping off.
After the plug popped off with the yeast test, the yeast went everywhere!! It was pretty intense actually! It scared me! The plug popped off with both tests at 30, 40, and 50 drops. All of the test tubes that we had, had the plug pop off!!
When we added temperature to the test tubes I thought that it would slow down the reaction a little bit.. It ended up being that we had to have the perfect temperature to have a reaction because it being too hot slowed it down and it being too cold also slowed it down a lot. This graph is  Test #1.

This graph is for Test #2

This is the graph for test #3