DNA Fingerprinting

Create a DNA Fingerprint ( http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sheppard/analyze.html )

Introduction:

1. DNA is unique for everyone. The only exception is if a person has what?
An identical twin would be the exception.

2. What are DNA fingerprints used for?
Determining a biological mother or father.

Part 1 “It Takes a Lickin”

3. What “crime” was committed?
Jimmy Sweet's lollipop was licked by someone other than himself. Supposedly, one of his seven sisters.

4. What bodily fluid was removed from the “crime scene” to get DNA?
Saliva.

Part 2 “DNA Fingerprinting at the NOVA Lab”

5. What does a restriction enzyme do?
It cuts the long strands of DNA into different sections, and the length of those fragments will determine who ate the lollipop because everyone's DNA is different and will be cut differently.

6. What is agarose gel?
A thick, pours, jello-like substance that will act as a molecular strainer and allow the smaller pieces of DNA to move through more easily.

7. What is electrophoresis?
The process of moving molecules with electricity. THe DNA fragments have a negative charge and therefore move to the positive charged end.

8. Smaller fragments of DNA move ____________ than longer strands?
More easily.

9. Why do you need to place a nylon membrane over the gel?
Because agarose is hard to work with and the nylon is used to transfer the DNA from the aragose to the membrane.

10. Probes attach themselves to __________
The DNA fragments on the nylon membrane.

11. Which chemical in your “virtual lab” is radioactive?
Probes.

12. Sketch your DNA fingerprint.
It looks like a bar code you find on products in a store. There was a little more space between the black lines, but the idea of the bar code is the same. Out of curiosity, were bar codes developed before or after the DNA was discovered? If after, then was bar code copied after, and if before, then was it just a mere coincidence? There were 3 fat bars, one medium bar, 6 skinny bars, and 2 anorexic bars.


13. Based on your DNA fingerprint, who licked the lollipop?
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?
DNA replication and protein synthesis.
 

 

Find an Article about DNA

Go to http://www.thegenesite.com/

15. Read an article about genetics at this site that you might find interesting, or use the "Search" box in the upper right hand corner to search for DNA fingerprinting.

Title of Article: CHEMISISTS CREATE DNA ASSEMBLY LINE Author and Date: SCIENCE DAYILY/MAY 14, 2010

Summarize what the article was about. Write this in a paragraph format.
Chemists created a DNA assembly line which consisted of three DNA machines are used in the DNA assembly line. The first is known as a DNA origami, which is a composition that involves a couple hundred short DNA strands to direct a long DNA strand to form to the desired shape. The next is known as a "cassette" which determine the cargo being moved in the DNA. Changing the sequence of the machines, scientists can enable to prevent the cargo being transported. The last is known as a "walker." This moves the assemble track and picks up the cargo at the priorly mentioned machines.

 

 

Mitosis Tutorial Virtual Lab

1. Which stage does the following occur
Chromatin condenses into chromosomes
PROPHASE
Chromosomes align in center of cell.
METAPHASE
Longest part of the cell cycle.
PROPHASE OR ANAPHASE, (DEPENDING ON IF YOU ARE INCLUDING PROMETAPHASE OR NOT)
Nuclear envelope breaks down.
PROMETAPHSE
Cell is cleaved into two new daughter cells.
CYTOKINESIS
Daughter chromosomes arrive at the poles.
TELOPHASE
Watch the video carefully.

2. The colored chromosomes represent chromatids. There are two of each color because one is an exact duplicate of the other.

--How many chromosomes are visible at the beginning of mitosis?
8

-- How many are in each daughter cell at the end of mitosis?
4

--The little green T shaped things on the cell are:
Centrioles

-- What happens to the centrioles during mitosis?
The fibers (with the chromatids attached) hook on to the centrioles who then travel to opposite poles of the cell and are split into each cell when it is divided. (Question: There were four in the mother cell, and two in each daughter cell. The next generation of cells from the daughter cell will have enough centrioles, but what happens after that? Each daughter cell would only have one centriole.)

3 . Identify the stages of these cells:
Interphase: When the cell is not experiencing mitosis.
Prophase: The nucleus dissolves and chromatin condense into chromosomes.
Prometaphase: Fibers elongate to attach to either kinetochores or chromosomes.
Metaphase: Chromosomes align at the equator of a cell.
Anaphase: Daughter chromosomes are pulled to opposite poles of the cell by shortening spindle fibers.
Telophase: Daughter chromosomes arrive at the opposite ends of the cell, and the fibers disappear.
Cytokinesis: A contracting rings severs the cell in two.

Another Mitosis Animation

Go to www.johnkyrk.com/mitosis.html

View the animation and sketch the cell in:
Prophase
Chromosomes condense and become visible while the nucleus dissolves. Centrioles appear and move to opposite poles on the cell. Spindle fibers form but do not latch on yet.

Metaphase
Chromosomes line up at the equator of the cell and spindle fibers attach onto their kinetochores (where the duplicated and original chromosomes are connected).

Telophase
The nucleus reforms after spindle fibers shorten, then dissipate. Then the chromosomes disperse. Cytokinesis, while not technically considered part of mitosis, would be when the equator of the cell is stretched and begins to squeeze into two cells, then splits. This creates the two, duplicated sister cells.


Onion Root Tip - Online Activity

http://www.biology.arizona.edu/cell_bio/activities/cell_cycle/cell_cycle.html

Read the introduction, then click the “next” button.

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 | 56% | 28% | 8% | 6% | 3% | 100% (Technically, 101%, but I rounded)


Mitosis in Whitefish & Onion Roots

http://www.biologycorner.com/flash/mitosis.html

For each organism, identify the stage of mitosis.

Whitefish
View 1: Telophase
View 2: Metaphase
View 3: Prophase
View 4: Anaphase

Onion
View 1: Prophase
View 2: Metaphase
View 3: Interphase
View 4: Telophase
View 5: Anaphase