Genetics


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 * Essential Question **

** What is the fact and fiction of the statement "DNA is like a tightly wound rubber band **   ** doing the same job as a hard drive in your computer" **

** 1.What is DNA and where is it found? DNA, another name for Deoxyribonucleic acid is one kind of nucleic acid, and is the genetic material that carries information about an organism and is passed from parent to offspring. The information in DNA also directs all of the cell's functions. Most of the DNA in a cell is found in the chromatin in the nucleus. **   ** 2.What does it look like (its structure) and what is it made from? A DNA molecule looks like a twisted ladder, or a spiral staircase. The two sides of the DNA ladder are made up of molecules of a sugar called deoxyribose, alternating with molecules known as phosphates. **   ** 3.How and why does it copy itself? The two sides of the DNA molecule unwind and separate. Then, the nitrogen bases pair up with the bases on each side of the DNA molecule. Then the The order of the bases in each new DNA molecule exactly matches the order in the original DNA. **   ** 4.What are genes and where are genes found? Genes are the factors that control a trait. They are located within the DNA strands of chromosomes. **




 * __ Essential Questions __**

** Compare and contrast a photocopier and a muscle cell? **   ** Compare and contrast chromosomes and playing cards? **   ** 1.What are the advantages + disadvantages of both sexual and asexual reproduction? **

** __Sexual:__ ** ** Advantages: ** - From the joining of two different individual, there can be genetic variations - Selective breeding--> able to favorably influence offspring - Allows natural selection ** Disadvantages: ** - Less population growth - Much slower process - Requires high energy use - Difficult to find a mate (in some species)  ** __Asexual:__ ** ** Advantages: ** - No need to find a mate  - Allows quick reproduction (doubling) for populations   - Less energy is required for reproduction ** Disadvantages: ** - Offspring is identical as the parent due to lack of genetic variation  - Possible for population to go extinct with major changes in the environment   ** 2.Name 3 organisms that reproduce sexually and 3 that reproduce asexually. ** ** sexual: lions, dogs, cats **** asexual: sea sponges, bacteria, jellyfish ** ** 3.What is the relationship between the cell cycle, mitosis and meiosis? **  Mitosis is part of the cell cycle, and all three things are the processes of cellular reproduction. Otherwise, meiosis and the cell cycle are very different. ** 4.What are the cell cycle and meiosis used for? **  The cell cycle and meiosis are used for reproduction. ** 5.What is similar about the cell cycle and meiosis? **  Both meiosis and the cell cycle reproduce new cells. ** 6.What is different about cell cycle and meiosis? **  ** In the cell cycle, one cell would reproduce another identical cell. Meanwhile, in meiosis, the new reproduced cells are different from the mother cell. **



**__ Resources Available __**

Foundation Science 2 – pp 48 – 53, 56 - 57
 * Textbook ** Prentice Hall – pp 18, 29, 55-62, and 92 - 98

"DNA, Genes, + Chromosomes" "Genes + Traits"
 * Videos ** Biology Essentials -"Genetics + Heredity: The Blueprint of Life"

Generations - "Mitosis and Meiosis" NeoSci - "Cell Division"

[|**www.brainpop.com**] ( saspuxi – 123456) – “Asexual Reproduction”, “DNA”, “Genes”, “Mitosis” [|**http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/index.html**] - do the “Tour of the Basics” – “What is DNA?” and “What is a Chromosome?” - do the “Build a DNA Molecule”
 * Websites **

[|**http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/dna/shockwave.html**]** - ** try copying DNA [|**http://www.stolaf.edu/people/giannini/flashanimat/molgenetics/dna-rna2.swf**]** - use Firefox - ** copying DNA movie (don’t worry about the fancy names)

[|**http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/baby/divi_flash.html**] - M&M compare + contrast [|**http://biologyinmotion.com/cell_division/**] - practice mitosis and meiosis [|**http://www.cellsalive.com/meiosis.htm**] - play movie or go frame by frame, use the magnifier [|**http://www.rothamsted.ac.uk/notebook/courses/guide/movie/meiosis.htm**]** - ** meiosis movie [|**www.explorelearning.com**] - (saspuxi – 123456) – “Building DNA” [|**http://activity.ntsec.gov.tw/lifeworld/english/genec_0.html**] - “Genetic Codes” then have a look at the different sections

[|**http://www.abpischools.org.uk/page/modules/genome/dna2.cfm?age=Age%20Range%2014-16&subject=Biology**] - Genes + DNA

[|**http://www.abpischools.org.uk/res/coResourceImport/resources04/cancer/index.cfm**] - Cell division and cancer

**__ Possibly Useful Images __**








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Remember that when two DNA molecules are joined together, each molecule is called a chromatid and the two of the molecules are called a duplicated chromosome. When a DNA molecule(and proteins) is not attached to another one then that single molecule of DNA is not a chromatid but an unduplicated chromosome.
 * Chromatid vs. Chromosome **