Unit C Assessment

Unit C Assessment

Unit C Assessment

 

The idea of natural or desired life patterns, and exceptions to these patterns that result in disruption or disease, is a common theme through all the modules in this unit. For the module assessment, you will support this theme by looking in detail at breast cancer.

 

You will need to consider:

• how tumor cells have stopped following the natural cell cycle

• how the inheritance of certain genes can increase the likelihood of developing this cancer

• how specific mutations in other regions of DNA ultimately lead to the start of cancerous growth

Cancer is a very common and potentially devastating disease. At some point in our lives, most of us will be touched by cancer. However, many hopeful medical breakthroughs have been made in recent years. In addition, it is encouraging to find so many people joining together to raise money and awareness to help fight cancer. In this unit, you have learned about this disease. Now you will apply that learning to the explanation of how cells can become cancerous and how the cancer can then develop.

 

For this assignment, you will take on the role of a genetic counsellor and cancer specialist. You will complete the following tasks:

• put on a community workshop to explain what cancer is, how cancerous cells are different from normal cells, and what breast cancer is in detail
  
  
• use a pedigree and a Punnett square to help explain probabilities of inheriting genes, like mutated BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, that may increase the risk of developing breast cancer
  
  
• lead a discussion group on gene mutation in which you discuss emerging technologies to treat cancer

For more details to guide your work, read the following information about the cancer workshop and discussion group, and review the marking rubric.

 

Cancer Workshop

As part of a community awareness program, the health authority in your area is putting on an afternoon workshop on cancer. You have been asked to put on a session at this workshop that will help explain what cancer is and how cancerous cells are different from regular cells. In addition, you will need to address breast cancer specifically; explain the disease, the risk factors, the tests or diagnosis involved, and, briefly, some of the treatments.

 

Some of the attendees have family members who have had breast cancer, so you have been asked to use a pedigree and a Punnett square to help explain probabilities of inheriting genes, like mutated BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, that may increase the risk of developing breast cancer. For this part of your presentation, you will use the following case study as an illustration:

 

Case Study

 

The following pedigree traces hereditary breast and/or ovarian cancer through four generations. Identify and describe the mode of inheritance of the mutated gene. Demonstrate the probability of III-5 and III-6 having a daughter with this mutated gene by creating a Punnett square and adding the four possible children to the pedigree. Explain why you gave the parents the genotypes you did, and how certain you can be in assigning these genotypes?

 

Small Group Discussion

 

After the public presentation, you have been asked to help educate a small group of health workers in understanding how a mutated gene can lead to a non-functioning protein. To help with this, you will need to create an illustration or flow chart that demonstrates proper transcription and translation. Then you will change the illustration to show a mutation and the effect of this mutation on these processes. For some additional review or help with this, you can do an Internet search for “cancerquest dna mutation” and follow the links to animations that others have built.

 

Finally, with this small group you should be prepared to lead a discussion on emerging technologies to treat cancer. Identify and describe a technology for the treatment or diagnosis of cancer. What is a societal or ethical issue that might arise from this new treatment? Give the arguments for and against its use.

 

Your submitted work for this Assignment can be in electronic format or print media. Some examples of presentation format would be a handout or brochure, a website, a podcast, a wiki, or a PowerPoint slideshow. For the portion relating to the small group discussion, you may submit a small write-up to demonstrate your understanding of the material. If you are unclear as to how the presentation should be done, please check with your teacher before starting. The following rubric will guide the preparation of your response.

 

Evaluation and Rubric

 

Part One: Cell Cycle and Breast Cancer

	4 marks	3 marks	2 marks	1 mark	0 marks
Cell Cycle	A regular cell cycle is illustrated and explained	Attempt made at both an illustration and an explanation	A regular cell cycle is drawn or defined	Attempt made at drawing or explaining the cell cycle	No attempt
Cancerous Cells	Cancerous cells are compared and contrasted with regular cells, and danger is explained	Cancerous cells are compared with regular cells or cancer is defined and danger is explained	Cancer is defined and danger is explained	An attempt is made at defining cancer	No attempt
Breast Cancer	Definition, risk factors, tests, and treatments are given	Three of the four requirements are given	Three of the four requirements are given	There is an attempt or one of the requirements is given	No attempt

 

Part Two: Explanation of Pedigree and Probabilities

	4 marks	3 marks	2 marks	1 mark	0 marks
Mode of Inheritance	Identifies and describes how the mutated gene is inherited	Identifies or describes the mode of inheritance	Identification and description done well, but incorrect mode	Either attempt at an identification or a description is given	No attempt
Punnett Square	Complete	One gamete incorrect in the Punnett square	One offspring incorrect in the Punnett square	An attempt at a Punnett square is made	No attempt at a Punnett square is made
Phenotypic Ratios and Probability	The four steps involved in calculating ratios and probability are shown and are correct	Three of the steps involved in calculating ratios and probability are shown and are correct	Two of the steps involved in calculating  ratios and probability are shown and are correct	There is an attempt or one step involved in calculating ratios and probability is shown and is correct	No attempt
Pedigree	Adds to the existing pedigree the correct symbol representation of all four additional offspring	Adds to the existing pedigree the correct symbol representation of three additional offspring	Adds to the existing pedigree the correct symbol representation of two additional offspring	Adds to the existing pedigree the correct symbol representation of an additional offspring or attempts such	No attempt

 

Part Three: Explanation of Transcription and Translation—Normal and Mutated

	4 marks	3 marks	2 marks	1 mark	0 marks
Transcription	Explains all steps with DNA, helicase, primase, ligase, mRNA, and location	Explains most steps, three out of five components, and the proper location	Explains half of the steps or the location is missing	An attempt at explaining transcription is given	No attempt
Translation	Explains all steps with mRNA, codons, tRNA, ribosomes, and proper location given	Explains most steps, three out of four components, and the proper location	Explains half of the steps or the location is missing	An attempt at translation is given	No attempt
Illustration or Flow chart	Chart or illustration is clear, well defined, and easy to follow	Chart is clear and easy to follow but incomplete	Chart is too small or messy, or no key is given for symbols used	Only an attempt at a chart or illustration is made; major components are missing	No attempt

 

Part Four: Preparation for Discussion

	4 marks	3 marks	2 marks	1 mark	0 marks
Technology	Technology used in identifying or treating cancer is identified and described	A technology is identified but not described	A general research technology is explained	An attempt at explaining a procedure in research is given	No attempt
Ethical Issue	An issue relating to cancer research is identified and all arguments are explained	An issue relating to cancer research is identified and explained, but only one side’s argument is given	An issue relating to research in general is identified and explained	An attempt to identify a group that may resist research is given	No attempt

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