1. Module 7

1.21. Lesson 6

Lesson 6

Module 7—Molecular Genetics: DNA, RNA, and Protein Synthesis

Lesson 6—You Are Your Genetic Code

 

Get Focused

 

Logo for genome project showing the outline of a person surrounded by the DNA helix. The words biology, chemistry, physics, ethics, engineering, and informatics encircle the person.

Image courtesy of the U.S. Department of Energy Genome Programs (http://genomics.energy.gov)

You may have a friend or at least know someone who has diabetes. From Unit A you will recall that this condition means blood-sugar levels can oscillate significantly leading to many complications, such as loss of vision. Medical researchers are exploring the possibility of using pancreatic pig cells to treat human diabetes. Pancreatic pig cells are transferred to a person suffering from diabetes to stimulate the production of insulin. But how is this possible without serious rejection of the transferred cells?

 

Human DNA is not only similar to the DNA of a pig, but also to a stalk of corn. Why are humans and corn similar? What does this mean? In this lesson you will see how similarities in DNA can be used to trace evolutionary and genetic relationships among organisms and species.

 

Observe the logo for the Human Genome Project—an international project whose goal is to identify the nucleotide sequence of the human genome. This lesson explores the project and how the knowledge researchers gained can be applied to the study of evolution and forensics.

 

Human Genome Project: joint effort of thousands of researchers from laboratories worldwide that determined the sequence of the three billion pairs of nucleotides making up the human genome


 

This lesson will address the following focusing question:

  • How can base sequences be used to trace relationships between organisms within a family and between different species?
Module 7: Lesson 6 Assignment

 

Your teacher-marked Module 7: Lesson 6 Assignment requires you to submit a response to the following for assessment:

  • Part 1—Lab 1: DNA Fingerprint Analysis Lab
  • Part 2—Write a paragraph explaining how nucleic acid in the nucleus, mitochondria, and chloroplasts can be used to trace evolutionary relationships.

Download a copy of the Module 7: Lesson 6 Assignment to your computer now. You will receive further instructions about how to complete this assignment later in the lesson.

 

You must decide what to do with the questions that are not marked by the teacher.

 

Remember that these questions provide you with the practice and feedback that you need to successfully complete this course. You should respond to all of the questions and place those answers in your course folder.