April 24-May 5

• Tues 4/25:  Finish notes on Enzymes.  Start Notes on Biotechnology:  stem cells and PCR.  Debrief Enzyme Lab and work on finishing write-up.  First draft due on Thursday 4/27.  Bring a hard copy of your lab or an electric version that another student can evaluate.
• Thurs 4/27:  Peer Review of Enzyme Lab.  Gel electrophorosis and DNA profiling.   Final Enzyme Lab due next Wed 5/3 through turnitin.com
• Mon 5/1:  Finish genetic modification.  Clones!  Do DBQ on p. 195 in Notebook and go to Boston Children's Hospital stem cell site and describe 5 pathways to making different types of stem cells.  Include what those stem cells are used for.
• Wed 5/3:  Turn in Enzyme Lab through turnitin.com.  Biotechnology ethics.
• Fri 5/5:  Finish Biotechnology ethics and practice micropipetting.

What's On The Replication, Transcription, and Translation Test?

First of all, check out the review sheet in the documents section of the blog.  Read through the statements and make sure that you are familiar with the terms and have the skills.  If you have any questions about it, ask in class or shoot me an e-mail.

Now for the format and specific topics for the test:

• 15-20 multiple choice questions.  Pay attention during the Kahoot review to get an idea of what the questions will be like
• Labeling a replication fork with leading strand, lagging strand, helicase, primer, direction of synthesis, etc.  
• You should also be able to outline the process of replication, using names of the enzymes and correct terminology
• Be able to outline the steps of transcription
• Be able to outline the structure of a nucleosome and its importance in controlling gene expression, including how they are modified by epigenetics (methyl and acetyl markers)
• Be able to outline the process of translation, including assembly of the translation initiation complex, the multiple repeated steps in the process of elongation, and termination
• Be able to write the RNA sequence for a given polypeptide and write the sequence for a polypeptide when given the RNA sequence (I will provide you with the genetic code table, but you need to know how to read it).
• Additionally, I will ask you to add or subtract nucleotides from an RNA sequence and write the resulting RNA sequence and amino acid sequence. 

What's Coming Up?

Welcome Back After Spring Break!  I hope it was restful for you!  Here is what we have coming up:

• Tues 4/4:  Finish checking off DBQ's and Epigenetics Video worksheet.  Finish Transcription Notes.  Translation.  Work on Genetic Code Worksheet.  
• Thurs 4/6:  Finish genetics code worksheet and get checked off.  Review Replication, Transcription, and Translation for test to be taken next Tuesday 4/11.
• Fri 4/7:  Full 8 Day.  Short Classes (43 minutes):  Play Kahoot to Review Replication, Transcription, and Translation.
• Tues 4/11:  Replication, Transcription, and Translation Test.  Start Enzyme Worksheet.   Read 2.5. 
• Thurs 4/13:  Finish Enzyme Worksheet.  Start Enzyme Lab.  Read 8.1.
• Mon 4/17:  Enzyme Lab:  finish protocols and brainstorm what data you will take for the real lab.
• Wed 4/19:  Figure out the quantities that you will use for your lab and do the pre-write for your lab (Background, focused question, variables, materials, procedure, justification for choices made.
• Fri 4/21:  Take data for the lab and start processing the data.  Discuss final lab write-up.  First complete draft due Thursday 4/27.  Final Draft due Wed 5/3.  Start reading about biotech (3.5).

The Week of 3/20-3/24

• Mon 3/20:  Overview of Replication, Transcription, Translation.  The semi-conservative nature of DNA.  The process of DNA replication.  DBQ's done in notebook:  pp. 113-114, 344-345, Activity on 348, DBQ on 349.  Read 7.1 and Watch Replication simulation (link on website) for Wednesday.
• Wed 3/22:  Finish DBQ's.  Simulate Replication at your tables.  Process of transcription, including the modification that occurs.   Nucleosomes and gene control.  Read 7.2.
• Fri 3/24:  Video on Epigenetics.  More on control of genetic expression.  Start Translation?  Read 7.3 over Spring Break.

The Weeks of 3/6-3/17

• Mon 3/6:  Questions on genetics problems so far?  How to do a dihybrid cross:  see pp. 446-447 in book.  Now work on all of the problems (except #12).  Get problems checked off.  Do disease posters.  Read and linked genes pp. 448-453 and do problems on pp. 452-453.
• Wed 3/8:  Present disease posters.  Linked genes and how to identify recombinants.  Polygenic inheritance, including environmental influence.  Introduce chi-squared test.
• Fri 3/10:  Making flowers w/ cards and using the chi-squared test.  Video selections on epigenetics.  Review for Genetics Test to be taken next Thursday 3/16.
• Tues 3/14:  Science OAKS test and Kahoot Review for Genetics Test.
• Thurs 3/16:  Genetics Test and start Replication.  Read 2.7 in text.

I've decided to remove the epigenetics from this unit and add it on in the next when we cover transcription because it is in controlling transcription that epigenetics does its thing.

2/24-3/2

• 2/24:  Go over how to write a genetic cross.  Work time on 3.4 Questions.  Check off those problems.  Genetics Disorder Assignment.  Go to University of Utah genetic disorder site and have each group member look up a different disorder.  You need to research at least 1 single gene disorder, 1 chromosomal abnormality, and 1 multifactor disorder in your group.   In your notes, write:  type of genetic disorder, frequency, symptoms, treatments, and interesting facts.  Then pick one of the disorders to make an informational poster to put up in the room.  (We will get to this part next week).
• 2/28:  Most of you are taking the ACT, but in part of 3rd period and all of 4th, we will make the disease posters, discuss pedigrees and sex-linked disorders, and do Pedigree Worksheet.  I will also hand out Genetics Problems for students to start working on.  Begin by doing 1,4,5,7-11, 13,14,16-18.  We will do 2,3,6, and 15 next week.
• 3/2:  Genetic disease posters for 1st and 3rd periods and work on pedigree and genetics problems.  4th period will work on genetics problems and watch the video:  "Ghost in your genes" about epigenetics.  Please read 10.2 in the book.

3.4 Inheritance Questions to be done after the Quiz on Wednesday 2/22

Please Answer the Following Questions in your Notebook:

1.  Describe how Mendel's experiments helped to develop modern principles of inheritance.
2.  Describe the importance of Mendel's use of quantitative data in his experiments.
3.  What does it mean to say that alleles segregate?
4.  Outline the principles of dominant, recessive, and co-dominant alleles.
5.  Show how to make a Punnett grid, using a labeled diagram.
6.   Do the DBQ's on pp. 173-174 (mice and "ladybirds")
7.  Read about the ABO blood groups on pp. 174-175 and summarize how they work.  This might be long!
8.  Do the DBQ on pp. 176-177.

If you get done with this, continue to read from 177 and on.  We will continue in class with causes of genetic diseases, types of diseases, sex-linked genes, and pedigree charts.