Unit 5 Reflection

Unit 5 Reflection 

This unit was mostly about DNA and RNA. Information flows from DNA to RNA to proteins. Some of the themes of this unit were the structure of DNA, how the body makes proteins, and translating DNA into RNA. Ex: TAGC to AUCG. 

Some of my successes in this unit was understanding Mutations and the different types of mutations. I think that the protein synthesis lab helped me understand better and also the codon bingo. Another success was understanding the differences between DNA and RNA, both structural and functions. RNA is single-stranded and contains U instead of T. RNA also serves as a temporary copy of the gene. It also delivers the copy to the ribosome which they call mRNA.

Some of my setbacks in this unit were understanding gene expression and regulation. I understand the different between exons and introns but I don't understand gene regulation. Introns are not being expressed and exons are being expressed. 

After looking back at my notes and thinking about what I know and what I don't I realized that I need to focus much of my studying on the last vodcast we had which was gene regulation and gene expression. I only understand a small part of the vodcast I think that I understand everything else in the unit from the labs we did in class. 

From the results from Vark I think that I should thoroughly review my labs and diagrams when studying. 

 

Protein Synthesis Lab Conclusion

Protein Synthesis Lab Conclusion

To make proteins first, ribosomes link the amino acids together. In the cell, the DNA directs or provides the master blueprint for creating proteins, using transcription of information to mRNA and then translation to create proteins.         

http://www.science-explained.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Cell.jpg                                               

There can be different effects with different mutations. For example substitution can result in no change or some change. Frameshift and deletion changes the protein because it adds or deletes a base. All of them add some change to the protein but you can't say one has a greater effect than the other because it all depends on what letter is added, removed, or substituted. 

http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/images/evo/hemomutant.gif

For step 5 I chose substitution because although we already tested that on out in the specific case there was no change so I wanted to test it out again so see what the effect would be with change. It matters where the mutation occurs because if it a insertion or deletion at the beginning it will differ all the ones following and not have its original sequence. 

Mutations can effect our lives with diseases. Tay-sachs disease is a rare inherited disorder that destroys nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Mutations in the HEXA gene cause the disease. The HEXA gene provides instructions for making part of an enzyme called beta-hexosaminidase A, which plays an important role in the brain and spinal cord.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp5M1d7CSS4rF3shkCxNg-gkCqyVbfznT9-dP8syXiAj_O6NVxjTeIXXMeFuGgfz4OJMn725YxcdV0tSgY9n1-oEmkVo_eHilPaKqgAgA3sKXpum9QAPcWDmP6GUY87fHfK4FmG21HQw6_/s1600/Tay+sachs+disease.png

DNA Extraction Lab Conclusion

The question/problem of this lab was how can DNA be separated from cheek cells in order to study it. We separated the DNA by first gargling Gatorade in our mouths and then spitting in back into the cup. WE mixed the Gatorade with detergent, pineapple juice, and salt. After that we added alcohol because the Gatorade is polar and the alcohol is nonpolar which means that they don't mix and that made the DNA go up and be visable. Our claim was that DNA would be visible after we added the alcohol and that is correct because after we added alcohol to the gatorade mixture the DNA was soon visible. My biggest error in this lab was that I accidentally had too much gatorade mixture and when I added alcohol it was too much so when I tried to dump some out I accidentally got rid of way too much and I had barely any gatorade mixture left. The effect it had on my lab was that I didn't have enough of the mixture that barely any DNA came up for mine. The second error was that some of us got gatorade in our DNA when we were trying to separate it and the Gatorade ruined the DNA. 

Two recommendations I would give is first to know exactly what your doing and the next step of the experiment and second don't gargle too much gatorade because we only needed a little. 

The purpose of this lab was to show that it is very easy to find DNA and it can be done anywhere. With just a few steps and materials you can separate DNA from your cheek cells. I can relate this lab to the DNA vodcasts we have went over and also the DNA models we made. This lab can be applied to other situations if your trying to find more DNA, now we know how to separate it. 

Credit: Derek Fung