Name _______________________________________________ Date _________________
Lesson 8: Investigating Gene Copies
You may have noticed that sometimes organisms only have one type of protein for a feature;
other times, they have two. Why is this the case? In Lesson 2.3, you will use the Sim and
return to a portion of the “Hemophilia, Proteins, and Genes” article to help you answer this
question.
Warm Up:
1.
2.
Investigation Question: Why do some organisms make one type of protein for a feature and
other organisms make two?
Prediction:
Why do you think some organisms make one type of protein for a feature while other organisms
make two?
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Investigating Gene Copies in the Sim
Mission 1: Comparing Spiders
Gather evidence from the Traits and Reproduction Sim about why some organisms make one
type of protein for a feature while other organisms make two.
Sim Investigation Instructions:
1. Launch the Sim.
2. Decide who will be partner A and who will be partner B.
3. Choose a feature to focus on. You can select any feature except body size.
○ Partner A: By observing the cells for each spider, find a spider that makes only
one type of protein for your selected feature.
○ Partner B: By observing the cells for each spider, find a spider that makes two
types of proteins for your selected feature.
4. Record your observations and ideas below.
Mission 1: Comparing Spiders Data
Feature you observed:
Name of spider that makes one type of protein for this
feature:
Name of spider that makes two types of protein for
this feature:
List ideas for why you think one spider makes one type of protein while another spider makes
two types of proteins for this feature.:
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Mission 2: Changing Spiders’ Genes
Find out how to get two spiders in the Sim to produce the same proteins.
Sim Investigation Instructions:
1. Launch the Sim.
2. Work with your partner to change your spiders’ genes so that both spiders produce the
same proteins for the feature you selected.
3. Discuss what changed and what you noticed. Use the discussion questions below as
guidance.
○ What did you do to make the spiders produce the same proteins?
○ How did this change affect the spiders’ traits?
Mission 2 Questions:
1. What can be done to make the spiders in the Sim produce the same proteins?
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2. How did this change affect the spiders’ traits?
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Key Concept #7:
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Hemophilia, Proteins, and Genes
1. Read and annotate the first paragraph of the “Causes of Hemophilia” section of the
“Hemophilia, Proteins, and Genes” article. Identify evidence that helps you answer the
investigation question:
Why do some organisms make one type of protein for a feature and other organisms make two?
Causes of Hemophilia:
2. Review the Homozygous/heterozygous diagram from the article. Annotate the image
below:
Vocabulary:
● homozygous
●
heterozygous
Why do some organisms make one type of protein for a feature while other organisms make
two?
Word Bank: gene, gene version, heterozygous, homozygous, protein, trait, copies
Organisms have two ____________ of each ___________. These copies can be the same
versions (__________________) or different versions (______________________). If an
organism has the same _______ _____________________, it makes one type of
__________________ for that feature. If an organism has different versions, it makes two
different types of proteins for that feature. This variation can result in organisms having different
___________________.
Key Concept #8:
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Key Concept #9:
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