Big Idea 3
Genetics and Information
Transfer
Essential Questions
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How are traits passed from one generation to
the next?
How do eukaryotic cells store, retrieve, and
transmit genetic information?
How does genotype affect phenotype?
How are genotype and human disorder
related?
How does gene expression control the cell
and determine its metabolism?
What are the current trends in genetic
engineering techniques that guide
manipulation of genetic material?
What social and ethical issues are raised by
advances in genetic engineering?
Supplemental Reading
 Over
this unit, we will be reading “The
Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by
Rebecca Skloot

I have asked teachers if they have copies
of this book, but you can download it for
Kindle and it is only about $10
 We
will also watch the movie “Gataca”,
so if you have a copy of it, please let me
know.
Day 1
 Required

Chapter 12, 13, 21
 Bozeman


Readings:
Mitosis
Meiosis
Videos:
Learning Objectives
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Make predictions about natural phenomena
occurring during the cell cycle
Describe events that occur in the cell cycle
Construct an explanation how DNA in
chromosomes is transmitted to the next
generation via mitosis or meiosis
Represent the connection between meiosis
and increased genetic diversity necessary for
evolution
Activity 1
 Complete
the “Mitosis sequencing”
handout
 Put the phases in the correct order
 Time: 10 minutes
Activity 2
 Complete
“Modeling Mitosis” and
“Modeling Meiosis” using the plastic
chromosomes
 Write down what is happening in each
phase
 Time: 30 minutes
Activity 3
 Create
a Venn diagram that compares
the process of eukaryotes passing
heritable information to next generations
of cells by mitosis and meiosis
 Explain connections between mitosis and
meiosis and increased genetic diversity
 Evaluate and explain the differences and
similarities between mitosis and meiosis
 Time: 20 minutes
Activity 4
 Explain
the role of regulators in the cell
cycle
 What phases in the cell cycle are
regulators found?
 What happens if these regulators are
defective?
 Time: 20 minutes
Closing activity
 Quiz!
 Time:
10 minutes
Day 2
 Required

Chapter 12, 13, 21
 Bozeman


Readings:
Mitosis
Meiosis
Videos:
Learning Objectives

Define cancer and differentiate between benign and
malignant tumors.
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Explain that cancers result from mutations in genes that
control the cell cycle.
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Understand how cancerous cells move around the body.
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Know the difference between tumor suppressor genes and
oncogenes, and understand how these
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genes contribute to cancer formation.
Activity 1
 We
will go through the activity “But I’m
too Young!”
 Time: 70 minutes
Closing Activity
 Quiz!
 What
are three important things that you
learned from this case study?
 How is this case study applicable to your
life? What things can you do to decrease
the risk of something like this happening to
you?
 Time: 10 minutes
Day 3
 Required

Lab #7: Cell Division: Mitosis and Meiosis
 Bozeman

Readings:
Videos:
Mitosis and Meiosis Lab
Learning Objectives
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Make predictions about natural phenomena
occurring during the cell cycle
Describe the events that occur in the cell cycle
Construct an explanation as to how DNA in
chromosomes is transmitted to the next generation
via mitosis, or meiosis followed by fertilization
Represent the connection between meiosis and
increased genetic diversity necessary for evolution
Evaluate evidence provided by data sets to
support the claim that heritable information is
passed from one generation to another
generation through mitosis, or meiosis followed by
fertilization
Connect the process of meiosis to the passage of
traits from parent to offspring
Pre-lab Questions
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What is the purpose of cell division?
What are the outcomes of mitosis and meiosis?
How does meiosis increase the genetic diversity
in a population?
How many cells are in your body? How were
those cells produced from a single cell
(zygote)?
What are some advantages of asexual
reproduction in plants?
What is the importance of DNA replication prior
to cell division?
How is the cell cycle controlled? What would
happen if the control were defective?
Activity 1: Mitosis
 How
does the genetic information in a
cell from your toe compare to the genetic
information in a cell from your arm?
 What other purposes besides growth
would require cell division? How do cells
divide?
 Use the clay provided to demonstrate the
different stages in mitosis and what is
happening in each stage
Mitosis in Onion Root Tips
 We
will use the following website to
conduct our investigation on mitosis:

http://www.biology.arizona.edu/cell_bio/a
ctivities/cell_cycle/cell_cycle.html
 Complete
Table 1 for the onion cells you
observe and collect the other groups’
data (put those in “Tip 2” and “Tip 3”)
 Complete steps 1-4 and 1-2 on S89
Review Questions
 What
was the importance of collecting
the class data?
 Was there a significant difference
between the groups?
 Does an increased number of cells in
mitosis mean that these cells are dividing
faster than the cells in the roots with a
lower number of cells in mitosis?
 How else could you determine the rate of
mitosis in root tips?
Activity 2: Loss of Cell Cycle
Control
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Pre-lab Questions:
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How are normal cells and cancer cells different from
each other
What are the main causes of cancer?
How can we explain the fact that there are so many
different cancers, even in the same types of cells or
tissues?
How is the cell cycle controlled in normal cells?
What goes wrong during the cell cycle in cancer cells?
What makes some genes related to increased cancer
risk?
Do you think that the chromosomes might be different
between normal and cancer cells?
Activity 2 (Cont’d)
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Look up pictures of cancer cells vs. normal
cells. Include these in your report
Compare the chromosomes from a normal
individual and a HeLa cell
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Discuss their appearance
Did the results match your hypothesis (last
question from previous slide)?
What information do you need to validate your
conclusion?
In normal cells, mitosis is blocked if there is DNA
damage
What would happen if cells with mutated DNA
replicated?
How does p53 play a role in the cell cycle?
What happens if it is damaged?
Activity 3: Meiosis
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Pre-lab questions:
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How is meiosis important to a sexually reproducing
organism?
What would happen if eggs and sperm were produced
by mitosis instead of meiosis?
How can crossing over between homologous
chromosomes be detected?
How do meiosis and fertilization affect genetic diversity
and evolution?
How do sexually reproducing organisms produce
gametes from diploid cells?
How does the process increase gamete diversity?
What are the outcomes from independent assortment
and crossing over?
How does the distance between two genes or a gen
and a centromere affect crossing over frequencies?
Activity 3 (Cont’d)
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Sordaria fimicola is a fungus
You will measure crossover frequencies and
genetic outcomes from Sordaria cards and
examine asci (formation of eight haploid
ascospores contained within a sac called an
ascus (plural, asci)) produced by crossing
wild type (black) with tan parents
Each ascus contains 8 spores
Parent type has four tan and four black
spores in a row (4:4)
Recombinant asci will not have this pattern
(2:2:2:2, 2:4:2)
Activity 3 (cont’d)
 Take
a card and complete table 3 on
page S95
Write Up
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CERR Model
Claim – Discuss what mitosis and meiosis are, what
results from them, when they are used and what
controls them
Evidence – 2 tables plus chi-square calculations
Reasoning – Discuss why you saw what you saw.
There are some great leading questions in the
student lab manual given to you, as well as the
pre-lab questions that you can refer back to
Rebuttal – Why do meiosis and mitosis not occur in
a different way? Why does a cell not have zero
checkpoints? Why do sexually reproducing
organisms not all look exactly alike? Etc.
Day 4 (60 minutes)
 Test
(Chapter 12, 13, investigation 6)
Day 5
 Required

Chapter 14, 15
 Bozeman
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Readings:
Videos:
Mendelian Genetics
Genotypes and Phenotypes
Chromosomal Genetics
Genetics
Chi-Square Test
Learning Objectives
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Construct a representation that connects the
process of meiosis to the passage of traits
from parent to offspring
Apply mathematical routines to determine
Mendelian patterns of inheritance provided
by data sets
Explain deviations from Mendel’s model of the
inheritance of traits
Explain how the inheritance patterns of many
trains cannot be accounted for by Mendelian
genetics
Activity 1
 Watch
the video “Basics of Genetics:
Understanding Inheritance” and
complete the questions that go along
with it
 Time: 40 minutes
Activity 2
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We cannot conduct the experiment with
Wisconsin Fast Plants, but suppose you are
given the following data for different traits.
Complete the handout given to you for
expected values and complete the chisquare calculations
This is for a monohybrid cross for 2 different
traits with 100 plants
Predict the expected results for a dihybrid
cross between the 2 traits. You have 100
plants
Time: 20 minutes
Data Table
Phenotype
Observed Number of Plants (o)
Purple stem (Dominant trait)
685
Non-purple stem (recessive trait)
315
Green leaf (Dominant trait)
647
Yellow-green leaf (recessive trait
353
Activity 3
 We
will do the virtual fly lab (time
permitting) to see the difference between
sex-linked and autosomal inheritance
 You should have a username and
password
 http://www.sciencecourseware.org/vcise
/drosophila/
 Complete the tables and questions as you
go along
Day 6
 Bozeman
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videos:
Chromosomal Genetics
Blood Types
X-inactivation
Signal Transmission and Gene Expression
Gene Regulation
Activity 1
 Watch
the video “Basics of Genetics: The
Human Genome” and answer the
questions that go along with it.
 Time: 35 minutes
Activity 2: Punnett Squares
 Watch
the video and complete the
examples for Punnett Squares
 If you finish, you can work on your fly lab
 Fly lab is due October 22
Day 7
 Required

None
Readings:
Activity 1 – Research for the lesson,
discussion will be next day

Choose one of the following disorders to research, or
you may choose one of your own:
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Gather information and discuss the following points
with the class with regards to your disorder:
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Sickle-cell anemia
Tay-Sachs disease
Colour blindness
Huntington’s disease
Down Syndrome
Kleinfelters
Ethical, social, and medical issues that surround your
disorder
Write a 2-3 page paper about your disorder and the
issues you discussed in class (due October 30)
Use the “Human Genome” research site for data
Day 8 (60 minutes)
 Required

Chapter 16, 17
 Bozeman
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
Readings:
Videos:
DNA and RNA part 1 and 2
Mutations
Activity 1
 Complete
the “See your DNA” lab by
extracting DNA from your cheek cells
 Complete the sheets to go along with it
 Time: 45 minutes
Activity 2
 Class


discussion:
How have advances in biotechnology
been used in real-life applications?
What are the ethical issues that surround
DNA information?
 Time:
15 minutes
 Test next lesson
Day 9
 Test

Chapters 14, 15
Day 10
 Required

Chapter 16, 17
 Bozeman


Readings
Videos
DNA and RNA part 1 and 2
Mutations
Day 11
 Bozeman

Investigation 9
 Required

Videos:
Readings:
Investigation 9: Biotechnology: Restriction
Enzyme Analysis of DNA
Day 12
 Required

Chapter 18, 19
 Bozeman


Readings:
Videos:
Viruses
Viral Replication
Day 13
 Required

Chapter 18, 19
 Bozeman


Readings:
Videos:
Viruses
Viral Replication
Day 14 (60 minutes)
 Test

Chapter16, 17, 18, 19
Day 15
 Required

Chapter 20, 21
 Bozeman

Readings:
Videos:
Molecular Biology
Day 16
 Required

Readings:
Chapter 20, 21
Day 17
 Required

Chapter 18
 Bozeman
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Readings:
Videos:
Signal Transmission and Gene Expression
Gene Regulation
Genotype Expression
Activity 1
 Watch
the video “Ghost in Your Genes”
 Write down questions you have as you
watch the video
 Write down interesting things that you
learn as you watch the video
 Time: 65 minutes
Day 18
 Required

Investigation 8: Biotechnology: Bacterial
Transformation
 Bozeman

Readings:
Videos:
Investigation 8
Day 19 (60 minutes)
 Gattaca
Day 20
 Gattaca
(Cont’d)
Day 21
 Required

Readings:
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Day 22
 Review
for Final Exam (Chapters 12-21)
Exam: December 13
 Cumulative
exam for Big Idea 2 and Big
Idea 3
 90 minutes
 Section 1: Multiple Choice
 Section 2: Free Response Questions