UNIT 5: Gene Expression and Inheritance
5A: GENE EXPRESSION
Roadmap for the year:
Themes for the year:
Unit 1: Interconnectedness of Life
Unit 2: Ecological Biochemistry
Unit 3: Cellular Biology: Structure Leads to Function
Unit 4: DNA Structure and Cellular Reproduction
Unit 5: Gene Expression and Inheritance
 5A- Gene Expression
 5B- Sexual Reproduction and Meiotic Cell
Division
 5C- Genetic Inheritance
Unit 6: Evolution and Classification of Living Things
Unit 7: Biotechnology, Human Biology, and Disease
How does this unit
contribute to your
understanding of the
following themes?
The Big Picture…
 Life on Earth has
various Levels of
Organization
 The Structure of
Living Things leads
to their Function
 Genes code for proteins that can be expressed as traits.
 A change in a gene can result in positive or negative change in one or more
traits.
 The genetic code is universal to all living things.
 In sexually reproducing organisms, chromosomes occur in pairs (one from
each parent).
Suggested Resources…
Homework Assignments
Classwork Assignments
Laboratory Activities
Formative Assessments
Diagrams/Images of the processes of mitosis
Online Textbook
By the conclusion of this unit, you should
know the following:
The gene is a unit of hereditary information
that holds the code for synthesis of
proteins/polypeptides or traits/parts of a trait.
The term ‘genome’ can refer to the entire
genetic makeup of a cell, organism or
species.
Though most of the genome is non-coding,
the coding regions (“genes”) are what
primarily determine the traits of organisms.
Triplet codes found in a gene code for amino
acids.
The genetic code is considered to be
universal.
Structural and functional differences exist
between DNA and the three types of RNA.
Transcription uses the DNA gene code to
produce a strand of RNA, while translation
uses the mRNA to produce a
protein/polypeptide.
Enzymes are necessary for the processes of
transcription and translation to occur.
The mRNA codon chart can be used to
predict the amino acid sequence of a
polypeptide given the DNA or mRNA code.
An amino acid can be coded for by more
than one triplet code, but a single triplet can
only code for a one type of amino acid (with
the exception of the stop codons).
All somatic cells in a multicellular organism
contain the same DNA, as a result of mitotic
cell division.
Cells become specialized by the selective
expression of certain genes.
Changes in DNA (mutations) can occur
spontaneously or due to the effect of
mutagens. An altered gene may be passed
on to every cell that develops from it.
Addition, deletion, or substitution mutations
can occur with individual nucleotides or
large sections of a chromosome.
Only those mutations which occur in
gametes can be passed on to subsequent
generations in a sexually reproducing
species.
By the conclusion of this unit, you should
be able to do the following:
Relate the terms DNA, chromosome,
gene, protein, trait.
Recognize the value of determining the
sequence of a genome, as the “blueprint”
of a cell, organism or species.
Sequence the steps of how DNA’s code
is transcribed into RNA through the
process of transcription.
Sequence the steps of how proteins are
made from the mRNA transcript through
the process of translation.
Predict the location where the processes
of protein synthesis take place in a
eukaryotic cell.
Compare and contrast the structures and
functions of DNA and RNA
Calculate the approximate number of
amino acids which would be expected to
be built into a polypeptide based on the
number of nucleotides found in a gene or
an mRNA molecule.
Create analogies and/or role play the
processes involved in protein synthesis.
Use the mRNA codon chart to predict
the amino acid sequence of a polypeptide
which would be produced from a sample
DNA strand.
Explain how DNA can be altered by
natural or artificial means to produce
permanent changes in an organism, and
how these changes can be helpful,
harmful or neutral.
Give several examples of causes of
mutations.
Explain how mutations can lead to a
change in the protein for which the gene
codes.
Compare and contrast the effect of
mutations in somatic cells vs. body cells.
Gene Expression Vocabulary
Words Found in the Glossary
1) Gene:
2) Protein:
3) Polypeptide:
4) Trait:
5) Amino Acid:
6) Ribosome:
7) Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA):
8) Ribonucleic Acid (RNA):
9) mRNA (messenger RNA):
10) tRNA (transfer RNA):
11) rRNA (ribosomal RNA:
12) Transcription:
13) Translation:
14) Codon:
15) Anticodon:
16) Mutation:
17) Mutagen:
Words NOT Found in the Glossary (but may be within the textbook)
18) Triplet (as in triplet code):
19) Peptide Bond:
20) Uracil:
21) Protein Synthesis:
22) RNA Polymerase:
23) Complementary (as in base pairs):
24) Start Codon:
25) Stop Codon:
26) Insertion Mutation:
27) Deletion Mutation:
28) Substitution Mutation:
29) Cellular Specialization:
30) Coding (referring to DNA):
31) Non-coding (referring to DNA):