Science 9
Chapter 4 - Characteristics of DNA
Science 9 -Reproduction
Internet Project – HUMAN GENOME PROJECT
Name ___________________________________
10
Due Date _____________________
Purpose: To read through sections of the Human Genome Project website and discover a little bit
about the history, knowledge, and other discoveries made during the phenomenal
scientific undertaking of mapping the entire human genome
Go to the Human Genome Project website: http://www.genome.gov/25019879
Online Education Kit: Understanding the Human Genome Project
Welcome to the Online Education Kit. The links below contain all sections inside the CD. You can
even download the individual multimedia portions of the CD to your computer.
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Science 9
Chapter 4 - Characteristics of DNA
Click on DYNAMIC TIMELINE
1. In what year was the first segment of DNA isolated? ___________
2. In 1941 George Beadle and Edward Tatum, through experiments on the red bread mold
Neurospora crassa, showed that genes act by regulating distinct chemical events –
affirming the "one gene, one enzyme" hypothesis. What does the one gene, one enzyme
refer to? _________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. When was the Human Genome Project first launched? _________ The goals of the project
included: mapping the human genome and eventually determining _______________ of all
__________________________; _____________________________ the genomes of other
organisms important to the study of biology; developing _____________________ for
__________________; and studying the ________________________________________
implications of genome research.
4. When was the first draft of the Human Genome Sequence released? _________ What was
the original estimate for the number of genes in the human genome? __________________
About how many genes are there now believed to be in human DNA? _________________
5. When the genome a mouse first sequenced? _________ Although mice and humans are
separated by 75 million years of evolution, _________ of the mouse genome can be aligned
with large segments of chromosomes in the human genome.
6. In what year was the Human Genome Project completed? ________ The finished sequence
announced by the international consortium covers ___________ of the genome and is
accurate to ___________.
7. Give the name of two types of animals that had their genetic sequence determined after the
human genome had been mapped? ___________________ and _____________________
8. In the year 2006, The Cancer Genome Atlas Project (TCGA) started. What is the ultimate
goal of this project?_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
OUR MOLECULAR SELVES
Watch the video “Our Molecular Selves” and answer the following questions.
9. How many pairs of chromosomes are in nucleus of every cell in our body? _________
10. DNA always stays in the nucleus of the cell, what type molecule carries the genetic
information out of the nucleus into the cytoplasm where it connects to the ribosomes in
order to produce proteins? ________________________________________________
11. What simple molecules are the building blocks for complex proteins? ______________
12. Approximately how many bases (letters) are there in the human genome? ___________
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Science 9
Chapter 4 - Characteristics of DNA
GENES, VARIATION AND HUMAN HISTORY
Look at Activity 1: Genetic Variation in Populations
13. What is an allele? (hint: see the footnotes)
_______________________________________________________________________.
14. Define allele frequency? (hint: see the footnotes)
_______________________________________________________________________.
15. From the data collected by scientists, which regions of the world show the highest allele
frequencies for the three different genes studied in populations around the world.
GC-1  ____________________________________
HP-1  ____________________________________
FY-0  ____________________________________
16. Looking at the map of the frequency of the blood parasite Plasmodium vivax malaria,
where in the world are the incidences of the disease the highest? ___________________
17. The Plasmodium vivax malaria parasite occurs in an area of the world that also shows the
highest frequency of the FY-0 allele. What is the possible explanation for this occurrence?
Hint 1: Think of hypotheses based on evolution and natural selection.
Hint 2: Natural selection is a function of environmental variations acting on naturally
occurring genetic variations and their phenotypic effects.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
ETHICAL, LEGAL, AND SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS (ELSI) OF GENETIC KNOWLEDGE
Watch the short multimedia video and answer the following questions.
18. What are some ways that genetic knowledge can be hurtful and used unfairly?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
19. What is a Genetic Report Card?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
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