How DNA determines the traits of an organism
In this simulation, you will examine the RNA sequence of a fictitious organism - the snork.
Snorks were discovered on the planet Dee Enae in a distant solar system. Snorks only have
one chromosome with 10 genes on it. Your job is to analyse the genes of its DNA to determine
what traits each snork has, and then sketch the snorks.
For simplicity, the gene sequences are much smaller than real gene sequences found in living
organisms. Each gene has 2 versions that result in a different trait being expressed in the snork.
Gene
Trait
1
body covering
2
body style
3
legs
4
head shape
5
tails
6
body pigment
7
eyes
8
mouth
9
ears
10
arms
Amino Acid Sequence
val - ser - leu
val - ser - lys
tyr - pro - gln - gln - lys
val - pro - thr - gln - lys
leu - leu - leu - pro
leu - leu - ser - ala
ala - val - val
val - ala - ala
his - iso
his - his
ser - pro - val
val - phe - tyr
asn - iso - leu - leu - pro - thr
asn - iso - pro - pro - pro - thr
val - asn - asn - ala
asn - asn - asn - ala
phe - ser - his
phe - phe - his
arg - tyr - cys - lys
arg - arg - asp - thr
Description
hairless
hairy
plump
skinny
3 legged
2 legged
round head
square head
tail
no tail
blue pigment (hair/skin)
red pigment (hair/skin)
small slanted eyes
large round eyes
circular mouth
rectangular mouth
pointed standing-up ears
rounded floppy ears
long spaghetti like arms
short stumpy arms
Each of the following RNA samples was taken from volunteer snorks. Analyse each RNA
sample and determine the snork’s phenotype based on the sequence. Remember that AUG is a
start codon, and UAA, UAG and UGA are stop codons. The genes are in order from gene 1–10.
Snicker Snork: AUG – GUC AGC AAA – UAC CCC CAA CAA AAA – CUC UUA AGU GCA –
GCU GUU GUG – CAU CAC – GUU UUU UAC – AAU AUC CCU CCU CCC ACC – GUC AAC
AAU GCC – UUU UCU CAC – CGA UAU UGU AAA – UAA
Snuffle Snork: AUG – GUA UCU AAA – GUU CCU ACU CAA AAG – CUU CUC CUC CCC –
GUU GCG GCU – CAC CAU – GUA UUC UAU – AAU AUU CUU CUG CCC ACA – AAU AAU
AAU GCA – UUC UCG CAC – AGA CGU GAU ACU – UAG
Snapple Snork: AUG – GUC AGC AAA – UAC CCC CAA CAG AAG – CUC UUA AGC GCG –
GUU GCG GCU – CAC AUU – UCU CCC GUA – AAU AUU CUC CUC CCC ACC – GUU AAU
AAU GCA – UUC UUU CAU – CGC UAC UGU AAA – UAA
Snoopy Snork: AUG – GUG UCC CUC – UAC CCC CAA CAG AAA – UUA UUG CUG CCC –
GUG GCA GCU – CAU AUC – UCC CCU GUU – AAC AUU CCA CCG CCC ACA – AAU AAC
AAU GCC – UUU UCU CAC – CGG UAU UGC AAG – UGA
How DNA determines the traits of an organism
Gene
Trait
1
body covering
2
body style
3
legs
4
head shape
5
tails
6
body pigment
7
eyes
8
mouth
9
ears
10
arms
Description
hairless
hairy
plump
skinny
3 legged
2 legged
round head
square head
tail
no tail
blue pigment (hair/skin)
red pigment (hair/skin)
small slanted eyes
large round eyes
circular mouth
rectangular mouth
pointed standing-up ears
rounded floppy ears
long spaghetti like arms
short stumpy arms
Snicker Snuffle Snapple Snoopy
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Maddie Ware, Kerikeri High School