DNA, RNA, & Protein Synthesis WebQuest
Write ALL answers on another sheet of paper!!!! PLEASE label and number…….
Topic: Replication and Protein Synthesis
A. Go to: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/dna/shockwave.html
Click: “DNA replication” (upper left) and then click “unzip” Read the script, answer the questions below,
and then, click “OK”.
1.
In a real cell, what does the DNA molecule do before it unzips?
2.
What molecules break the rungs (bases) apart?
Drag the correct bases over to “synthesize” the new DNA halves. Read script, answer questions, and then
click “OK”.
3.
How many base pairs are in the real human genome?
Click “protein synthesis” (upper right).
4.
Click “upzip”.
How much of the DNA molecule actually unzips in a real cell?
Base pair the nucleotides for just one half of the DNA. Read the script, answer the questions, and click
“OK”.
5.
About how many bases would a real mRNA molecule have?
6.
Where does the mRNA go now?
Match the tRNA molecules to their base pair nucleotides on the mRNA.
7.
Which molecule has the codons?
8.
Which molecule has the anticodons?
9.
What molecules are attached to the tRNAs?
Click “OK” and continue matching the tRNAs.
10.
Answer the questions.
Read the script, answer questions, and click “OK”.
Where does the first tRNA go?
Continue matching and answer questions.
11.
How long will a real polypeptide chain get to be?
12.
When does translation of the mRNA end?
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Topic: Protein Synthesis
B. Go to: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/units/basics/transcribe/
Click the button that says “click here to begin” Use the keyboard to type the bases that would form the
mRNA. Follow the instructions to determine the order of the amino acids.
13.
List the order of your amino acids.
14.
How did the process know to end?
Read the script on the right side of the webpage.
15. Describe the process of transcription.
16. Describe the process of translation.
C. Go to: http://www.wisc-online.com/objects/index_tj.asp?objid=AP1302
Read the animation page by page – just click the “next” button when you are ready to move on.
17.
How does the mRNA leave the nucleus?
18.
Is just one mRNA molecule made? Explain.
19.
How many amino acids does each codon code for?
20.
Describe the structure of a tRNA molecule.
21.
Where does the energy to form the peptide bond between two amino acids come from?
22.
Can a single mRNA be read more than once? Explain.
Topic: Control of Gene Expression
D.
Go to: http://www-class.unl.edu/biochem/gp2/m_biology/animation/m_animations/gene2.swf
Click the right hand arrow to move through the animation. Answer the following questions.
23. Where does protein synthesis begin?
24. What information do chromosomes contain?
25.
How is the information above encoded?
26.
What is the function of mRNA?
27.
What does the promoter do?
28.
What are the three regions of a gene?
29.
What does RNA polymerase do?
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30.
Describe the transcription process in terms of the three regions of the gene.
Topic: Overview
E. Go to: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/units/basics/tour/
Click on “What is DNA?” at the top and go through the animation.
Answer the questions.
31. The complete set of instructions for making a human being is found where?
32. What do genes tell the cell to make?
Click on “What is a gene?” at the top and go through the animation. Answer the questions.
33. What is the function of the protein hemoglobin?
34. How is sickle-cell anemia caused?
35. What are some other proteins that genes code for?
Click on “What is a chromosome?” at the top and go through the animation. Answer the questions.
36. How long would the DNA in one human cell be?
37. How is DNA packaged to fit into the small space of a cell nucleus?
38. How many chromosomes are in a human cell?
39. Why are there “pairs” of chromosomes? Where do they come from?
40. Describe the sex chromosomes.
Click on “What is a protein?” at the top and go through the animation. Answer the questions.
41.
What is the role of proteins in transmitting pain messages?
42.
Describe structural proteins.
43.
“There are proteins involved in the making of proteins.” Explain this sentence.
Topic: Mutations
F. Go to: http://www.nature.ca/genome/03/c/10/03c_14_e.cfm Read the information and answer the
questions.
44. Why are we ALL considered mutants?
45. What are harmless mutations called?
46. What happens if a mutation affects the composition of a gene?
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47. What causes a mutation?
48. Give an example of something bad that can happen because of a mutation.
49. Explain what happens to the DNA in a “point mutation.”
50. Why are some people are at higher risk for certain cancers?
G. Go to:
http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/0_0_0/mutations_03
complete the table:
Type of mutation
Description
Read the information and
Effect on resulting protein
Substitution
Insertion
Deletion
Frameshift
H. Go to: http://www.nature.ca/genome/04/0413_e.cfm Enter your name and click on “decode”. Read
the information and answer the questions.
51. What is a sequence of three nucleotides in the DNA called?
52. How does a silent mutation work?
53 What is a missense mutation? What happens?
54. Give an example of a point mutation.
55. What is caused by a missense mutation that doesn’t allow the hemoglobin protein to fold correctly?
56. What is a nonsense mutation? What does it do?
57. What is the name of one nonsense mutation, which is common in Mediterranean countries?
58. What is the most common deletion mutation disease?
59. What does the insertion mutation do?
60. What kind of disease is Huntington’s disease? What causes it?
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Topic: Replication Game
I. Go to: http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/medicine/dna_double_helix/
Click on “Play DNA Game”; Click “next” and reading each page, continue to click next until you come to the
game.; Click on organism #1 and match the base pairs as fast as you can! It is hard.
Click Next and then click on each organism until you identify the one that belongs to chromosome #1;
continue playing the game with the other two chromosomes, filling in the chart below.
Be careful, other teams may get different results.
Chromosome #
How many
chromosomes?
How many base
pairs?
How many genes?
What is the
organism?
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2
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Topic: Just For Fun
J. What is Your DNA Alias? (You DO NOT need the computer to do this part!)
We use four letters to code all the information contained in DNA: A, T, C and G. The letters are used in groups of
three. A group is called a codon.
DNA contains the information that is needed by your body to make proteins. The different proteins have specific
functions, such as making our hearts, hair, eyes and ears. The smallest part of proteins are amino acids. There
are 20 amino acids. One or more can make up a protein, depending on the specific protein.
Each amino acid is represented by at least one codon. Because each codon is coded with three letters, the string of
letters used to represent the amino acids in a specific protein can get pretty long. To avoid this, scientists
have made a kind of shorthand, and have given each amino acid its own letter, corresponding to our alphabet.
Using this shorthand to represent the amino acids in a protein is a way of describing, or "spelling" this part of the
protein. Written in this shorthand, the code is called the DNA Alias; each letter in the DNA Alias actually
represents a group of three letters (a codon).
When scientists see the DNA Alias of a particular protein, they can find the protein's DNA sequence by reversing
the coding process. For fun, we can perform the same process on any word by converting each letter to the
corresponding codon, and in so doing, find its "DNA sequence". Let's try it with your name.
Write each letter of your name on the lines below:
____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
Use the table below to help you convert your name into its DNA Alias.
Step 1: Find each letter of your name.
Step 2: Look at the Simplified Codon column to find the DNA code for each letter.
Step 3: Replace each letter of your name with its three-letter codon:
___,___,___
___,___,___
___,___,___
___,___,___
___,___,___
___,___,___
___,___,___
___,___,___
___,___,___
___,___,___
___,___,___
___,___,___
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Letter
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
A.A. Simplified Codon
Alanine
GCT
Alanine
GCA
Cysteine
TGC
Aspartic acid GAT
Glutamic acid GAG
Phenylalanine TTT
Glycine
GGG
Histidine
CAT
Isoleucine
ATA
Letter
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
A.A. Simplified Codon
Isoleucine
ATC
Lysine
AAG
Leucine
CTC
Methionine
ATG
Asparagine
GAC
Asparagine
GAT
Proline
CCC
Glutamine
GAG
Arginine
CGT
Letter
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
A.A. Simplified Codon
Serine
TCA
Threonine
ACT
Threonine
ACG
Valine
GTC
Tryptophan
TGG
Valine
GTA
Tyrosine
TAC
Tyrosine
TAT
Now, create a representation of your name using its DNA Alias. Choose 1:
a. Mosaic bookmark
b. Paper chain
c. Your own creation (see me and explain your idea before starting)
You MUST use these colors in your representation.
Color Chart:
A = green
G – purple
C = yellow
T = orange
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