Name: _______________________________
Year 10 Genetics Portfolio Index
Student: ____________________
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You are required to complete SEVEN activities over the rest of the term
You are expected to do some of the tasks at home or in independent study
You need to hand these activities in as a portfolio complete with a cover page and a reference list
This assignment is due on: Monday 17th April
TASK
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Teacher: ____________________
TASK DESCRIPTION
Front
Index page
The Thylacine: Tasmanian Tiger – reading information off websites and making informed
decisions as to whether or not we should bring extinct species back to life
 DNA and Endangered Species – web based activity that enables you to find out how
research is helping to save endangered species
 Genetics Experiment - DNA extraction
 Present a summary of your findings from this experiment in the format of your choice (PIG
or CAT or written report)
 Genetics Webquests – website based learning on the structure of DNA; two webquests
“Tour of the Basics” and “Cloning in Focus”
 Genetics Questions – Punnett square problems
 Genetics Disorders Research – you can choose to present this as either a poster, pamphlet,
report or PowerPoint presentation
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 Genetics Bioethics Issues
 Genetic engineering -Complete the questions/exercises in the format of your choice
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Reference page
TASK ONE The Thylacine – Tasmanian Tiger
Do you think that extinct species should be bought back to life? Do you think it is wise to bring
animals that have become extinct “back to life”? What are the implications?
Go on the following website:
http://www.biotechnologyonline.gov.au/enviro/thylacine.html
and read through the sections titled:
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“The Thylacine: A Case Study”
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The Australian Museum thylacine cloning project: http://www.amonline.net.au/thylacine/index.htm
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Read about the closing of the project through ABC Science Online:
http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/ancient/AncientRepublish_1304301.htm
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Try cloning a thylacine and bringing it back to life – interactive activity
Look at the questions below to come up with your opinion on whether or not the thylacine should be bought back from
extinction or not. Present your work in a format of your choice, but make sure that you give well-explained reasons for
your opinions.
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Do you think it is wise to bring animals that have become extinct “back to
life”? Why or why not?
Would they be allowed back into the wild, and if so, what effect would they
have on the environment and ecosystem?
If they were not allowed back into the wild, and remained in captivity, is it
fair that we keep them purely for the sake of it and not for any real purpose?
Should we only bring back organisms that are of use to us? Just because
science is able to do something, should we do it?
TASK TWO: DNA and Endangered Species
Connect to the following website: www.ology.amnh.org/genetics/sciencescoop/index.html
and click on the link titled “Around the World with DNA”.
a. Read the information about each of the animals listed (humpback whale, spotted owl,
Sumatran tiger, ruffed lemur, pacu and St Vincent parrot).
b. List these animals and explain in one or two sentences how DNA research is being
used to help the species.
c. Choose one of these endangered species.
 Write or present an extended piece on how DNA and genetics research might
be used to help this species.
 You will need to find out more information than is on this website, you may
need to access websites such as:
www.worldwildlife.org/species/
www.library.thinkquest.org/19689/data/menu.html
www.kidsplanet.org/factsheets/map.html
www.ypte.org.uk/.../endangered-animals-of-the-world/24
www.tenan.vuurwerk.nl/indexusa.htm
www.iucnredlist.org/
Or by researching the specific animal
TASK THREE: Genetics Experiment
How to Extract DNA From Any Living Thing
DNA! You mean I can see it? How?
Just by following these three easy steps
 Detergent
 eNzymes (meat tenderizer)
 Alcohol
It’s that simple? Tell me more!
First, you need to find something that contains DNA. Since DNA is the blueprint for life, everything living
contains DNA.
For this experiment, we like to use green split peas.
But there are lots of other DNA sources too, such as:
 Spinach
 Chicken liver
 Onions
 Broccoli
Your DNA source (about 100mL or ½ cup of split peas)
 A large pinch of table salt (less than 1mL or 1/8 teaspoon)
 Twice as much cold water as the DNA source (about 200mL or 1 cup)
Blend on high for 15 seconds. Make sure the lid is on!
The blender separates the pea cells from each other, so you now have a really thin pea-cell soup. Because this step
is pretty messy, certain sources of DNA should not be used such as:
 Your family pet, Fido the dog
 Your little sister’s big toe
 Bugs you caught in the yard
1.
Pour your thin pea-cell soup through a strainer into another container (like a
measuring cup).
How much pea soup do you have? Add about 1/6 of that amount of liquid detergent (about 30mL or 2
tablespoons) and swirl to mix. Let the mixture sit for 5 – 10 minutes.
Pour the mixture into test tubes or other small glass containers, each about 1/3 full.
2.
Add a pinch enzymes to each test tube and stir gently. Be careful! If you stir too hard, you’ll
break up the DNA, making it easier to see.
Use meat tenderizer for enzymes. If you can’t find tenderizer, try using pineapple juice or contact
lens cleaning solution.
3.
Tilt your test tube and slowly pour rubbing alcohol (70 – 95% isopropyl or ethyl
alcohol) into the tube down the side so that it forms a layer on top of the pea
mixture. Pour until you have about the same amount of alcohol in the tubes as
pea mixture.
DNA will rise into the alcohol layer from the pea layer.
You can use a wooden stick or other hook to draw the DNA into the
alcohol.
What is that stringy stuff?
Alcohol is less dense than water, so it floats on top. Since two separate layers are formed, all of the grease
and protein that we broke up in the first two step and the DNA have to decide: “Hmmmmm….. what layer
should I go to?”
This is sort of like looking around the room for the most comfortable seat. Some will choose the couch, others
might choose the rocking chair.
In the case, the protein and grease parts find the bottom, watery layer the most comfortable place, while the
DNA prefers the top, alcohol layer.
DNA is a long string molecule that likes to clump together.
TASK FOUR: Genetics Webquests
On the following pages there are two Webquests for you to complete “Tour of the Basics” which introduces you to
basic genetics and “Cloning in Focus” which goes through ideas and basic procedures for cloning. Complete both
sets of sheets for this activity.
Tour of the Basics - Web Quest
Log on to: http://gslc.genetics.utah.edu/units/basics/tour/.
Explore this activity to find the answers to the questions below.
1. What is DNA?
2. What does “DNA” stand for?
3. What is the four-letter DNA alphabet and what are the special rules by which the alphabet
pieces bond together?
4. What is a gene?
5. What are genes made of?
6. How many genes do humans have?
7. For what molecule do genes contain the instructions for building?
8. What is a chromosome?
9. How many chromosomes does a human cell hold?
http://gslc.genetics.utah.edu
© 2004 University of Utah Permission granted for classroom use. S-2
10. How are the human sex chromosomes labeled?
11. How many different kinds of proteins does one cell contain?
12. Why do scientists use computer programs to model protein structure and function?
13. What provides the “blueprint” for making a protein?
14. What is heredity?
15. Why aren’t children identical to either one of their parents?
16. In humans, how many chromosomes does each parent pass on to their offspring?
17. Does the second baby in the “What is Heredity”? animation inherit the exact same chromosomes as the
first? Do both babies have a complete set?
18. What is a trait?
19. List the types of traits that exist.
20. Give an example of how an environmental factor can influence a trait.
21. Briefly explain how the Hitchhiker’s Thumb trait is determined using the following words:
allele, dominant, recessive, homozygous, heterozygous. You may draw pictures if you wish.
http://gslc.genetics.utah.edu
Cloning in Focus - Web Quest
Log on to: http://gslc.genetics.utah.edu/units/cloning and explore this module to find the answers to
the questions below.
1. Compare and contrast the following methods of Cloning:
Embryo Twinning
Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer
Similiarities
Differences
2. How does Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT) differ from the natural way of making an
embryo?
3. “Click and Clone” to create a mouse clone.
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Write the steps involved in cloning your mouse below (continue on back if necessary):
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What color coat will your mouse clone have?
4. Briefly explain the medical reasons for cloning.
5. List reasons, other than medical, for cloning.
http://gslc.genetics.utah.edu
© 2004 University of Utah Permission granted for classroom use. S-2
6. What was the first organism cloned? How was it done? In what year did this take place?
7. What was the first organism to be cloned using nuclear transfer?
8. How were the first cows cloned?
9. What organism helped prove that cloning could be done using cells from males (up to this point
all cloning experiments had been carried out using cells from females)? What was the
organism’s name?
10. In what year was the first human clone created and what stage of development did it reach
before it stopped growing?
11. Give at least two reasons why a clone might not necessarily be a
carbon copy of the donor organism.
Name the two animals (they are the same species) that serve as an
example.
12. Test your knowledge in “Is it Cloning or Not?”. What was your score and prize?
13. List and briefly explain the risks of cloning.
14. Choose one of the questions raised in “What Are Some Issues In Cloning?”. Write the question
and your response to it below.
TASK FIVE: Genetics Problems
Write all the answer on a separate lined sheet of paper. Show working out for all questions.
1.
In humans the gene for tongue rolling (T) is dominant to the gene for non-tongue rolling (t).
b. What is the genotype of a homozygous purebred tongue roller?
c. What is the genotype of a hybrid (heterozygous) individual?
d. What is the genotype of a homozygous non-tongue roller?
e. Write down the possible gametes produced by:
i. A purebred tongue roller
ii. A heterozygous individual
iii. A non-tongue roller
2.
In peas the gene to produce tall plants (T) is dominant over the gene to produce short plants (t). If purebred tall
pea plants are crossed with short pea plants, what are the genotype and phenotype ratios you would expect in
the offspring?
3.
In guinea pigs rough fur (R) is dominant over smooth fur (r). Two hybrid rough fur guinea pigs are mated and
have six offspring. What fur types are the offspring likely to have?
4.
In Glooks green fur (G) is dominant over red fur (g). If a pure bred green Glook is crossed with a hybrid
Glook, what is the chance (%) of these producing an offspring with green fur?
5.
In hamsters brown fur (B) is dominant to white fur (b). If a white female has four babies, two brown and two
white, what is the genotype and phenotype of the male hamster?
6.
In humans the gene for curly hair (C) is dominant over the gene for straight hair (c). Johnny’s mum has curly
hair, his father has straight hair and his grandma, on his mum’s side, has straight hair. What type of hair does
Johnny have?
7.
In humans blue eyes (b) are recessive to brown eyes (B). A blue eyed man, both of whose parents have
brown eyes, marries a woman whose father was blue eyed and whose mother was brown eyed. The couple
have a blue eyed child. What are the genotypes of all the people mentioned in this question?
TASK SIX: Genetics Disorders Research
The cause of genetic disorders can be anything from a single gene abnormality to a
whole chromosome abnormality. The following lists are examples:
LIST ONE: Chromosomal Defects
Down’s syndrome
Turner’s syndrome
Klinefelter’s syndrome
Cri du Chat
LIST TWO: Single Gene Disorders
Haemophilia
Huntington’s chorea
Duchene’s muscular dystrophy
Phenylketonuria
Cystic Fibrosis
Brachydactyly
Achondroplasia (dwarfism)
RESEARCH:
Choose one disorder from either list and research this disorder. You may present
your research in the format of your choice, but a pamphlet, PowerPoint, report or a
poster are the most preferable.
Include information such as:
 A karyotype of an individual with this disorder (for list one disorders only)
 A description of the effects of the disorder
 Expected life span of a person with the disorder
 Who does it affect
 If it can be controlled or treated with medication etc…
 Any other important facts about the disorder
Don’t forget to include diagrams.
TASK SEVEN: Genetics Bioethics
Genetic Engineering
Over hundreds of years, humans have interfered with the natural breeding patterns of domestic animals
and plant crops. We have produced animals and plants which have characteristics that we believe are
desirable. This breeding technique is called selective breeding. For example, one of the photos below
shows a present day merino sheep. This sheep produces wool of higher quality and yield than that of its
ancestors, which were bought to Australia from England in 1805.
What happens in selective breeding is that desirable genes are increased within a population of a particular
animal or plant. For example, all merinos that had genes for high quality wool were kept for breeding and
the ones that had low quality wool were used for meat. Over centuries, crops such as wheat, corn and rice
have improved in yields and quality due to selective breeding.
Cutting Up Chromosomes
Selective breeding of an organism changes the
proportions in which various genes occur in the
population. But it takes years to do this. In recent
years, scientists have developed techniques in which
the actual genes of an organism can be altered and
added to the genes of other organisms. This involves
cutting the piece of chromosome which contains the
gene in one organism and placing it in the
chromosomes of the other organism (see left). This
technique is called genetic engineering. Genetic
engineering is different from selective breeding in that
new genes can be added to an organism.
Debating the Effects of Genetic Engineering
There has been a lot of debate about the possible beneficial and harmful effects of genetic engineering.
On the beneficial side, the examples shown on the next page shown how genetic engineering has helped
produce plant crops that are resistant to certain diseases. This means that farmers do not have to use vast
quantities of insecticide poisons.
Helping sheep make more wool
Insecticides within plants
Plants have protection
from disease
The pharmaceutical industry is a very large user of genetic engineering techniques. Many of the antibodies
prescribed by doctors for bacterial infections are now made by microorganisms that have had new gene
added to their chromosomes. Insulin, a hormone made in the pancreas to regulate blood glucose levels, is
needed daily by diabetics. It used to be obtained from the pancreases of cattle and pigs. Now scientists
have been able to take the gene that make insulin in humans and place it in the chromosomes of a
bacterium that occurs naturally in the gut of humans. As these bacteria reproduce and grow in the
laboratory they produce insulin, which is collected and marketed.
Opponents of genetic engineering are fearful that organisms with new genes will upset the balance of
nature. They believe that naturally occurring organisms have become balanced in the food web over a long
period of time and that the release of new varieties could upset this balance.
For example, orange crops are a very big agricultural industry in southern California. Frost damage to the
trees and fruit brought about by low temperatures is a major problem. Scientists have discovered that a
particular bacterium that lives naturally in the air spaces of the leaves causes ice particles to form around it,
which tend to freeze the plant. In the absence of these bacteria, citrus trees will not freeze even when
subjected to temperatures of -8°C for a few hours.
Scientists removed some of the genes from the bacterium’s chromosome, and the result was a new strain
of bacteria, called Ice Minus, that did not make ice form in the leaves. Other scientists opposing the testing
of Ice Minus say that this bacterium could affect weather and climate by living in the atmosphere and
upsetting natural cloud and ice formation.
All work in genetic engineering in Australia has to be approved by the Federal Government’s Genetic
Manipulation Advisory Committee. This committee monitors all field and laboratory testing and makes sure
that any experiments in this field are carefully controlled.
You are the guest lecturer at a school parents meeting. You have been invited to talk about
genetic engineering.
Prepare a presentation (a poster, PowerPoint or podcast/videocast may be good formats for
this activity) that you could use to explain what genetic engineering is in simple terms.
They probably won’t know what genes and chromosomes are and diagrams may be very
useful.
For this presentation you will need to present both sides of the argument of the possible
beneficial and harmful effects of genetic engineering.