Computer Lab: Protein Synthesis, Gender, and Mutations
I.
Watch the “Protein Synthesis Animation”
Go to: http://www.wisc-online.com/objects/ViewObject.aspx?ID=AP1302
1. Where are genes located?
2. In DNA, A bonds with T. What is the RNA complement of A?
3. After mRNA is made, where does it go?
4. What reads mRNA?
5. What is another name for a codon?
6. What binds to the top-end of a transfer RNA?
7. How does an amino acid get to the correct place?
8. How do amino acids bond together?
9. What must happen to a polypeptide (protein) before it is released from the ribosome?
10. What happens to mRNA after protein production (creation) is finished?
II.
Try Protein Synthesis for Yourself
Go to http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/dna/shockwave.html
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Click on “Protein Synthesis” to begin the activity
Make a mRNA strand.
In a real cell, how long is RNA?
What does a ribosome do after each tRNA brings its correct amino acid?
What Makes a Firefly Glow?
Go to http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/dna/firefly/
1. Read the bottom of the page. What are three reasons why fireflies glow?
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2. In the __________________ of each cell, an enzyme called __________________ finds the DNA
encoding the LUC gene (with the message for the LUC gene) within the cell’s genome (DNA).
3. To generate (make) a visible light, the cells in the firefly’s tail need to produce
__________________ of luciferase enzymes (proteins) at once.
4. The luciferase enzyme __________________ a chemical reaction. In fact, all enzymes do this.
5. What does oxyluciferin do?
IV.
75 Experiments that made Modern Genetics
Go to http://www.dnaftb.org/#organization
1. Choose “Classical Genetics”, Concept 9: Specialized chromosomes determine gender.
2. View the “Animation”
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V.
a. Who discovered gender is determined by X and Y chromosomes called sex chromosomes?
b. How did they make their discovery?
View “Problem” and answer the questions.
In the menu on the right, choose “Molecules of Genetics”, 27: Mutations are changes in genetic
information.
View the “Animation”
a. What caused mutations in Thomas H. Morgan’s fly experiments?
b. What is a point mutation?
c. What is a frameshift mutation?
View “Problem”
a. How many nucleotide differences are there between humans and chimps in a 379-nucleotide
region of DNA?
b. How many nucleotide differences are there between any two people in the world (average)?
c. How many nucleotide differences are there between a Neandertal and a modern human in a
379-nucleotide region of DNA?
3.8 Paragraph Reflection:
Today at the computer lab, I learned about _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
______________________,___________________________
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, and _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. I discovered from _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ that _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. I also found out _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. Something I found interesting was _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
__________________________________________________
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ pointed out that _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. In my research, I also learned _ _
__________________________________________________
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. Something that
stood out was _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
The internet websites I visited explained _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, and _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
EXTRA Practice:
5. Drag-and-Drop Protein Synthesis
Go to: http://www.zerobio.com/drag_oa/protein/overview.htm
A. Click on “Transcription” and label the diagram below.
1. Which base in RNA is replaced by uracil?
2. How many mRNA codons are illustrated above?
Circle them in your picture.
3. What is the name of the enzyme that creates the mRNA copy form DNA?
Choose one: helicase, RNA polymerase, ligase
4. What is the name of the sugar in the mRNA nucleotides?
5. What is the mRNA transcript for the DNA sequence, TTACGC?
B. Click “next”
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C.
What organelle assists tRNA in translating the mRNA in the cytoplasm?
The role of tRNA is to carry an _____________________________.
Is a tRNA anticodon more similar to DNA or RNA in nucleotide sequence?
If the mRNA codon is CGA, the tRNA anticodon that binds with it is ____________________.
Click “next”
1. How many amino acids are coded for by the DNA?
2. What protein does this DNA code for?
Remember to use the mRNA codon, NOT the tRNA anticodon
3. If instead of ACT, the first DNA triplet was ACG, which amino acid would be coded for?
4. What amino acid is carried by a tRNA with the anticodon GUA?
D. Click “next”
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Other than UUU, what is another mRNA codon that codes for Phenylalanine (PHE)?
What is the tRNA anticodon that binds to the codon that you typed above?
Skip this question.
Sickle cell anemia is a disease of red blood cells in which a genetic mutation in DNA leads to a mutation in
hemoglobin (a blood protein). A single base change alters (changes) the DNA sequence CTC to CAC which
codes for the wrong amino acid. What amino acid is coded for by the normal DNA sequence, CTC?
5. For the question above, what amino acid is coded for by the mutated DNA sequence, CAC?
E. Click “next”, take the Quiz, and write your results below:
You got ____
Out of ____
Your Score _____________ %