What is cloning?
1. Who is Dolly? Dolly was a cloned sheep created in 1997. She was the first mammal to be cloned from a somatic cell.
2. When a zygote divides into to separate cells, it is called: embryo twinning
3. Somatic cells are also called: germ cells
4. In order to clone a gene, a gene is inserted into: an egg, where it will become a fertilized embryo.
5. In order to create an embryo from a somatic cell, the donor egg cell must have its single chromosome removed.
Click and Clone
6. List all the materials needed to clone a mouse.
mouse to be cloned (brown)
mouse with egg cells for use (black)
surrogate mother (white)
microscope
petri dish
sharp pipette
blunt pipette
chemical to stimulate cell division
7. Place the following steps in the correct order.
4 Stimulate cell division
6 Deliver baby
2 Remove and discard the nucleus from the egg cell
1 Isolate donor cells from egg donor and germ cell donor
3 Transfer the somatic cell nucleus into the egg cell
5 Implant embryo into a surrogate mother
8. There are two time gaps in the process of cloning. What are they? (ie. what do you have to wait for?)
The steps necessary are letting the DNA adjust and letting the DNA separate into 16 cells
9. What color with the cloned mouse be? They must be brown. What is the name of this mouse? Its name is Mini-mimi.
Why Clone?
10. Why is cloning extinct animals problematic? The extinct animal may not be able to survive in modern conditions.
11. What are some reasons a person might want to clone a human? Cloning humans can help infertile couples have children or replace deceased children.
The Clone Zone
12. What animal was cloned in 1885? A Sea Urchin was cloned in 1885.
13. How did Spemann separate the two cells of the embryo of a salamander in 1902? He created a noose from a baby hair and tied it to the salamander embryos. They began to separate.
14. The process of removing a nucleus is called enucleation.
15. In 1952, the nucleus of a frog embryo cell was placed into a donor cell. Did it work to clone the animal? The clones were created, but they had difficulty growing.
16. Can the nucleus of an adult cell be injected into an egg cell and produce a clone? yes
17. Why are mammals hard to clone? Mammal DNA is extremely complex, and can sometimes develop differently depending on its environment.
18. What were the names of the first two cloned cows? Fusion and Copy
19. In what year was the National Bioethics Advisory Council formed? 1995
20. The first mammal clone to be produced from an adult (somatic) cell? Dolly, a sheep.
21. What do scientists do to adult cells to make them "behave" like embryos? The egg that carries the adult cell must first be enucleated.
22. Transgenic, cloned sheep were used to produce what medical protein? They produced transgenetic protein in their milk.
23. What is a stem cell? A stem cell is a young cell with the ability to turn into any of the body's 200+ cell types.
Cloning Myths
24. Briefly describe in your own words, why CC the cat was not identical in color to Rainbow, even though she was a clone.
Because CC is a clone of rainbow, it would appear that their differences in coloration are peculiar. The answer to the question of why this occurred has to do with the cats' x chromosomes. During Rainbow's development, one x chromosome (which has codes for coat color) in each cell was turned off. This process is normal, and gave Rainbow her unique pattern. In the cloned cell given to CC, there was no code for orange coloration. Therefore, the two cats were clones genetically, and looked dissimilar anyway.
25. What is "nature vs nurture"?
Nature vs Nurture is essentially epigenetics, the idea that the environment an organism lives in can shape the genes that become expressed. This occurs often in identical twins, who often don't look perfectly alike and don't act like so either. They are genetically the same, yet different people in the long run.
Is it Cloning or Not?
26. For each of the following scenarios, indicate YES (it is cloning) or NO (it is not cloning)
NO Sperm taken from a mole goat is combined with a female's egg in a petri dish. The resulting embryo is implanted into the female's uterus to develop
YES A sheep embryo, composed of 16 cells, is removed from the mother's uterus and separated into indivudal cells. Each cell is allowed to multiply, creating 16 separate embryos, which are then implanted in different female sheep to develop to maturity.
YES A cow with many desirable traits is stimulated with hormones to produce a number of egg cells. Each of these eggs is fertilized and implanted into a surrogate mother.
NO In vitro fertilization
YES Cell nuclei from an extinct wolly mammoth are placed into enucleated cow cells.
27. Define or describe each of the following processes (you may need to reset the Cloning or Not Screen)
Invitro fertilization- The act of fertilizing an egg with sperm outside of the body.
Embryo splitting- Where an embryo is split into two parts, each with the same genes.
Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer- The process of placing a donor nucleus into an enucleated egg.
Multiple Ovulation Embryo Transfer- A method of increasing the eggs in ovulation so that an animal with certain qualities will be produced faster.
Artificial Insemination- The act of fertilizing a females eggs with sperm in a way other than intercourse.
What Are the Risks of Cloning?
28. What is one reason why cloning animals has such a high failure rate?
The four main reasons why animal cloning is so difficult are that the pregnancy might fail, the initial implantation into the surrogate may fail, the nucleus may not develop or separate properly, or the enucleated egg and the transfered nucleus may not be compatible.
29. What is a telomere and how does it affect cloned animals?
A telomere is the DNA sequence at the end of the chromosomes. Every time the DNA is replicated, the telomeres become shorter. Some animals can have lengthened lives, while others have shortened ones due to already shrunken telomeres.
What Are Some Issues in Cloning?
30. Pick one of the questions to ponder and ....ponder it. Write a brief essay on your thoughts and opinions.
Does cloning to create stem cells, also called therapeutic cloning, justify destroying a human embryo?
The ethics of stem cell research have been put into the spotlight time and time again. Opponents argue creating a clone for he process of extracting stem cells is "playing god" and a violation of the values of human life. However, the possible benefits from conducting this type of research should be enough to outweigh the moral questions.
Stem cells are self replicating cells with the possibility to turn into any of the body's other cell types. Scientists believe the research on stem cells has the potential to reshape the medical field in its entirety. Possible ailments that may be healed by stem cells are brain injuries, effects of a stroke, learning defects, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, baldness, blindness, deafness, missing teeth, ALS, Myocardial Infraction, Muscular Dystrophy, Diabetes, multiple types of cancer, Crohn's Disease, Arthritis, spinal chord injuries, and flesh wounds. Bone marrow transplantation has already been helped by stem cells research.
The greatest argument against stem cell research of any kind is that humans shouldn't be experimenting on other humans. If we were to use clones for the purpose of research, the embryos would be strictly for science, and never expected to live in the real world. To answer the initial question "Does cloning to create stem cells, also called therapeutic cloning, justify destroying a human embryo?", the embryo would be a clone of an already living human being, not a new fetus conceived by a couple trying to start a family. Because of this, as well as the numerous possibilities that are attainable with further research, cloning to create stem cells is justified.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Friday, December 17, 2010
Harvest of Fear
Should we Grow GM Crops?
Instructions: Read the page and click YES or NO, reach the next...click YES or NO...etc until you’ve read all the arguments -- You will need to do this 12 times in order for your votes to be tallied. Navigate the site, each of the bold headings below are links within the site
1. What is a GM Crop.
A GM crop is a fruit or vegetable that has been genetically modified.
2. List 2 arguments FOR the growing of GM crops
Crops can be engineered to grow in climates that they usually aren't suited for, so they could enhance the local economy. Also,
crops can be engineered to grow faster, so eventually there will be many more crops. Eventually, this could go as far as to combat world hunger.
3. List 2 arguments AGAINST the growing of GM crops.
Genetically modified crops can sometimes create new allergies and cause health risks.
*Read some of the reader’s responses.
Engineer a Crop
4. Practice this simulation until you get the largest ears of corn. How many times did it take you?
I bred the largest ears of corn in two tries.
What’s for Dinner?
*Click on the foods on the table to see what research is being done to bioenginner the foods.
5. List two foods and desribe how they are being modified.
Cotton is being genetically modified to be more resistant and tolerant to low moisture. Bananas are being modified to contain edible vaccines to a variety of diseases, such as hepatitis, polio, cholera, and malaria. Bananas are well-equipt for this job because their thick peel prevents contaminants from getting inside.
Viewpoints
*Read the article titled “Are GM Food Sufficiently Regulated in the US?”
Do you think food should be labeled if it has been genetically modified? Why or Why not?
I think that it would be considerate to mark genetically engineered items, so that anyone who is opposed to genetic engineering will be able to opt out of purchasing the items. This could last until genetic engineering became a more accepted practice.
Instructions: Read the page and click YES or NO, reach the next...click YES or NO...etc until you’ve read all the arguments -- You will need to do this 12 times in order for your votes to be tallied. Navigate the site, each of the bold headings below are links within the site
1. What is a GM Crop.
A GM crop is a fruit or vegetable that has been genetically modified.
2. List 2 arguments FOR the growing of GM crops
Crops can be engineered to grow in climates that they usually aren't suited for, so they could enhance the local economy. Also,
crops can be engineered to grow faster, so eventually there will be many more crops. Eventually, this could go as far as to combat world hunger.
3. List 2 arguments AGAINST the growing of GM crops.
Genetically modified crops can sometimes create new allergies and cause health risks.
*Read some of the reader’s responses.
Engineer a Crop
4. Practice this simulation until you get the largest ears of corn. How many times did it take you?
I bred the largest ears of corn in two tries.
What’s for Dinner?
*Click on the foods on the table to see what research is being done to bioenginner the foods.
5. List two foods and desribe how they are being modified.
Cotton is being genetically modified to be more resistant and tolerant to low moisture. Bananas are being modified to contain edible vaccines to a variety of diseases, such as hepatitis, polio, cholera, and malaria. Bananas are well-equipt for this job because their thick peel prevents contaminants from getting inside.
Viewpoints
*Read the article titled “Are GM Food Sufficiently Regulated in the US?”
Do you think food should be labeled if it has been genetically modified? Why or Why not?
I think that it would be considerate to mark genetically engineered items, so that anyone who is opposed to genetic engineering will be able to opt out of purchasing the items. This could last until genetic engineering became a more accepted practice.
Monday, December 6, 2010
IDENTICAL TWINS: PINPOINTING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ON THE EPIGENOME
1. At birth, the identical twins' environment is the same, causing their expressed genes to be the same in turn. As they progress into adulthood, however, their experiences and environments will differ, causing changes in the twins' respective genomes. Eventually the expressed genes will cause the two twins to look different from one another.
2. Nutrition, exercise, and exposure to toxins all affect the epigenome of the twins.
3. An imprinted gene is defines as: "a gene whose expression has been affected by genomic imprinting so that only a single allele functions, the other being turned off by epigenetic mechanisms during embryonic development." This would apply to any gene affected by epigenomics.
YOUR ENVIRONMENT, YOUR EPIGENOME
1. No one in my family smokes, so I am exposed to relatively low levels of toxicity. I eat healthier and get more exercise than I used to, which may be why I've gotten thinner over the past few years.
LICK YOUR RATS
1. A high nurturing rat mother will excessively groom her cub. The more grooming a rat receives, the greater the amounts of GR proteins active in its brain. This will allow it to receive a calming chemical called cortisol easier than rats without GR.
2. Licking the baby rats activates its GR chemical.
3. GR proteins in the hippocampus attract the stress-relieving hormone cortisol. Because of this, rats that were licked as infants and had more GR proteins became calm quicker than those who were neglected.
4. In humans, children that are neglected are more likely to get into crime and drugs. Our parents are our premiere role models, so their actions and reactions to us profoundly impact how we turn out.
NUTRITION & THE EPIGENOME
1. The nutrients in the foods we eat create methyl groups (epigenetic tags that are responsible for gene expression). Some of these nutrients are folic acid, B vitamins, and SAM-e.
2. A mother's nutrition during pregnancy as well as the offspring's food as an infant can profoundly impact the child into adulthood. Genes such as obesity can be expressed if the mother does not have adequately healthy food.
EPIGENETICS & THE HUMAN BRAIN
1. In suicide cases, the levels of methyl are higher, resulting in less mRNA and ribosomes, and therefore less replication to take place.
2. Drugs can affect methylation by triggering epigenetic change in the brain. Some diseases can be reversed through these changes.
1. At birth, the identical twins' environment is the same, causing their expressed genes to be the same in turn. As they progress into adulthood, however, their experiences and environments will differ, causing changes in the twins' respective genomes. Eventually the expressed genes will cause the two twins to look different from one another.
2. Nutrition, exercise, and exposure to toxins all affect the epigenome of the twins.
3. An imprinted gene is defines as: "a gene whose expression has been affected by genomic imprinting so that only a single allele functions, the other being turned off by epigenetic mechanisms during embryonic development." This would apply to any gene affected by epigenomics.
YOUR ENVIRONMENT, YOUR EPIGENOME
1. No one in my family smokes, so I am exposed to relatively low levels of toxicity. I eat healthier and get more exercise than I used to, which may be why I've gotten thinner over the past few years.
LICK YOUR RATS
1. A high nurturing rat mother will excessively groom her cub. The more grooming a rat receives, the greater the amounts of GR proteins active in its brain. This will allow it to receive a calming chemical called cortisol easier than rats without GR.
2. Licking the baby rats activates its GR chemical.
3. GR proteins in the hippocampus attract the stress-relieving hormone cortisol. Because of this, rats that were licked as infants and had more GR proteins became calm quicker than those who were neglected.
4. In humans, children that are neglected are more likely to get into crime and drugs. Our parents are our premiere role models, so their actions and reactions to us profoundly impact how we turn out.
NUTRITION & THE EPIGENOME
1. The nutrients in the foods we eat create methyl groups (epigenetic tags that are responsible for gene expression). Some of these nutrients are folic acid, B vitamins, and SAM-e.
2. A mother's nutrition during pregnancy as well as the offspring's food as an infant can profoundly impact the child into adulthood. Genes such as obesity can be expressed if the mother does not have adequately healthy food.
EPIGENETICS & THE HUMAN BRAIN
1. In suicide cases, the levels of methyl are higher, resulting in less mRNA and ribosomes, and therefore less replication to take place.
2. Drugs can affect methylation by triggering epigenetic change in the brain. Some diseases can be reversed through these changes.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
DNA Fingerprinting Lab Questions
Introduction
1. DNA is only the same in the case of identical twins.
2. They are used as evidence in crime investigations.
It Takes A Lickin
1.Somebody ate Jimmy's holographic lollipop.
2. Saliva was extracted from the scene.
Fingerprinting at the Nova Lab
1. Restriction enzymes cut DNA molecules like scissors, hacking at different parts.
2. It is a thick, gel-like substance that acts as a molecular strainer, allowing smaller pieces o flow through more easily.
3. Electrophoresis is the process of moving molecules with an electric current.
4. Easier
5. Placing the membrane over the gel makes it easier to work with.
6. Probes attach themselves to pieces of DNA along the membrane.
7. The probes produce radioactivity.
8. The DNA looks like a bar code. It is a mixture of thick strips and thin ones.
9. Honey licked the lollipop!!!!!
DNA Workshop site.
1.You can synthesize proteins and replicate DNA.
Paragraph on DNA Fingerprinting
A common way forensic investigators solve crimes is by using DNA fingerprinting. In this method, the culprit is identified by sets of numbers representing his/her the genes. It can be utilized in rape and other criminal cases, as well as paternity testing. Despite the 43.2% similarity in all human DNA sequences, separate code samples are still distinguishable. Some repetitive chunks of the genetic code, called variable number tandem repeats, are clearly different in every person. These are noted by investigators and then matched up in a database. The closest match to the dissected sample will be the culprit.
1. DNA is only the same in the case of identical twins.
2. They are used as evidence in crime investigations.
It Takes A Lickin
1.Somebody ate Jimmy's holographic lollipop.
2. Saliva was extracted from the scene.
Fingerprinting at the Nova Lab
1. Restriction enzymes cut DNA molecules like scissors, hacking at different parts.
2. It is a thick, gel-like substance that acts as a molecular strainer, allowing smaller pieces o flow through more easily.
3. Electrophoresis is the process of moving molecules with an electric current.
4. Easier
5. Placing the membrane over the gel makes it easier to work with.
6. Probes attach themselves to pieces of DNA along the membrane.
7. The probes produce radioactivity.
8. The DNA looks like a bar code. It is a mixture of thick strips and thin ones.
9. Honey licked the lollipop!!!!!
DNA Workshop site.
1.You can synthesize proteins and replicate DNA.
Paragraph on DNA Fingerprinting
A common way forensic investigators solve crimes is by using DNA fingerprinting. In this method, the culprit is identified by sets of numbers representing his/her the genes. It can be utilized in rape and other criminal cases, as well as paternity testing. Despite the 43.2% similarity in all human DNA sequences, separate code samples are still distinguishable. Some repetitive chunks of the genetic code, called variable number tandem repeats, are clearly different in every person. These are noted by investigators and then matched up in a database. The closest match to the dissected sample will be the culprit.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Online Mitosis Worksheet Answers
1. Which stage does the following occur:
Chromatin condenses into chromosomes: Prophase
Chromosomes align in center of cell. Metaphase
Longest part of the cell cycle. Anaphase
Nuclear envelope breaks down. Pro-metaphase
Cell is cleaved into two new daughter cells. Cytokinesis
Daughter chromosomes arrive at the poles. Telephase
Watch the video carefully.
2. The colored chromosomes represent chromatids. There are two of each color because one is an exact duplicate of the other.
--How many chromosomes are visible at the beginning of mitosis? There are 46 chromosomes at the beginning of mitosis.
-- How many are in each daughter cell at the end of mitosis? 46 are in each daughter cell at the end of mitosis.
--The little green T shaped things on the cell are: They are the centrioles
-- What happens to the centrioles during mitosis? There is one left on each new daughter cell.
3 . Identify the stages of these cells:
a. Metaphase
b. Telophase
c. Interphase
Prophase- In the prophase, the cell's chromosomes condense, its nucleolus disappears, the centrioles travel to the poles, and a web of spindle fiber forms.
Metaphase- During the metaphase, spindle fibers attach themselves to the chromosomes at the kinetochores, and then chromosomes separate into a line along the metaphase plate.
Telophase- Near the end of mitosis, the nuclear envelope materializes again, the chromosomes disperse around the cell, and the spindle fibers dissolve,
Interphase Prophase Metaphase Anaphase Telephase Total
20 10 3 2 1 36
56% 27% 8% 5% 3% 100%
Whitefish
View 1 View 2 View 3 View 4
Telophase Metaphase Prophase Anaphase
Onion
View 1 View 2 View 3 View 4 View 5
Metaphase Prophase Interphase Telophase Anaphase
Chromatin condenses into chromosomes: Prophase
Chromosomes align in center of cell. Metaphase
Longest part of the cell cycle. Anaphase
Nuclear envelope breaks down. Pro-metaphase
Cell is cleaved into two new daughter cells. Cytokinesis
Daughter chromosomes arrive at the poles. Telephase
Watch the video carefully.
2. The colored chromosomes represent chromatids. There are two of each color because one is an exact duplicate of the other.
--How many chromosomes are visible at the beginning of mitosis? There are 46 chromosomes at the beginning of mitosis.
-- How many are in each daughter cell at the end of mitosis? 46 are in each daughter cell at the end of mitosis.
--The little green T shaped things on the cell are: They are the centrioles
-- What happens to the centrioles during mitosis? There is one left on each new daughter cell.
3 . Identify the stages of these cells:
a. Metaphase
b. Telophase
c. Interphase
Prophase- In the prophase, the cell's chromosomes condense, its nucleolus disappears, the centrioles travel to the poles, and a web of spindle fiber forms.
Metaphase- During the metaphase, spindle fibers attach themselves to the chromosomes at the kinetochores, and then chromosomes separate into a line along the metaphase plate.
Telophase- Near the end of mitosis, the nuclear envelope materializes again, the chromosomes disperse around the cell, and the spindle fibers dissolve,
Interphase Prophase Metaphase Anaphase Telephase Total
20 10 3 2 1 36
56% 27% 8% 5% 3% 100%
Whitefish
View 1 View 2 View 3 View 4
Telophase Metaphase Prophase Anaphase
Onion
View 1 View 2 View 3 View 4 View 5
Metaphase Prophase Interphase Telophase Anaphase
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