ACTIVITY 1 : INTRONS OUT!
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Updated: 2 days ago
"Anything found to be true of E. coli must also be true of elephants."Jacques Monod, 1965 Nobel laureate for the discovery of bacterial operons |
Activity Description :
Monod, who co-discovered how bacteria control gene expression, thought that since all life shares common ancestry, fundamental genetic rules should apply equally to everything from single-celled bacteria to mammals. In 1977, Dr. Phil Sharp, in collaboration with others, challenged this fundamental understanding.
ACTIVITY TYPE(S) : Worksheet, Discussion
DURATION : 45 minutes
GRADES : High School (9-12)
SUBJECT AREAS : AP Biology and Biotechnology Pathways
KEY CONCEPTS : Split genes, RNA splicing, RNA processing, RNA interference (RNAi)
STANDARDS ALIGNMENT :
NGSS High School Biology
HS-LS1-1: Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the structure of DNA determines the structure of proteins, which carry out the essential functions of life.
AP Biology
Essential Knowledge 6.3.A.4 — In eukaryotic cells, the mRNA transcript undergoes a series of enzyme-mediated modifications.
i. The addition of a poly-A tail makes mRNA more stable.
ii. The addition of a GTP cap helps with ribosomal recognition.
Student Directions :
Your team will examine electron microscope images taken by Dr. Claire Moore, a colleague of Dr. Phil Sharp. The images depict RNA collected from the cytoplasm mixed with one-half (the 3’ to 5’ template) of a DNA strand from the nucleus. When the two single strands are mixed, they form a double-stranded DNA-RNA hybrid, a process called hybridization.