Chapter 11 How Genes Are Controlled

Chapter 11 How genes are controlled Day 1

CONTROL OF GENE EXPRESSION – OPERONS, DIFFERENTIATION, DNA PACKING, AND X INACTIVATION

1. What is gene regulation and why is it important?

2. What is a good analogy for an operon?

3. Define the following vocabulary words and then label them on the diagram;

Promoter

Operator

Operon

Repressor

Regulatory gene

4. How is the lac operon turned on and turned off?

5. Why is differentiation so important to eukaryotic organisms?

6. How can different cells have the same genes but function so differently (example pancreatic cell and muscle cell)?

7. How does DNA packing prevent gene expression?

8. What is X inactivation and who expresses this?

9. What is the name for the X chromosome that is inactiviated?

10. What is an example of X inactivation in cats and how does it work?

Chapter 11 How genes are controlled Day 2

EUKARYOTIC TRANSCRIPTION, mRNA PROCESSING, miRNA, and GENE REGULATION IN THE CYTOPLASM

1. What is the process for turning genes on and off in eukaryotic cells?

Backgroundà Operons are rare in eukaryotes. Most genes are turned off. Gene regulation involves initiation of transcription.

Define

Enhancers-

Transcription factors –

2. What is alternative RNA splicing?

3. What role does miRNA play in gene regulation?

4. Summarize gene regulation process in the cytoplasm:

Breakdown of miRNA-

Initiation of translation-

Protein activation-

Protein breakdown-

5. Make a table that lists the regulatory mechanisms for prokaryotic cells and for eukaryotic cells.

Chapter 11 How genes are controlled Day 3

HOMEOTIC GENES, SIGNAL TRANDUCTION PATHWAYS, CLONNING OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS

1. Homeotic genes - How do genes determine the orientation of an embryo?

http://bcs.whfreeman.com/thelifewire/content/chp19/1902003.html

2. What will happen to an embryo that doesn't have BICOID protein?

3. What will happen if BICOID is overexpressed?

4. What do gap genes define?

5. What is a pair-rule gene?

6. What role do homeotic genes play?

7. Signal Transduction Pathway - How can signal molecules from one cell alter gene expression in a target cell?

http://www.wiley.com/college/boyer/0470003790/animations/signal_transduction/signal_transduction.htm

8. How do cell communicate with one another?

9. What are the two different ways a signaling cell can affect a target cell?

10. What is the hormone signal and how can a target cell transduce the message?

11. Once inside the cell, how is the message relayed?

12. In this particular example, how is energy provided to the target cell?

13. If a secondary messenger is relayed to the nucleus, how is cellular function altered?

14. What is cAMP?

Chapter 11 How genes are controlled Day 4

NUCLEAR TRANSPLANTATION AND EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS, THERAPUTIC CLONING, AND THE GENETIC BASIS FOR CANCER

1.  What is nuclear transplantation and how are embryonic stem cells derived?

http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/stemcells/scnt.html

2.  What are some of the ethical considerations in cloning?

Article http://www.buzzle.com/articles/ethical-issues-of-cloning.html

3. What genetic changes are responsible for cancer?

Environmental mutagens

http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/dna/DNAi_damage_mutation.html