Biotechnology

This section will concentrate on recent advances in biotechnology.

A)Web site name: Nova – Cracking the code of life

Web URL:

Click on “Journey into DNA” at the bottom of the page (if you do not have Flash, you can either download it for free from this page, or just click on the “non-Flash version”). In the Flash version, click on the + sign to go to the next page.

1)Roughly how many cells are in the human body? ______

2)What is the result of DNA “turning on” or “turning off” different sections of its information? ______

3)Which cell does nothave a nucleus? ______

4)What do dark bands in the chromosome indicate? ______

______

5)How many atoms make up a nucleotide? ______

B)Web site name: BBC News

Web site address:

Read “Life code of chimps laid bare”

6)How similar are humans and chimps in the most important areas of their “life codes” (the genes): ______% identical

7)Which five countries worked together to sequence the chimp DNA? ______

8)How long ago did chimps and humans share a common ancestor?

______

9)If you include non-coding or “junk” DNA how different are we from chimps? ______%

10)What are three human characteristics? ______

11)Which gene seems to protect chimps from Alzheimer’s disease? ______

12)Which other mammals have had, or are having, their genes sequenced? ______

C)Web site name: National Human Genome Research Institute

Web site URL:

Read “Frequently asked questions about genetic testing”

13)In gene tests, which two chemicals do scientists test? ______

14)What is a karyotype? ______

______

15)What do biochemical tests look at? ______

16)How can PKU be treated? ______

______

17)What is “predictive testing”? ______

______

18)What is the cause, and treatment, of Graves’disease? ______

D)Web site name: University of Utah

Web site URL:

19)When was DNA analysis first used in U.S. courtrooms? ______

20)What percentage of your DNA is unique? ______%

21)At a crime scene, what types of evidence contain DNA?

______

______

22)Why does the NRC recommend that evidence samples are divided up soon after collection?

______

23)What other types of evidence can be used to back up DNA evidence? ______

24)How many prisoners have been exonerated using DNA evidence? ______

25)Several states restrict the time for post-trial submission of DNA evidence to

______or less.

26)Do you think that a 6 month, or less, limit on submitting DNA evidence is fair? Explain your answer:

______

E)Web site name: BBC news

Web site URL:

Read “Salmon steak from GM fish”

27)How many years has AquaBounty been working on this salmon? ______

28)Why is the risk of the GM fish breeding in the wild “negligible”? ______

29)What is one argument againstthese GM salmon?

______

30)What was the original plan for the florescent fish produced in Singapore?

______

31)What possible problem do you think could be caused by developing chickens or pigs that are resistant to disease? ______

32)Would you eat GM (genetically modified) salmon? Explain your answer. ______