Review Monday & Tuesday

Today and tomorrow we will be reviewing for the final exam. Below is a list of questions to help you study. Items in bold are only for the honors classes.

1. Describe the difference between cytokinesis in animal cells and plant cells?

2. List two way that meiosis differs from mitosis.

3. How is cancer related to the cell cycle?

4. Describe the structure of a chromosome.

5. What is independent assortment, and how does it affect the genetic makeup of offspring cells?

6. Describe how you could determine if a dividing cell is an animal cell or a plant cell.
What structures would you look for?

7. Why is crossing over important?

8. Describe the relationship between the cell cycle and mitosis.

9. Describe the role that the spindle fibers play in mitosis.

10. Explain why Crossing-over is an important source of genetic variation.

11. What types of cells does mitosis occur in?

12. Explain the difference between a diploid cell and a haploid cell?

13. Explain the difference between cytokinesis in eukaryotic plant and animal cells?

14. What is Interphase? What makes up and occurs during each part of Interphase?

15. Explain the Difference (Contrast) between Sex Chromosomes and Autosomes?

16. What are homologous chromosomes?

17. What is the cell cycle?

Classical Genetics
1. Describe Mendel's two laws of heredity.

2. What happens during meiosis that would allow genes located on the same chromosome to separate independently of one another?

3. Give an example of a sex-linked disorder.

4. How can two individuals who are phenotypically “normal” for a disorder produce a child who is affected.

5. Distinguish between codominance and incomplete dominance. Give an example of each type of inheritance.

6. Define the terms, dominant and recessive.

7. Relate the events of meiosis to the law of segregation.

8. Give an example of a monohybrid cross.

9. Explain how you would use a Punnett square to predict the probable outcome of a monohybrid cross. Draw a Punnett square to demonstrate your monohybrid cross.

10. Explain the terms genotype and phenotype.

11. Explain the terms homozygous and heterozygous.

12. Draw a pedigree for a couple who are phenotypically normal for albinsim who produce 6 children, 3 boys and 3 girls. One girl and two boys are albino.

13. Give an example of a non-disjunction disorder and explain how it occurs.

14. List and explain four types of chromosomal mutations (non non-disjunction).

DNA replication, Transcription and Translation

1. When does DNA replication occur?

2. List at least three enzymes involved in DNA replication and explain their function.

3. Where does DNA replication occur?

4. Draw DNA replication from start to finish.

5. Explain the need for a leading strand and a lagging strand.

6. Explain what would happen if there were a malfunction in the cell and ligase were never produced.

7. Describe the structure and function of DNA

8. Name three scientists associated with early DNA research. Briefly describe their contributions.

9. List three ways that DNA differs from RNA

10. Where does transcription occur?

11. Why does transcription occur?

12. Where does translation occur?

13. When does translation occur?

14. What is a codon? How many codons can be produced? How many amino acids are there?

15. Describe the cell part that is most involved with translation. What does it do?

16. If there were a mutation (such as in insertion or deletion) in the DNA sequence what affect would that have during translation. Give a real-life example of this.

17. A mutation at which base pair (first, second or third) in a codon would have the LEAST affect on the amino acid produced? Explain your answer.

Bioethics & You (Friday & Saturday Classes)

Students debated the ethics of genetically modified organisms (GMO's) using the case studies they read for homework (yes, I actually forgot to post the homework...sorry Mike H.).

Case Studies were taken from the High School Bioethics Project and included the following briefs:

1. Patenting Life: Chakrabarty (bacteria engineered to "eat" crude oil)
2. Patenting Life: Of (spliced) Mice and Men (the Harvard Oncomouse)
3. Food & Drinks: GM Wine (GM grapes that grow in Florida)
4. Food & Drinks: Starlink Corn (Corn made for animal consumption and ended up in the human food supply)
5. Food & Drinks: GM Coffee (Coffee that can be ripened by the addition of a chemical)
6. The Forest for the Trees: GM Trees for paper production

There are only 2 more classes before the final exam!
General Bio homework: Complete pages: 77,79,81,83,85 and 87 in the review packet. This will take you about an hour and is due in class on Monday

Review Sheet for Final Exam

Just in case you deleted it (and at Carson's suggestion) here's the review sheet for the final exam. Topics with a * next to them are only for the honors biology class.

Below is a check list for all of the things that will be covered on your final exam. This is your review sheet.

1. Describe the cell cycle and the process of mitosis.

2. Explain the role of mitosis in the formation of new cells

3. Describe how the process of meiosis results in the formation of haploid cells.

4. Explain the importance of meiosis in sexual reproduction

5. Explain how gametes form diploid zygotes in the process of fertilization.

6. Compare and contrast a virus and an animal or plant cell in terms of genetic material and reproduction. (we covered this on the History of DNA movies handout – Bacteriaphages & Radioactive tracers)*

7. Describe the basic structure (double helix, sugar/phosphate backbone, linked by complementary nucleotide pairs) of DNA

8. Describe DNA’s function in genetic inheritance.

9. Describe the basic process of DNA replication (*honors classes need to know all the enzymes involved, direction of replication, leading and lagging strands etc.)

10. Explain how DNA replication relates to the transmission and conservation of the genetic code.

11. Explain the basic processes of transcription and translation, and how they result in the expression of genes (creation of amino acids, which create proteins which affect genes)

12. Distinguish among the end products of replication, transcription, and translation.

13. Explain how mutations in the DNA sequence of a gene may or may not result in phenotypic change in an organism.

14. Explain how mutations in gametes may result in phenotypic changes in offspring.

15. Distinguish among observed inheritance patterns caused by several types of genetic traits
a. dominant
b. recessive
c. codominant
d. sex-linked
e. incomplete dominance

16. Describe how Mendel’s laws of segregation and independent assortment can be observed through patterns of inheritance

17. Use a Punnett Square to determine the probabilities for genotype and phenotype combinations in monohybrid crosses.

18. Explain how cancer is related to the cell cycle.

A test & Review

General bio had a test on DNA replication, transcription and translation.

Honors bio had a review session for their test tomorrow.

Notebook Quiz and Science News

Honors classes had a notebook quiz in preparation for the test on Thursday. General classes worked on their projects.

DNA replication, transcription and translation project

Honors biology students present their projects today. Projects ranged from WANTED POSTERS and candy diagrams to an animation, a movie and even a MySpace. Click on the names and descriptions to link directly to the projects (or just scroll down). As always, please feel free to leave a postive or constructive comment. For the guidelines of the project, click here.

Chloe, Carson & David's Movie

Olivia & Carol's Blog

Bruce, Mike and Paul's MySpace

Andrea's Poster

Kali's Poster and Mike's Book (as well as some dragons)

Nick's Foam-Core Cut Outs

Jess & Sayde's Candy Poster

Chloe, Carson & David's movie

Chloe, Caron and David made a movie. It's pretty sweet. You should check it out.

Olivia & Carol Blog

Self proclaimed "really bad with computers" Olivia N. faced her fears with Carol (and the help of Mr. Falconer) to create a blog.

Click here to check it out.

MySpace & Science?? Whhhhatt? Bruce, Mike and Paul take it to a new level

MySpace and school project are words I thought I'd never say in the same sentence, but Bruce, Mike and Paul proved me wrong (well done!). They created two MySpace pages, which are open for public viewing, one for DNA replication and one for transcription and translation.

Click here for DNA replication

Click here for Transcription & Translation

Andrea's Poster

Andrea made another great poster.

Kali's Poster & Mike's Book

Kali made a great poster (complete with sequins and Cinderella stickers). This picture also shows the cover of Mike's book and some of the dragons students made for the dragon genetics lab.

Nick's Project

Nick is a master at cutting out shapes using foam-core poster board.

Jess & Sayde's Project

Jess and Sayde used candy for their project. See how many differents types you can identify (HINT: there are more than five)

Independent Work & A Snow Day!

Students are working independently on their DNA replication, transcription and translation projects. Remember: Honors projects are due in class tomorrow.

And....it's finally starting to look like winter!

Honors Test Update

Instead of having your test on Monday February 18th, your test is now on Thursday February 22nd (between College Weekend, the NHS Invitational Basketball Tourney and the Dance Show there's is too much going on this weekend).

Your test is worth 50 points and will be combined with your project grade.

Here's what your test includes:

21 multiple choice questions and 4 true/false total:

1 misc. question
2 questions on the history of the discovery of DNA
7 questions on transcription & translation
15 questions on the structure and replication of DNA

DNA replication, transcription, translation

General Class: Explain the following pickup line "I wish I were DNA helicase so I could unzip your jeans."

Objective: Students will use the following activities online to learn DNA replication along with transcription & translation. Students will complete guiding questions while working on the activities.

Homework: Work on project.

Honors Biology: Students are working on their projects in class.

Links to Student Work

Permanant links to student work were added to the sidebar on the right side, after the "Fall Term" section. Please feel free to leave positive or constructive comments.

Biology Honors Due Dates

Projects are due in class on Thursday February 15th and are worth 50 points.

The test is on Monday February 18th and is worth 50 points. Here is the breakdown of the test:
21 multiple choice questions and 4 true/false.

1 misc. question

2 questions on the history of the discovery of DNA

7 questions on transcription & translation

15 questions on the structure and replication of DNA

No 54321 this week and no class monday

happy winter carnival! there's no 54321 due this week and no class on Monday (because it's S.C. day).

Transcription & Translation

Honors classes only for 2/9 and 2/10

Admit Slip: Explain this pick up line "I wish I were DNA Helicase, so I could unzip your jeans"


Objective: Review the DNA replication homework. Students will take notes on Transcription & Translation and be able to identify the major stages as well as if the process takes place inside or outside of the nucleus.





Homework: Start working on your project. The guidelines were emailed to you and are posted below.

Project Guidelines

DUE DATE: Feb. 15th.

TIME: In class, so you can present them

You may work in a group

Project 50 points: DNA replication, Transcription & Translation Project. The project is worth 50 points and your test will be worth 50 points. Same idea as the cell cycle & mitosis project: create a visual for DNA replication, transcription and translation. You may work independently or as a group (no more than 3 people, if you really need a larger group, please see me). Below are the requirements.

PROJECTS MUST BE TURNED IN ON TIME. EACH DAY THE PROJECT IS LATE, YOU WILL LOSE 15 POINTS. AFTER THE THIRD DAY, THE PROJECT WILL NO LONGER BE ACCEPTED.

1. DNA replication (10 points):
What is it? (4pts)
Where does it occur? (1pt)

When does it happen? (1pt)
How does it happen? (4pts)

2. Transcription (10 points):
What is it? (4pts)
Where does it occur? (1pt)
When does it happen? (1pt)
How does it happen? (4pts)

3. Translation (10 points):
What is it? (4pts)
Where does it occur? (1pt)
When does it happen? (1pt)

How does it happen? (4pts)

4. Creativity (10 points):
Project is creative, original and aesthetically pleasing.

5. Content & Grammar (10 points):
Project contains no scientific, spelling or grammatical errors.

PROJECTS MUST BE TURNED IN ON TIME. EACH DAY THE PROJECT IS LATE, YOU WILL LOSE 15 POINTS. AFTER THE THIRD DAY, THE PROJECT WILL NO LONGER BE ACCEPTED.

Your DNA & Valentines Day

National Public Radio
Nothing Says 'I Love You' Like Framed Genetic Code

Weekend Edition Sunday, February 4, 2007 · So you're feeling pressure to come up with a deeply personal Valentine's gift. How about original art, made from your DNA? Adrian Salamunivoc runs a Web site that allows you to order just such a present.

Click here to listen to the full story.

History of DNA (A & C blocks)

See post below the ski day post.

Ski Day is Thursday!

Ok, so you probably won't need powder skis at Gunstock, but hey it's SKI DAY!

Here's the schedule:
7:00 - 8:20AM - BREAKFAST
8:30AM - SCHOOL MEETING IN MCEVOY
9:00AM - BOARD BUSES BEHIND FIELD HOUSE
11:30 - 1:00PM - LUNCH AT GUNSTOCK
2:45PM - BOARD BUSES AND RETURN TO NHS

History of the Discovery of DNA

Admit Slip: It is the year ________ (Write the year you think DNA was discovered). How do you think scientists discovered what DNA does?

Objective: Students will use a graphic organizer to take notes on a serries of mini-video clips from www.unitedstreaming.com which explain the contributions of the following scientists:

Friedrich Meisher: 1870

P.A. Levene: 1920’s

Fredrick Griffith: 1928

Avery, MacLeod and McCarty: 1944

Hershey & Chase: 1952

Franklin & Wilkins 1950’s

Watson & Crick 1953

Homework: Use the DNA replication animation (available by clicking here) to complete the notes organizer. If for whatever reason you don't have a Flash player on your computer, you can use your textbook to find the information.

Mental Inventory

Honors Biology is taking a test today on Classical Genetics (and a little bit of Meiosis). General Biology has their test tomorrow.

NOTE: Since we had a review in class, you recieved the packet (and the answers to all the multiple choice questions) THERE ARE NO TEST CORRECTIONS.

Answer Key & 54321 reminder

Yes, there is a game tomorrow evening, but the Pats aren't playing and you have a test on Monday, so....

.......the 54321 is due Sunday night by 9:30pm. If you turn it in at 9:31 it's late. Do yourself a favor and finish in the afternoon.

.......the answers to the review sheet have been emailed to you.

Blood Feud

A Long Block:
We read and discussed the article Blood Feud (available by clicking here)
Our discussion not only included material from the article but also touched on:

the genocide in Darfur
Colonization of Africa by European countries
the African Union
(who would have thought history and biology would ever actually come together...)

We also had a visit from Whitey...BE WARNED: IF YOU ARE TROLLING OUTSIDE OF MY CLASSROOM YOU WILL BE INVITED IN AND PARTICIPATE.

B block:
reviewed for the test on Monday.

Review Packet via Email

check your email!
there is a review packet.
some of the questions on the exam may have even been taken from the packet....

an answer key will be available on monday night.

Exceptions to Mendel's Laws (A block only)

Admit Slip: Complete the practice review sheet

Objective: Review questions from Dragon Genetics and complete sample problems for sex-linked traits.

Homework: Complete the test cross problem set.