Author: Biology Junction Team

Web Quest on Genetics

 
Web Quest on Genetics

 

 Introduction:

Have you ever wondered what your future children will look like? Have you ever wondered if they will be completely healthy? Have you ever thought about having yourself or your children cloned? This will more than likely be different things that you may have to deal with as an adult or parent.

This WebQuest, geared for high school biology students, attempts to explain different genetic disorders by dividing the class into different roles. With several cooperative groups presenting on different disorders, the whole class will be able to see the different types of genetic disorders, if they are treatable, and what we are doing as a human race to try to cure these disorders. 

Task:

As a class you have already done some basic studies on the concepts of genetics. Now we will be embarking on the content of genetic disorders – how people get them, karyotyping of the disorder, types of treatments, and any type of genetic testing that could have been taken advantage of prior to the birth of your child. Lastly, you will want to look at what your ‘child’ will look like.

The class will divide up into groups of 4 students. Within these cooperative groups each student will be given an area of study that they will need to attempt to draw conclusions from.

In the end your group will need to display the information that they find along the way as a class project. Your group will need to create a multimedia presentation that will be shared with the class and graded. You may want to include a suggested list of readings and/or Internet sources that may be of interest to the class.

The Process:

Your group should include 4 students total. One student will be a genetic counselor. One student will be a disorder specialist. Another person will be a perspective parent whose child will have the disorder. The last student will be the human genome specialist.

1. Genetic Counselor – Your role as the genetic counselor is to examine what types of treatment there are for the disorder and how you can advise these perspective parents on the disorder that their child has been exposed to.

2. Disorder Specialist – Your role as the disorder specialist is to karyotype the disorder, find out all of the signs and symptoms of the given disorder, and to find out what different prenatal tests could have been provided to the parent to have found out about this disorder prior to birth.

3. Parent – Your role as the parent is to find out what your child would look like using your own genetic features along with ‘your mate’s’ genetic features. Using Punnett’s squares you need to show what features will show up in your children and what the possibilities are that they will show up. You will also need to show a possible image of the child you and your mate could have.

4. Human Genome Expert – Your goal as the human genome expert is to find out all about the human genome project. What is it? What is their mission? How far along are they? How long has this project been in progress? Why is it important? And any other information that you feel is relevant that you would like to share.

Resources:

Some Internet resources that may be helpful to your groups will include the following:

1. Genetic Counseling: Ask NOAH. This site contains a lot of information about the different types of genetic disorders.

2. Yahoo – Genetic Disorders  This site lists several different disorders and contains several links to all of the different types of genetic disorders.

3. Genetic & Rare Conditions Site  This site lists several links to different types of disorders in alphabetical order.

4. What can our chromosomes tell us?  This is a site that talks about karyotyping and what we can understand due to karyotyping. Newsletter from the Genetics Science Learning Center.

5. A Genetics Glossary This is your basic genetic glossary however you really need to know what you are looking for so that it will be useful.

6. Genetics Education Center  This is a site dedicated to the education of genetics with several links to other sites.

7. The National Human Genome Research Institute . This site tells you all about the human genome project.

8. Department of Energy – Human Genome Project Information  This site also gives a lot of information about the human genome project. It also includes some fact sheets on cloning and gene testing.

9. A Gene Map of the Human Genome  Within this site you can see the mapping of several different chromosomes found within the body.

10. Learning about the Human Genome Project and Genetics through the World Wide Web http://www.kumc.edu/gec/hgpwww.html. This site includes a section on the ethics issues of genetic research that the genetic counselor may want to look at.

11. Understanding Gene Testing This site talks of how genes are linked to disease, how does a faulty gene trigger disease, and much more.

12. Ask Noah : on Birth Defects and Genetics  This site includes information about fetal testing, and different types of birth defects.

13. Basics of DNA Fingerprinting  This site will give you the basic understanding of DNA fingerprinting.

14. What is Genetic Testing?  This site shows the basics of genetic testing and also gets into some of the ethical issues of genetic testing.

15. Human Genetics : Human Karyotype  This site talks about karyotypes, chromosomal abnormalities, and allelic disorders.

Evaluation:

 

Beginning
5		 Developing
10		 Accomplished
15		 Exemplary
20		 Score
 

Quality of Information and ideas
Bare minimums are taken into account. Answered the few questions that were asked in the introduction.
Minimums plus slight extras added. Answered questions from the intro and at least one question posed to them in the process section.
All of the information found from the process section.
Issues addressed that went beyond what was asked in the process and introduction sections.

 

Amount of Information found

 
Only accessed 4 suggested web sites and verified in presentation.
At least 8 web sites accessed and verified in presentation.
At least 12 web sites accessed and verified in presentation.
All of the web sites accessed and verified in presentation.

 

Organization of presentation
 

 
Random information is presented by group.
Disorganized at times.
Organized
Organized effectively with easy understanding.

 

Use of class time

 
Majority of class time was wasted.
Half of class time was wasted.
Little class time was wasted.
No class time was wasted.

 
Overall PowerPoint Presentation
One slide for each person was made and presented to the class. Very plain text and no graphics.
Basic graphics used on all pages and presentation has some natural flow to it.
Easily understood by all. Includes graphics and data tables of information retrieved.
Information that is presented is aesthetically pleasing to the eye and includes all of the areas covered in this activity.

 

Conclusion:

Answer the following questions and turn in after your presentation:

  • What have you learned that you didn’t know before?
  • Was this an effective learning experience?
  • How did you like working in a group? Did working in a group add or detract from your learning?
  • How did you determine what information was helpful?
  • If you were to do this project again, what would you do differently and why?
  • Do you have suggestions for anyone else who might be doing this project? If so what are they?
  • Do you have any suggestions for me to change this project to make it more interesting / educational in the future? If so what are they?

Modified from web quest by Michelle Olsham

Unsegmented Worms Study Guide B1

Unsegmented Worm Study Guide

  • Describe the digestive tract of planarians
  • How are tapeworms able to get their food
  • What is the life style of most flatworms
  • What are the characteristics of rotifers
  • What are the general characteristics of all flatworms
  • Why do flatworms not need circulatory & respiratory systems
  • What causes schistosomiasis
  • To what kingdom & phylum do flatworms belong
  • Describe a pseudocoelom & give examples of worms that have this characteristic
  • Explain the life cycle of Ascaris
  • How do rotifers eliminate wastes
  • What is regeneration & give an example of an unsegmented worm that uses this process
  • What is the cuticle and what is its function
  • What are proglottids & what is their function
  • If a worm has a one-way digestive system, what must be true about the organism
  • Why are rotifers called “wheel animals”

Unsegmented Worm

Unsegmented Worms

All Materials © Cmassengale

Phylum Platyhelminthes
Characteristics

  • Called flatworms because bodies are flattened dorso-ventrally

  • Acoelomate – solid bodies without a lined body cavity
  • Have 3 body layers — outer ectoderm, middle mesoderm, & inner endoderm
  • Bilaterally symmetrical
  • Show cephalization (concentration of sensory organs at anterior or head end)
  • Body cells exchange oxygen & carbon dioxide directly with environment by diffusion
  • Single opening into gastrovascular cavity; two-way digestive tract
  • Some are parasites & others are free-living
  • Parasitic worms have thick cell layer called tegument covered with a nonliving cuticle covering their bodies as protection inside hosts
  • Includes 3 classes — Turbellaria (planarians), Trematoda (parasitic flukes), & Cestoda (parasitic tapeworms

Class Turbellaria

  • Most are marine but includes freshwater planarian (Dugesia)

Planarians

  • Spade-shaped at the anterior end & have two, light-sensitive eyespots
  • Can sense light, touch, taste, & small
  • Have 2 clusters of nerve cells or ganglia to form a simple brain
  • Nervous system composed of a nerve net
  • Capable of simple learning
  • Move by tiny hairs or cilia over a mucus layer that they secrete
  • Feed by scavenging or protozoans
  • Have a single opening or mouth located at the end of a muscular tube called the pharynx which can be extended when feeding
  • Flame cells help remove wastes to excretory pores

  • Hermaphrodites that cross-fertilize eggs that are then deposited into a capsule until hatching in 2-3 weeks
  • Reproduce asexually by fragmentation

Class Trematoda

  • Includes parasitic flukes
  • About 1 cm long & oval shaped

  • Require a host to live
  • Have both oral & ventral suckers to cling to host & suck blood, cells, & body fluids
  • Oral sucker around mouth at anterior end sucks blood
  • May be endoparasites (live inside a host) or ectoparasites (live on the outside of host
  • Covered in tough, unciliated tegument
  • Nervous & excretory systems like turbellarians
  • Hermaphrodites
  • Have a long, coiled uterus that stores & releases 10,000+ eggs
  • Eggs released through genital pore & develop into larva
  • Show complex life cycles
  • Life cycle of sheep liver fluke:
    * Adult liver flukes live in sheep liver & gall bladder where they mate & form eggs
    * Eggs enter intestines, pass out with feces, & hatch in water
    * Larva enter snails, asexually multiply, then leave snail & form cysts
    * Cysts (dormant larva with hard, protective covering) clings to grass
    * Sheep ingest cysts when they eat grass
    * Cysts hatch in digestive tract & bore through intestines into bloodstream
    * Mature & reproduce in the liver

  • Schistosomiasis (disease caused by parasitic blood flukes) infects people in Asia, Africa, & South America causing intestinal bleeding & tissue decay that can result in death

Class Cestoda

  • Includes tapeworms
  • Adapted for parasitic life
  • Tough outer tegument prevents being digested by host
  • Anterior end called scolex contains hooks & suckers for attachment to intestine of host

  • Long, ribbon-like bodies up to 12 m in length
  • Nervous system extends length of body but lacks sense organs
  • Lacks mouth & digestive tract but absorbs digested nutrients from host
  • Grows by making body segments called proglottids
  • Each proglottid produces eggs & sperm that cross-fertilize with other segments & also self-fertilize (hermaphrodites)
  • Oldest, mature proglottids containing eggs at posterior end break off & pass out with feces
  • Life cycle of beef tapeworm:
    * Cattle eat grass with proglottids containing fertilized eggs
    * Eggs hatch into larva & bore through cow’s intestine into bloodstream
    * Larva burrow into cow’s muscle & form cysts
    * Humans eat beef (muscle) & cysts travels to intestines
    * Cyst breaks open & adult beef tapeworm forms


BEEF TAPEWORM LIFE CYCLE

Phylum Nematoda
Characteristics

  • Called roundworms
  • Includes Ascaris, hookworms, Trichinella, & pinworms
  • Pseudocoelomates have fluid-filled body cavity partially lined with mesoderm
  • Pseudocoelom contains the body organs & provides hydrostatic skeletal support for muscles
  • Have long slender bodies that taper at both ends

  • Covered with flexible cuticle
  • Digestive tract with anterior mouth & posterior anus; called one-way digestive tract
  • Separate sexes in most species
  • Most are free living
  • Some are parasites on plants & animals
  • Ascaris is a parasitic roundworm living in the intestines of pigs, horses, & humans
  • Ascaris life cycle:
    * Enter body in contaminated food or water & hatch in intestines
    * Larva bore into bloodstream & carried to lungs & throat
    * Larva coughed up, swallowed, & return to intestines to mature & mate
    * Block the intestine causing death

  • Hookworm eggs hatch in moist soil & larva bore through bare feet of new host 
  • Trichinella are human parasites caused by eating undercooked pork containing the cysts
    * Cause disease called trichinosis
    * Cysts cause muscle pain & stiffness


 CYSTS IN CONTAMINATED PORK

Phylum Rotifera
Characteristics

  • Known as rotifers or wheel animals
  • Transparent, free-swimming microscopic animal
  • Freshwater & marine
  • Have a ring of cilia around mouth that rotates like a wheel to bring in food
  • Feed on unicellular algae, bacteria, & protozoa
  • Have a muscular organ called the mastax behind the pharynx to chop food
  • Nervous system composed of anterior ganglia & 2 long nerve cords
  • Show cephalization (head end)
  • Have 2 anterior, light-sensitive eyespots

Back

 

Scientific Method & Hand Size Lab

 

 

Using the Scientific Method

 

Introduction:

Humans are classified as a separate species because of all the special characteristics that they possess. These characteristics are controlled by strands of DNA located deep inside their cells. This DNA contains the code for every protein that an organism has the ability to produce. These proteins combine with other chemicals, within the body, to produce the cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, and finally the organism itself. The appearance of these organs, such as the shape of ones nose, length of the fingers, or the color of the eyes is called the phenotype.

Even though humans contain hands with five fingers, two ears, or one nose, there are subtle differences that separate these organs from another. There are subtle differences in a person’s genes that allows for these different phenotypes. In this lab, we are going to observe some of these differences in phenotype. All human hands look pretty much alike, but there are genes on your chromosomes that code for the characteristics making up your hand. We are going to examine two of these characteristics (hand width and hand length) and try to determine why these phenotypic differences occurred.

Materials:

  • metric ruler (see end of lab)
  • pencil
  • calculator

Procedures:

Day 1

  1. Choose a partner and have them measure the length of your right hand in centimeters. (Measure from the tip of your middle finger to the beginning of your wrist as shown in figure 1.)  Record your measurements in Table 1.
  2. Now measure and record the length in centimeters of your partners hand.
  3. Have your partner measure the width of your right hand, straight across the palm, and record the data in Table 1. (see figure 1.)
  4. Now measure & record the width of your partner’s hand.

Figure 1.

 

Table 1

 

Group Data on Right Hand Width and Length
Student Name Length of Hand (cm) Width of Palm (cm)

 

  1. After the entire class has completed Table 1, record your group data on the Class Data Table at the front of the room
  2. Record the Class Data Table information on your lab sheet’s Table 2.

Table 2

Class Data on Right hand Width and Length (cm)

Class Period:
Student Gender
(M / F)		 Hand Length (cm) Hand Width (cm)
1. M / F
2. M / F
3. M / F
4. M / F
5. M / F
6. M / F
7. M / F
8. M / F
9. M / F
10. M / F
11. M / F
12. M / F
13. M / F
14. M / F
15. M / F
16. M / F
17. M / F
18. M / F
19. M / F
20. M / F
21. M / F
22. M / F
23. M / F
24. M / F

Click for Class Data Table

Day 2

  1. In order to form a more accurate conclusion, the collection of additional data is necessary. Using the Class

. The teacher has the option to include the data from all the classes running this experiment. Below find tables that will allow the tabulation of several classes of data.

 

Table 3: All Classes Hand Length

Measurement of Hand length in cm. # of Males # of Females Total # ( Male + Female )
1.—————— ——————– ——————- ——————
2.—————— ——————- ——————- ——————-
3.—————— ——————- ——————- ——————-
4.—————— ——————- ——————- ——————-
5.—————— ——————- ——————- ——————-
6.—————— ——————- ——————- ——————-
7.—————— ——————- ——————- ——————-
8.—————— ——————- ——————- ——————-
9.—————— ——————- ——————- ——————-

 

Table 4: All Classes Hand Width

Measurement of Hand width in cm. # of Males # of Females Total # ( Male + Female )
1.—————— ——————– ——————- ——————
2.—————— ——————- ——————- ——————-
3,—————- ——————- ——————- ——————-
4.—————— ——————- ——————- ——————-
5.—————— ——————- ——————- ——————-
6.—————— ——————- ——————- ——————-
7.—————— ——————- ——————- ——————-
8.—————— ——————- ——————- ——————-
9.—————— ——————- ——————- ——————-

 

Line Graph the data from Tables 3 and 4. and then answer the questions that follow. Use the measurements of the width and length as your independent variable and the number of times that measurement appeared as your dependent variable.

Graph Tile: ___________________________________________________________

 

 

 

Analysis:

1. Examine the above graph. What is the shape of the line for hand length? _____________

________________________________________________________________________

2. What is the most abundant measurement for hand length? __________________.

3. What is (are) the least abundant measurement(s)? _________________________.

4. If we are to assign letters to represent the various lengths, what value(s) would we assign to the dominant genotype (HH)? ________________; the recessive genotype (hh)? ___________, and he heterozygous genotype (Hh)? _________________.

5. What would be the phenotypic name for the ( HH ) genotype? ___________________.

6. What would be the phenotypic name for the ( Hh ) genotype? ___________________.

7. What would be the phenotypic name for the ( hh ) genotype? ____________________.

8. Examine the above graph. What is the shape of the line for hand width ? ____________

________________________________________________________________________

9. What is the most abundant measurement for hand width? __________________.

10. What is (are) the least abundant measurement(s)? _________________________.

11. If we are to assign letters to represent the various lengths, what value(s) would we assign to the dominant genotype (WW)? ________________; the recessive genotype (ww)? ___________, and he heterozygous genotype (Ww)? _________________.

12. What would be the phenotypic name for the ( WW ) genotype? __________________.

13. What would be the phenotypic name for the ( Ww ) genotype? ___________________.

14. What would be the phenotypic name for the ( ww ) genotype? ___________________.

15. Are there any similarities in the graph of the above two characteristics? ____________.

16. If so, what are they? ____________________________________________________

17. Are there any differences in the graph of the above two characteristics? ____________.

18. If so, what are they? ____________________________________________________

19. Is there a difference in the length and width of the male and female hand? ___________.

20. Does the gender of a person have an effect on the phenotype of a trait? _____________.

Explain _________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

 

Cut and use:

________________________________________________________________________

 

Taxonomy PPT Questions

Taxonomy
ppt Questions

Classification

1. How many known species are there?

2. What percent of all organisms that have ever lived is this?

3. Are all organisms on Earth today identified?

4. Define classification.

 

5. What is another term for classification?

6. What do you call scientists that study classification?

7. Classifying organisms makes naming organisms more _____________ and _____________.

8. Classifying prevents ____________ or inaccurate naming.

9. Give two examples of misnomers and explain why they aren’t correct.

 

10. What language is used for scientific naming?

11. Sometimes, scientific names may be ___________ instead of Latin.

12. Why don’t scientists around the world just use more simple, common names for organisms?

 

13.What language is universally used by scientists for naming?

14. Who was the first taxonomist and what two groups did he place organism in?

 

15. How did Aristotle subdivide his two groups?

 

16. Who was first to use Latin for scientific naming?

17. What was the problem with Ray’s names?

18. What 18th century taxonomist developed the naming system still used today?

19. How did Linnaeus group his organisms?

20. Who is the “father of taxonomy”?

Binomial Nomenclature

21. What is Linnaeus’s naming system called?

22. Explain binomial nomenclature.

 

23. Besides Latin, what other language is sometimes used for scientific names?

24. How do scientific names appear in print?

25. What must be done to a scientific name when you are writing it?

26. Give an example of a common and scientific name for an animal.

 

27. Where can you find the rules for naming organisms?

28. All scientific names must be approved by ________________ ___________ ______________.

29. Why do naming congresses have to approve names?

 

Taxonomic Groups

30. What is a taxon?

 

31. What is plural for taxon?

32.There is a ______________ of groups that goes from the broadest grouping to the most _____________ grouping.

33. Name the 8 taxon in order from broadest to most specific.

 

 

34. What is the NEWEST and BROADEST taxon?

35. Instead of the taxon phylum, what other taxon is used for plants at this level?

36. What is the most specific taxon?

37. Write the sentence used to help remember the 8 most important taxonomic levels.

 

38. Complete the following taxonomic table:

 

Classification for Humans
Taxonomic Level Taxon
Domain
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species

 

Domains of Organisms

39. How many domains are there?

40. Name the 3 Domains.

 

41. What are the main characteristics of Archaea and Eubacteria?

 

42. What are the main characteristics of the Domain Eukarya?

 

43. What Domain of organisms probably evolved first?

44. Where do Archaea live? Give some examples.

 

45.Name an Archaean.

46. Where are eubacteria found?

 

47. Some bacteria cause ______________ but many act as decomposers & are important to the ______________.

48. Some members of eubacteria live in the __________ of animals.

Kingdoms

49. The Domain Eukarya is divided into how many kingdoms?

50. List the 4 kingdoms of Eukarya and tell what organisms are in each group.

 

 

51. Which 2 kingdoms contain all multicellular members?

52. List the main characteristics of the Kingdom Protista.

 

53. Microscopic organisms found in pond water are most likely in the kingdom _______________.

54. All members of the Kingdom Fungi are _____________ except for unicellular ____________.

55. What type of heterotrophic organism are fungi?

56. Explain what it means to be an absorptive heterotrophic.

 

57. The cell walls of fungi are made of ______________.

58. Members of the kingdom Plantae are all ________________ and _____________.

59. What do plants use as their energy to make food?

60. Name the food making process of plants.

61. Plant cell walls are made of _______________.

62. Members of the Kingdom Animalia contain all of the multicellular _____________ on Earth.

63. Animals are ______________ heterotrophs that feed on __________ or other __________.

64. Define ingestive heterotroph.

 

65. Complete the following table for characteristics of each kingdom:

Kingdom Organization Type of Nutrition Examples
Protista
Fungi
Plantae
Animalia

66. A Genera may contain a number of different ___________.

67. What Genera is an exception to this?

68. Which Kingdom has the largest number of different kinds of organisms?

69. What two groups are in the plant kingdom?

 

Basis for Modern Taxonomy

70. List three examples of things used as a basis for modern taxonomy.

     a.

     b.

     c.

71. What are homologous structures?

 

72. What is an embryo?

73. At the molecular level, similarities in ___________, __________, or the __________ __________ sequence of proteins can be a basis for grouping organisms together.

74. Give an example of homologous structures show similarities among organisms in the same taxon.

 

 

 

75. Name 5 organisms that have similar embryonic development. To what taxon do these organisms belong?

 

76. What is a cladogram?

 

77. Using the following cladogram, name the organisms that share 4 of the 5 characteristics.

78. What characteristic(s) do the grouper and lamprey share?

 

79. What characteristic is found in all the animals EXCEPT the lancelet?

80. What is a dichotomous key?

 

81. When using a dichotomous key, you should make sure you ___________ both characteristics and either ____________ the organism OR go to ____________ set of characteristics.

 

82. Use the following dichotomous key to identify the picture of each organism.

 

1a Tentacles present – Go to 2
1b Tentacles absent – Go to 6
2a Eight Tentacles – Octopus
2b More than 8 tentacles – 3
3a Tentacles hang down – go to 4
3b Tentacles upright–Sea Anemone
4a Balloon-shaped body–Jellyfish
4b Body NOT balloon-shaped – 5