Build your own DNA
|
Build your own DNA
|
|
| Subject
Area |
Biotechnology |
| Age
or Grade |
12th Grade |
| Estimated
Length |
50 minutes |
| Prerequisite
knowledge/skills |
Definition of an organism, definition of DNA |
| Description
of New Content |
Describe functional units of DNA and how they interact. |
| Goals |
Give students a concrete model of DNA structure to refer back to in future lessons. Get students to grasp how main functional groups interact. |
| Materials
Needed |
Colored construction paper. Scissors. Tape. Paper clips. Access to the internet. |
|
Procedure
|
Opener Today, you will build a model of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) that represents how DS (double-stranded) DNA is copied. You have four different colors of construction paper to represent the four nucleotides: Red = Thymine Blue = Adenine Remember A-T pair Yellow = Cytosine Green = Guanine Remember C-G pair Development Part 1 Build a SS (single-stranded) DNA that has the following sequence: TTACGCTCACCA. Part 2 Build a SS (single-stranded) DNA that has the following sequence: AATGCGAGTGGT. Part 3 Using paper clips, connect the two chains so that the nucleotides are correctly paired. Part 4 Using plain paper, make labels for the ends of the strands. Label both A ends as 5'. Label both T ends as 3'. We will use these models to copy DNA. Since DNA looks different to enzymes based on the way the sugars are oriented we have to label the direction of each strand. Closure Put your model away with a sheet of paper with all of your group members' names. We will use this model again in other classes. |
| Evaluation |
Each group/student is graded on the accuracy of their strand. |
| Extensions |
Before next class, watch the DNA replication movie at http://henge.bio.miami.edu/mallery/movies/replication.mov This is an overview of how DNA is copied. We'll get into the details the next time we use the model. |
| References | http://henge.bio.miami.edu/mallery/movies/replication.mov |