Unit 5 Reflection

       In this unit, I learned about the central dogma of biology which is when DNA transcribes to RNA in which that translates to protein. This is my strength in this unit because what we learned in the last unit really help build the subject of this unit. I learned how information flows from different parts of cells to make one complete thing and this when learning how proteins are made. The information, which was given to me, was quite easy to get because it is a fun subject to learn about. Though, in the unit, the last section was very hard for me to understand. The last section was about gene expression and regulation. When listening to the vodcast it made some sense to me, but when studying it for the final that is coming up, I had a trouble time. This subject was a setback for me until Mr. Orre reviewed it for us in class. Diagrams of gene regulation was very helpful for me and soon I successfully understood what was happening.

       From these experiences, I learned the different ways I should study for the biology final. Before reviewing gene expression and regulation, I did not realize how important diagrams are and how they can really help clear things up about a specific subject. From doing the infographic last unit, I learned different techniques in reviewing multiple subjects at a time. The act of making an inforgraphic is a good way to study because the pictures and words summarize important topics in a chapter or unit.

       I want to learn more about the different molecules that help contribute with the process of creating a protein. I wonder about many things when learning biology, but I mostly wonder about where we come from, and how do we know what we know is true. Last unit, I did this test called, Vark Questionare. Vark Questionare helps you know what your strengths are and how one should study a subject using your strengths to increase the learning process. After taking that test, I felt like I already knew how to study and what techniques I should do. There was no new information that I learned about myself when looking back at the results. There are no unanswered questions I have in this unit and I feel confident for the final next week.

Protein Synthesis Lab

       Mutations could affect my life greatly. If a mutation were to be in me, I would not live the same, but that depends if it is a mental of physical mutation. If it were a physical mutation, it would not affect me as much as a mental mutation because I would not think the same and I would have a different education than everyone else. Tay- Sachs disease starts as a mutation that causes in which deterioration in nerve cells that affects a human's mental and physical abilities. This disease can be notified in the first 6 months of a baby and there are various symptoms to tell that a baby has the disease. This concludes the analysis of the Protein Synthesis Lab

       Making a protein requires multiple steps. These steps include the process in which DNAtranscripts to  RNA then the RNA translates into a protein. The procedure of copying DNA to RNA is called transcription, this process is done to make the section of DNA copied by mRNA. In the second step of making protein, is when the mRNA leaves the nucleus to travel to a ribosome in which it makes an amino acid sequence. This chain of amino acids binds up to create a protein. This process is called translation and it is the final step of making a protein.

       In step 7, I chose to do the mutation, Insertion. I did that type of mutation earlier in the DNA sequence to test if the location impacts the strand. I think that it did not change the sequence as much as the controlled mutation earlier in the lab but it still had great effect to the proteins. It sometimes matter where the mutation occurs but it depends on the type of mutation that is affecting the strand.

       At times, mutations in the DNA may occur due to chemicals being exposed to the DNA. There are some mutations that have no effect when making a protein but there are some mutations that completely change the DNA sequence in which it soon thens messes with protein synthesis. If the mutation occurs early in the section of DNA, it may have a larger impact. Though, that mostly depends on the type of mutation that occurs. I believe that the Deletion as well as Insertion has the most impact on the strand of DNA. The least impacted mutation to DNA is Substitution.

Human DNA Extraction Lab

       In this lab we asked the question, " How can DNA be separated from cheek cells in order to study it?" I found out that DNA could be extracted from cheek cells. When adding detergent, salt, enzyme, and cold alcohol to my gatorade solution, I observed my DNA rising up to the surface of the alcohol layer. This observation helped strengthen the scientific ideas behind it from our lecture notes in each vodcast we were assigned in class. This data supports my claim because DNA extraction is the process of homogenization, lysis, and precipitation. When I added the enzyme to the gatorade solution, I saw faint activity in the mixture, but then I added the layer of alcohol which made the DNA in the test tube visible. The type of enzyme that was used in the experiment was protease. 
       While my hypothesis was supported by my data, there could have been errors due the lack of not scraping enough cheek cells for the gatorade mixture. This error affected my results because the was little DNA to be observed after adding the cold rubbing alcohol. I looked at other students' DNA and there were much larger chunks of the DNA to be recognized. Due to this error, in future experiments I recommend to get enough of one material that is needed for a lab test and I also recommend to stay completely focused on the lab and try your best not to get off task.
       This lab was done to demonstrate the steps for the extraction of DNA and strengthen our skills with DNA. From this lab I learned a lot about the main sequence that happens when DNA is extracted and how it works. This helps me understand the concepts and vocabulary for this unit. Based on my experience with this lab I can use this information to try this experiment at home. This concludes the Human DNA Extraction Lab.