Unit 5 Reflection

The unit was about different types mutations like point mutation and the frameshift mutation. Also, I learned was the substitution, translation, and translocation. In this unit, I also learned about gene expression and regulation and Eukaryotic Regulation. The genetic code, walking the dogma, central walking dogma was also learned in this unit.

I learned that mutations are a change in the DNA code. I also learned that anything that causes a mutation. I learned about point mutation are a change in one or two base pairs of DNA. In frameshift mutation, there are 2 types insertion and deletion. Insertion is an extra base pair is put in the code. Deletion is a base pair is left out of the code. In other mutations, the inversion DNA breaks off and bonds in reverse order.

In gene expression, every cell in your body has the same DNA but not all cells look the same. Also, gene regulation is cells don't want to waste energy or overexpress genes, thus have a variety of steps used to control gene expression. 

Eukaryotic Regulation is also I learned about. It involves with Exons and Introns. After transcription sections of the gene are removed. Several proteins will bind before a gene and are required for the gene to be expressed. It needs more complex than bacterial regulation.

In the DNA Extraction Lab, I actually saw my own DNA. I found it interesting to see my own DNA.

Protein Synthesis Lab

1. The enzyme attaches to a piece of DNA called a gene.  The enzyme makes the copy of the DNA called mRNA. The mRNA goes out of the nucleus. The mRNA bonds with the ribosome. The ribosome reads the mRNA sequence and its codons. The codon correspond to a certain amino acid. Amino Acids are added together by the ribosome.  When the mRNA is finished the amino acids that are added together make a protein.

2.  The mutations that have the greatest effect are deletion and insertions. The mutation that has the least effect is a substitution.  The deletion and insertion  mutations have a bigger effect when it is near the beginning of the sequence because all the codons after the mutation will be affected.

3. In step 5 I deleted the first base pair because I believe it would cause the greatest change. There would be no start codon so the protein won't start where it usually does. Also, all of the codons afterwards would change  and make different amino acids. Since the mutation occurred in the beginning of the sequence,   the protein is changed more than if the mutation was at the end. If the mutation was at the end then not as many codons would be affected. 

4. Ectrodactyly is a disorder where humans have a cleft where the middle finger or the middle toe should be. As the result, the hands or feet look like claws. This caused by deletions in chromosome 7.

DNA Extraction Lab

In this lab we separated DNA from cheek cells in order to study it. I found the homogenization, lysis, and precipitation results in seeing my DNA.  First I swished the Gatorade in my mouth the Gatorade was the polar liquid. This was the homogenization stage. Next was the lysis stage. In this phase, I put soap and salt in order to emulsify the lipids and proteins of the cell. We further broke it down to the histones. Before the precipitation stage, we added the catabolic proteases which were pineapple juice breaks protein called histone. In the last stage, we added alcohol. The alcohol is nonpolar and polar is the mixture was on the bottom. I could see my DNA where the two mixtures came together.

My hypothesis was supports because in the nonpolar liquid we could see the DNA isolated because the DNA molecule was polar. While our hypothesis was supported by our data there could have been errors due to the group  doing the steps out of order. We could have added too much soap. We could have added too much pineapple juice.