MYSTERIOUS MONSTER LAB



Mysterious Monster Lab

Background Information:

Genes are the units that determine inherited characteristics, such as hair color and blood type. Genes are the lengths of DNA molecules that determine the structure of polypeptides (the building blocks of proteins) that our cells make. The sequence of nucleotides in DNA determines the sequence of amino acids in polypeptides, and thus the structure of proteins.

In a process called transcription, which takes place in the nucleus of the cell,

messenger RNA (mRNA) reads and copies' the DNA’s nucleotide sequences in the

form of a complementary RNA molecule. Then the mRNA carries this information

in the form of a code to the ribosome, where protein synthesis takes place. The

code, in DNA or mRNA, specifies the order in which the amino acids are joined

together to form a polypeptide. The code words in mRNA, however, are not directly recognized by the corresponding amino acids. Another type of RNA called transfer RNA (tRNA) is needed to bring the mRNA and amino acids together. As the code carried by mRNA is "read" on a ribosome, the proper tRNAs arrive in turn and give up the amino acids they carry to the growing polypeptide chain. The process by which the information from the DNA is transferred into the language of proteins is known as translation.

In this investigation, the student will simulate the mechanism of protein

synthesis and thereby determine the traits inherited by the fictitious organism

called the Mysterious Monster (MM) whose cells contain only one chromosome. Its

chromosome is made up of 6 genes (A, B, C, D, E, and F), each of which is

responsible for a certain trait.

Problem Questions:

1) What is determined by the DNA base sequence on a chromosome?

2) How can the amino acid sequence determine the characteristics of an organism?

3) If there is a change in the DNA sequence, what are the possible effects?

Procedure:

1) To determine the trait for gene A of your MM, fill in the information in the box

labeled Gene A in the Data Table. Notice the sequence of nucleotides in the

DNA. In the space provided, write the sequence of nucleotides of mRNA that are

complementary to DNA.

2) In order to determine the sequence of amino acids, match each mRNA codon with the specific amino acid in Figure 1. Using a hyphen (-) to separate each amino acid number, record this information in the appropriate place in the Data Table.

3) Using Figure 2, find the trait that matches the amino acid sequence. Record this information in the appropriate place in the Data Table.

4) Repeat steps 1-3 for the remaining genes. (B through F).

5) Using all of your inherited traits, sketch your MM in the space provided.

The Genetic Code (mRNA)

[pic]

Mysterious Monster Lab

|mRNA Codon |Amino Acid |

| |Number |

|UGG |15 |

| |15 |

|UCG |14 |

|GCU |2 |

|UUG |4 |

|GCG |3 |

|CCC |5 |

|UCC |7 |

|UUU |8 |

|AAA |9 |

|CCA |12 |

|AUA |13 |

|GGG |1 |

|UAG |6 |

|GAU |10 |

|CCU |11 |

Figure 1

Data Table (I)

|Gene A |Gene B |Gene C |

|DNA |GGA CGC CGA |DNA |AGG AGG AGC |DNA |ACC GGA TAT |

|mRNA | |mRNA | |mRNA | |

|Amino Acid | |Amino Acid | |Amino Acid | |

|Sequence | |Sequence | |Sequence | |

|Observed | |Observed | |Observed | |

|Trait | |Trait | |Trait | |

|Gene D |Gene E |Gene F |

|DNA |TAT CGA |DNA |ACC GGT CTA |DNA |TTT AAC |

|mRNA | |mRNA | |mRNA | |

|Amino Acid | |Amino Acid | |Amino Acid | |

|Sequence | |Sequence | |Sequence | |

|Observed | |Observed | |Observed | |

|Trait | |Trait | |Trait | |

Mysterious Monster Portrait

Data Table (II)

|Gene A |Gene B |Gene C |

|DNA |GGA CGC CGC |DNA |GGG AGG ATC CGC |DNA |ACC GGA TAT |

|mRNA | |mRNA | |mRNA | |

|Amino Acid | |Amino Acid | |Amino Acid | |

|Sequence | |Sequence | |Sequence | |

|Observed | |Observed | |Observed | |

|Trait | |Trait | |Trait | |

|Gene D |Gene E |Gene F |

|DNA |TAT CGA |DNA |TAT AGC ACC |DNA |TTT AAA |

|mRNA | |mRNA | |mRNA | |

|Amino Acid | |Amino Acid | |Amino Acid | |

|Sequence | |Sequence | |Sequence | |

|Observed | |Observed | |Observed | |

|Trait | |Trait | |Trait | |

Mysterious Monster Portrait

Data Table (III)

|Gene A |Gene B |Gene C |

|DNA |GGA CGC CGA |DNA |GGG AGG ATC CGC |DNA |ACC GGT TAT |

|mRNA | |mRNA | |mRNA | |

|Amino Acid | |Amino Acid | |Amino Acid | |

|Sequence | |Sequence | |Sequence | |

|Observed | |Observed | |Observed | |

|Trait | |Trait | |Trait | |

|Gene D |Gene E |Gene F |

|DNA |GGT AGG AAA |DNA |ATC ATC CTA |DNA |TTT AAC |

|mRNA | |mRNA | |mRNA | |

|Amino Acid | |Amino Acid | |Amino Acid | |

|Sequence | |Sequence | |Sequence | |

|Observed | |Observed | |Observed | |

|Trait | |Trait | |Trait | |

Mysterious Monster Portrait

Data Table (IV)

|Gene A |Gene B |Gene C |

|DNA |GGA CGC CGC |DNA |AGG AGG AGC |DNA |ACC GGT TAT |

|mRNA | |mRNA | |mRNA | |

|Amino Acid | |Amino Acid | |Amino Acid | |

|Sequence | |Sequence | |Sequence | |

|Observed | |Observed | |Observed | |

|Trait | |Trait | |Trait | |

|Gene D |Gene E |Gene F |

|DNA |GGT AGG AAA |DNA |TAT AGC ACC |DNA |TTT AAA |

|mRNA | |mRNA | |mRNA | |

|Amino Acid | |Amino Acid | |Amino Acid | |

|Sequence | |Sequence | |Sequence | |

|Observed | |Observed | |Observed | |

|Trait | |Trait | |Trait | |

Mysterious Monster Portrait

Name______________________________________________ Period _________

Analysis Questions for Assessment of Mysterious Monster Lab

ANALYSIS QUESTIONS:

1. Label the diagram of the DNA nucleotide shown below. Use the terms base, deoxyribose, and phosphate.

[pic]

2. Give the base sequence of the complementary DNA strand for the strand below

Original DNA strand: TAC - GCC - AGT - GGT - TCG – CAC - ACT

Complementary strand:

3. Give the base sequence of the strand of mRNA read from the original DNA

strand.

Original DNA strand: TAC - GCC - AGT - GGT - TCG – CAC - ACT

mRNA (Use U’s no T’s):

4. Using the mRNA codon wheel or chart, give the amino acid sequence of the protein fragment coded for by this mRNA.

5. If the fourth nucleotide (base) in the original DNA strand were changed from G to C, what would the base sequence of the resulting mRNA?

Original DNA strand: TAC - GCC - AGT - GGT - TCG –CAC - ACT

mRNA, after change:

6. What would be the amino add (protein) sequence resulting from this change? (Use codon chart)

7. If a point mutation in the original DNA strand causes the 6th nucleotide (base) to be replaced with a G, what would be the mRNA sequence?

Original DNA strand: TAC - GCC - AGT - GGT - TCG - CAC - ACT

new mRNA:

8. What would the resulting amino acid sequence be? (Use codon chart)

9. If a G were added to the original DNA strand to create a mutation after the third nucleotide (base), what would be the resulting mRNA sequence?

G

Original DNA strand: TAC - GCC - AGT - GGT - TCG - CAC - ACT

new mRNA:

10. Why is this type mutation called an insertion?

11. What would be the resulting amino acid sequence following the insertion in #9? (Use codon chart)

12. If the 8th nucleotide (base) in the original DNA strand were mutated from G to C, what would be the resulting mRNA sequence?

Original DNA strand: TAC - GCC - AGT - GGT - TCG – CAC- ACT

new mRNA:

13. What would be the resulting amino acid sequence? (or codon chart)

14. How would this change affect the production of this protein?

15. Use the following terms to label the lettered diagram below:

transcription replication translation

DNA — (A) —— >DNA — (B) —— >mRNA —— (C) —— > protein

(A) ________________ (B) ________________ (C) _______________

-----------------------

A

|Amino Acid Sequence |Trait |

|15:11:13 |Hairless |

|15:12:13 |Curly Hair |

|15:12:10 |1 Leg |

|13:14:15 |2 Legs |

|13:2 |Tusks (like elephants) |

|12:7:8 |Fangs |

|5:7:6:3 |5 Eyes |

|9:8 |Warts on Body |

|9:4 |Scales (like fish) |

|11:3:2 |Orange Skin |

|11:3:3 |Green Skin |

|6:6:10 |Wings |

|7:7:14 |Protruding Eyes (stick out of head) |

Figure 2

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download