Making a Baby!

Marriage Ceremony. There will be a short marriage ceremony. The long-term / lifetime commitment of a husband and wife bond is the preferred way to raise children. Place the married names of the parents on the data table that is provided to you. Get away in a secluded spot and get ready to make some sex cells.

Gametogenesis. Hold the chromosomes high in the air above your head. Drop them one at a time to the floor. If they don't twirl then drop them again. When they have all dropped to the floor carefully pick them up without turning them over and find a lab table where you can face each other, then organize them according to size. Your teacher will demonstrate how they should line up. Equal sizes should be across from each other as you face your partner. The sex chromosomes should be organized away from the 22 autosomal chromosomes. Keep in mind that you begin this exercise with the chromosome pair above your head, they twirl down to the floor and finally land.... only one of the pair face up.... this upward facing one of the pair represents the chromosome that ended up in the successful gamete that you have just produced. Yes, those 23 chromosomes that are all neatly lined up represent the contents your sperm or egg. Since you have your sperm and egg produced, it is time to mate!

Mating / Fertilization. Gently push the like-sized chromosomes toward each other at point halfway between you, pair them up according to size and number. This represents the moment when a new human potential is reached. A totally unique human is conceived!

Determination of child's sex. After conception, parents are always interested in determining the sex of their child. In this case the "husband" has pushed either an "X" chromosome or a "y" chromosome toward the middle (which ever dropped facing up) and matched it with the "wife's "X" chromosome. If an "X", then you have a beautiful little girl, if a "y", then a beautiful little boy! Give your child a name and record the name on your data sheet.

Determination of various genotypes. Do the same with all of the chromosomes. Carefully read the genes on the chromosomes and circle the resulting genotypes and phenotypes on the chart that is provided to you.

Making Birth Announcement. Finally, after all of the phenotypes have been determined you need to go home and make a birth announcement which will describe how proud you are of your offspring, and what he or she looks like. Use all of the traits / phenotypes that you have in the data table.

Draw the baby. Time passes, you get older, your baby is growing up! What does your baby look like now that he or she is a teenager? Make a full page drawing of your teenager's face using your best drawing ability. Color is necessary; some of the genes produce pigment!

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