Hunting Repetitively for Significant Sequences
This lesson uses the information in the previous page. You can click on the link on the top of this page to get to it. Click for zip file of Word© materials for this activity.
Summary: A number of neurological disorders are caused by the abnormal repetition of certain trinucleotide microsatellites sequences. In this activity students will be introduced to microsatellites and how they are used in studies to detect diseases or to detect differences between populations. (All the information needed for this activity is included on the previous page.) Students will be given examples of sequences contained in 3 gene loci within chromosomes of their gametes. (The examples of 20 different gamete types are included under "Classroom Materials".) The students must pair with a person of their choice with a gene profile of the opposite sex and figure out whether their offspring is likely to suffer from a known disease, and if so to describe it. They will then be asked to answer ethical questions involving their genotype as a group of two. During the last ten minutes of the lesson the teacher will facilitate a discussion about the 5 most important positive and negative effects of newly introduced genetic technologies.
Objectives:
- Define microsatellite DNA
- Describe inheritance patterns of diseases affected by microsatellites.
- Identify moral and social issues related to genetics.
Activities:
- Lecture/Discussion
- Group work
- Class discussion with final conclusions
Procedures for group work:
1. Cut out the pages from the "classroom materials" page and fold into four.
2. If the student has a male card he/she should pair with a student with a female card and vice versa.
3. Students should answer the questions on the card in their pairs.
4. At the end of the activity they will discuss their conclusions.
National Science Education Standards:
Content standard C: 5-8: Reproduction and heredity; 9-12: molecular basis of
heredity; content standard F: progress in science and technology can be affected
by social issues and challenges.