WWLPT

"Fishing for Microsatellites"|
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I Was a Teenage Microsatellite:
Teacher’s Notes
Background

Level of Activity

Material Prep

Procedure

Printable File

 

Student Worksheet

 

| Background | Level of Activity | Material Prep | Procedure |
| Printable File Format |

Background

Before completing this activity in your classroom your students should have some comprehension of the following concepts.

  • Students should be familiar with the structure of DNA nucleotides and some details regarding the bonding of nucleotides creating the double stranded DNA helix including an understanding of the difference between the 5’ and 3’ end of the DNA strand.

  • Students must be familiar with DNA replication including the different forms of strand formation as DNA polymerase moves away from the origin of replication.  More specifically, they should 1) know that “continuous” replication occurs downstream from the replication origin on the 5’ to 3’ strand and upstream of the replication origin on the 3’ to 5’ strand while 2) discontinuous replication occurs upstream from the replication origin on the 5’ to 3’ strand and downstream of the replication origin on the 3’ to 5’ strand.  Furthermore, the discontinuous strands that form are called Okazaki fragments. 

Level of Activity

The activity is designed for AP Biology, IB Biology, or second year biology students.  May be applicable in certain first year Honors Biology programs.

Material Preparation

Construction Paper Preparation

Write the individual trinucleotide or tetranucleotide sequences given in the table below on the appropriate color of construction paper.  Also, make sure to make the appropriate number of sequences for the microsatellite repeats.

Red Paper

1 CTA

4 CAAT

1 TCG

1 GAT

4 GTTA

1 AGC

Green Paper

1 CTA

5 CAAT

1 TCG

1 GAT

5 GTTA

1 AGC

Blue Paper

 

 

 

1 GAT

5 GTTA

1 AGC

Student Worksheet

You may wish to create space between the questions on the Student Questions page so that they have more space to fill in complete answers.  To do so you must download the one of the formatted copies of this document.

Procedure

Kinesthetic Activity Procedure

  1. The Parental Strand of DNA

  2. Simulating DNA Replication

  3. Slip-Strand Mispairing creating an Increase in Microsatellite Repeats

  4. Slip-Strand Mispairing creating a Decrease in Microsatellite Repeats

| Background | Level of Activity | Material Prep | Procedure |
| Printable File Format |
 
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