Genetics Reflection

At the beginning of this unit, the word genetics did not mean anything to me. However, now it is a word that unfolds a whole new world of traits, alleles, heredity and DNA. This unit has allowed to discover the secrets of genetics and it's effect on the world. In this reflection, I am going to talk about the various activities we did during this unit and how they effected my knowledge.

To begin with, all the videos, activities and text book work taught we facts and the ways things work. Basically, they were my source of information. Inside them, there was descriptions, definitions along with the information that informed about genetics. It demonstrated and showed me a variety of definitions and "crammed" information into my brain.

Unlike the activities and textbook work, the class presentations taught me a lot about how genetics is applied to the real world. The many aspects where genetics took place simply fascinated me. From forensics to modified food, genetics was everywhere. Therefore, through these types of activities I learned the effect of genetics in the real world. Because I was given the opportunity to experience both of these effects, I could really understand the meaning of genetics and it's importance to us.

Unit Question: How are changes in the DNA giving us expected and unexpected results?

Your DNA is basically the code of life, your code of life. Inside, you have all of your mysteries, it is like a diary, tracing your life down from generations. As many of you know, your DNA can contain diseases, physical traits and many many more. However, when changes are seen in the DNA, people's life could be at risk, changes forever. As for the expected, diseases and various traits could get disrupted. If one out of the 3 billion letters is misplaced, a disease can be evoked changing the life of anyone. Mutations and other various dis functions also appear. As for the unexpected, anything can happen, its a mystery. As for the people around you, everything that happens with their body and DNA is unexpected. Weather it is a sort of distraction or mutation no one notices. But with this unit, I have learned all the power the DNA has over you, one little mistake, and there goes a persons life. Sad, but totally true.

As well as the DNA, science is beginning to influence the way society looks in massive amount. Now that I learn more and more, I begin to understand that science occupies most of the world. Maybe its too straight forward, but I speak the truth. So I can surely tell you, that whatever path science takes, the world is going on with it.

I believe that a technology or science institution does have the right to manipulate and experiment with genes and heredity of only it is for a good purpose and there is no space for failure. It is after all their job, to discover and experiment genes. Hopefully someday a discovery is going to be established, the one the world has been expecting for generations.

Human Ingenuity can play a great part in the area of genetics. The various innovations that are more common, affect every part of genetics. Weather is will impact genetics in a positive or negative way, it is up to the future to determine that. Genetics can surely be used in a positive way by helping people around the world with various problems. Weather it is stem cells and cancer prevention and treatment genetics can play a big role in any "theater". On the other hand, genetics can be manipulated. For example, modified food was a new idea but can impact peoples health in a very horrid way. After all, the future will always give us the answers.

In conclusion, I want to state that this unit was a massive success in opening my eyes and realizing that genetics is the key to your body. Throughout this unit, I became more aware of myself and the others around me.

Make the Right Call-Marble Lab

Analyze and Conclude:

2. According to the results in Part 1 of the project, all of the potential offspring will become blue due to the dominant alleles the mother has, that eventually overpower the recessive ones. Once you pick from each one you will basically have only one combination, which is Bb. Once you draw the Punnett Squares they will eventually reveal that all 100 % of the offspring will be blue which was my final conclusion. Every single one must be- Bb.

3. The Punnett Squares demonstrate that the division is split in half. Therefore, 50 % of the offspring will be heterozygous and the other 50 % percent will be homozygous. So basically the two possibilities that will surely appear are BB and Bb. I was actually stunned when I saw this, the Punnett Squares were true. When I re checked my final data, 50 % were heterozygous while the other half was homozygous, proving the squares true once again.

4. For the third part, there are three possibilities that can come from the offspring, BB, Bb and bb. However, the Punnett Squares are relied on mathematics but this model was just random and with luck. Therefore, the Punnett Squares state that 50 % Bb and 25 % of BB and bb. To prove this wrong, mine were not exactly as the square stated, yet very different.

5. I believe that even if we extended the whole project to 100 trials, the whole final test will depend on our picks. Every single time a new one is taken out, it is very random and can vary from every single pick. The Punnett Square shows the mathematical definition but we pick with "luck".

6. I believe that the Punnett Square and the model have similarities as well as great differences. The similarities are that they both show the possible allele off spring as well as the possibilities of having these specific off springs. However, there is also a great difference that separates the two. Punnett Squares show you the outcome in a factual and concrete way, also a mathematical way. However, the model and you picking from bags is simply luck and anonymous. You cannot really tell it exactly before you start picking. Over all, they are very similar yet they have this one separating difference.

Where will you be in 2031?

Now that we have started genetics and watched the Miracle of Life, we have been given an assignment in which we are supposed to wright about ourselves in 2031. So here is my letter to myself from 2031:

Dear David,

I am currently living in Barcelona where I play basketball for their first team. I came not so long ago from Sienna, where I played for Montepaschi. I currently live in a house near the beach with my family. Life is great and I earn about 700,000 euros per year, but I earned a lot more in the past. I attend practice as usual and also spend quality family time. As I have mentioned my career in sports is doing well and is aimed towards a great direction. I visit my family weekly so we are in close touch. There is nothing to complain about, living a dream! My wife is from Italy, where we met when I was in Sienna. So far, I have one child, his name is Josh. Hes 2 and really cute. I wouldn't give up my life for anything, the life in Barcelona is simply a dream. My dream did really come true. Playing basketball while living a fantastic life and being next to my family is a dream few people accomplish. Over all, my career is successful and me and my wife are happy with Josh.

Best Wishes,

Future David

See you soon!

Mitosis vs. Meiosis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK3eHNu9zsA&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1_-mQS_FZ0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaf4j19_3Zg&feature=player_embedded

http://faculty.clintoncc.suny.edu/faculty/michael.gregory/files/bio%20101/bio%20101%20laboratory/mitosis/mitosis.htm

At the beginning of this unit I was lost when someone would ask me this same question, how is mitosis different from meiosis? Well now I can answer it. To begin with, mitosis is asexual reproduction while meiosis is sexual reproduction. However, the both go through the same stages of the cycle but the end is what separates them into two. In mitosis, there are two daughter cells that have the same exact DNA strand, while in meiosis the 4 daughter have half of the chromosome or DNA strand. This happens because of the two parents giving half and mixing them together. In mitosis the organism can reproduce by itself while in meiosis two "parents" are needed. In meiosis you get one set of chromosomes from your mother and one from your father. Basically in mitosis, the organism reproduces by itself duplicating its DNA, while in meiosis you need the two gametes for the reproduction to occur. At the end of meiosis the daughter cells have mixed genes from both parents. Over all, I have learned and preserved a lot of the information. I am really glad I was able to learn this so quickly and effectively as well.

Cancer Warrior

In this One World essay the main topic is cancer, and medicine, and on how they actually affects our society. Before we were supposed to write this, I was assigned to watch a movie called Cancer Warrior. This movie specialized in the field of cancer medicine and demonstrated some new knowledge I never knew. It all started with the medicine that prevented the growing of the tumor. Throughout the short clips, many scientists combined their thoughts into what has been a major step in curing cancer. In order to establish this, they focused on many specific parts that I found fascinating they played such a big role. For example, the blood vessel business really amazed me. I never knew that they played a role in the evolution of the tumor. Turned out that if you stop them, the tumor potentially should not grow. Along with that, there were many more aspects that were fascinating but you will have to read on. In this essay you will experience and learn about the medicine that is so risky, yet so crucial for people’s survival.

As we all know, the crucial medicine we are in need of has its pros, but the medicine being tested has its pros as well. To begin with, I will talk about the benefits of the medicines released. Firstly and most importantly, they give the patients a sense of survival. They help in the tumor reduction process and could potentially cure your cancer. For example, the medicine in the video helped the reporter for a matter of months. Of we work on that, the medicine could help stabilize the cancer and eventually cure it. Next, I will tell the benefit of having the medicines tested before the human population can use it. To begin with, the medicine might have unwanted side effects that could possibly make the situation worse. Instead of curing, it would just work against the situation. In this way, the scientists check it before releasing it. Everyone wants to make sure it really works, and that’s when the volunteers come in handy. They are willing to risk their life for the sake of living, and that is what we should respect. I am sure that everyone wants the best for themselves, and this is what can allow you to do that. All together, there are many benefits when you look at it, whether the medicine is released sooner or later.

It has been controversial whether patients with serious illnesses should get experimental drugs but there is a big problem regarding this. Taking an untested drug is like risking your own life, the scientists and you do not know what to expect. It’s like entering a new world no one knows about. You do not what will happen to your body and your current situation. I can understand why this could potentially happen, but making the situation worse is not what we want to do. However, many people, as you can see, are willing to take that chance because they know they won’t live that much. But, sometimes waiting is the actual cure. After all, it’s an all or nothing situation, die or live.

In this next section, what will be discussed are the pros and cons of the fact that experimental drugs should be released before their full testing process is complete. To begin with, the cons will be opened to thought. Firstly, the drugs are not fully secure. Neither you nor the scientists know what will happen to you when the doses are given. It is a true mystery and many times the medicine has failed, leaving the patients with more problems to deal with. Some unwanted side effects would include losing of hair and internal problems. For example, a drug is released too early and has not been tested yet. Since many ill patients need the cure, doses are delivered to each one of them. Half way through the year, the scientists discover the medicine is bad for your health and is pulled back. However, now many people have suffered the consequences and have even bigger problems. This is the types of situations we want to avoid which leads us to the pros of the situation. There are many serious situations with lives on the end. A medicine that should work is released because of the great need. It has been partially tested and seemed to work. Once this is released the people adopt a feeling of hope and a chance of survival. Along with this, the product has seemed to be working and put a stop to the growth of the cancer and tumor. In this situation the experiment has worked and many lost lives have been saved. The risk has paid off and established a new era in medicine. These here in the example are the pros. A great success that was bound to happen. Over all, releasing a new experimental medicine is a risk that some take and some don’t. Sometimes luck will be on your side while sometimes it won’t. It’s life, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.

Next, I will identify the possible benefits of releasing a drug too early. As I have explained previously, the drugs released early have not finished their testing process but are identified as helpful ones. And out there are many cancer patients that have their life on the edge and are in desperate need of help. This drug is used to put a halt to the growing of the tumor. Turns out that it has helped the society and given them a sense of hope and personal confidence. This means the risk was worth it and the solution has. If the drug was released a little late, many people would have lost their lives and caused grief to their families. Releasing a drug early can save a lot of lives and be worth it at the end. Just imagine if two more months were added to the testing, hundreds might have died. After all, there is a big chance of the worse but sometimes it can save the whole world.

In this last part, I will talk about the risks the patients take when receiving doses of an untested drug. When taking a drug that has not been fully tested, the patient is basically risking his life. He does not know what will happen to him if he continues, but he hopes for the best. It has come to the point where either it will get worse or he will be cured. It’s the matter between life and death, to be or not to be.

In conclusion, I believe that this movie really taught me a lot about medicine and cancer and opened my eyes to this terrible disease. I can step into a patients shoes and feel their feelings. With this new information, I believe I have progressed in knowledge and feeling.

One World: "Cracking the Code of Life"

During the past week in science, we learned about the DNA, genes, various genetic diseases and the basic knowledge of DNA in your body. The highlight of our week however was the watching of the film called “Cracking the Code of Life”. This movie was about the human genome project that is a huge accomplishment throughout these years. When it is completed, we could potentially diagnose your lifetime diseases and problems. The movie demonstrates DNA information as well as teaching a moral point. I personally found this movie very interesting and exciting, teaching facts I could of dreamed knowing about. How can a person using the DNA define you? Define your illnesses. I simply was flattered by the fact your DNA could tell your life. However, this movie had some gloomy parts, but of course for the sake of you. I wondered how we could prevent them along the way, but that would eventually just come along with more work. Another aspect I was surprised by is the fact that you can have a possible disease of any of your family did. When this was mentioned, it surprised me, I never knew that diseases are carried or past on from your mother or father. Adding on to “Cracking the Code of Life”, we investigated DNA, mutations and other combining topics. After all, this weeks plan was filled with pumping experiments and projects.

“Cracking the Code of Life” taught me a lot of effective information that will come in handy throughout this unit. To begin with, I definitely learned about the DNA structure and its crucial information. For example, I learned that DNA is found in every cells nucleus and has the letters A, T, C and G. The A and T go together while the C and G connect. In this case, the opposite of T would be A and the opposite of G would be C. Connecting to the letters, we learned about mutations and how they affect a persons life. In this section of the movie I was intrigued on how the mutations form. There are 3 Billion letters in your DNA, and if one is “incorrect” a disease is likely to strike you. That is what the human genome project is all about; finding those errors so we can tell which disease is which. I was told to look at that one letter as a slant in the train tracks. If there is one problem, the whole train will fall, causing great danger. Secondly, I learned about DNA in your nucleus and how some of them are turned off in specific parts of your body. For example, the gene that resembles eyes is turned off in your skin cells. Due to that, you do not have eyes on your hands. This really fascinated me; I never knew that DNA was that complex and hard to understand. 3 Billion Letters that resemble your life and possible diseases. Along with all the useful information, some of the movie really confused. For example, I was confused when the two companies emerged. I did not comprehend whether the two companies were rivals or associates. The second part I did not comprehend is how their machines work and what they do to find these hidden secrets. Their machinery was obviously very deep and complex, but I did not understand how they worked. Overall, this movie was a crucial stage in my genetic understanding. Without it, I would not be to the stage I am at now. It surely taught me a lot of interesting information and surely blistered my curiosity on genetics.

For the last part of my essay, Mrs. M gave us three questions that will fulfill our conclusion.

1. Sequencing the human genome may bring to light a number of genes that are the basis for known genetic diseases or that predispose a person to a condition such as heart disease, cancer, or Alzheimer’s disease. Yet finding a gene for an illness many not lead to an immediate cure. Would you want to be tested to learn whether they had a genetic disease or predisposition if no cure was available? Why or why not?

I personally would like to get tested, because I believe that everyone has a right to know what is in their future. I would rather know if I’m expected to get a disease, which I’m not, than get it in the last second and wonder what it is. At that stage it would be a stage of panic than smooth treatment. Even if you potentially found out right now, a cure could be found and your disease could be prevented. When you put everything together, I would surely get checked, I would want to be aware of my future

2. Consider a scenario in which lab needs DNA samples for use in genetic testing studies. Researchers are searching for a variant of a gene that provides resistance to specific bacterial diseases. If the company finds this gene, it may be able to reproduce a drug to sell to people who have these diseases. Would you agree to have you DNA be part of the study? Why or why not? Would you want royalties for your part in finding the gene? What if during the testing, the company discovered you had a gene that might result in a health problem later in life? Would you want to be informed? Why or why not?

As I said in the first question, I would give my DNA for testing. I would the first one in line to help the world, and save many lives. My DNA would surely be given, in hope for the best results and cures. If the cures were potentially found, I would surely ask for honor and royalties. Without my DNA, they could not have done and I surely need to be honored for that gift. After all, my entire DNA was a huge part in that experiment. Even if they discovered a possible disease, I would not be gloomy but well aware of what going to happen in my life. It better to know in advance and possibly find a cure, than to find out later in life and evoke panic. As I said earlier, I would surely want to be informed and be aware of my life.

3. As more is learned about genes, there is a risk that the information will be used to define certain members of society by their genetic makeup. Identify the meaning of the terms genetic discrimination and genetic privacy. What are some ways to protect against this type of genetic discrimination?

Genetic discrimination and genetic privacy are two common aspects of genetics. However, we are trying to enforce genetic privacy rather than destroy genetic discrimination. When you look at it, genes are what describe you as a person. It is your own confidential file. You do not want anything to look through it, just you and trustful people. However, someone might sneak into them. You do not surely want this to happen. That is an example of genetic discrimination. The only way to stop it is with security. Your file is for you only, a personal document, a whole lifetime worth of. Genetic privacy is what you want, to feel safe in your surroundings. Over all, there are many ways to stop discrimination, privacy is what you desire.