Download Human vs

Human vs. Zebrafish Timeline
Name
Per.
Introduction:
From the article, Zebrafish Genome Found Strikingly Similar to Humans
http://www.sci-news.com/genetics/article01036.html
According to a paper published in the scientific journal Nature, 70% of protein-coding human genes are related to genes found in
the zebrafish (Danio rerio), and 84% of genes known to be associated with human disease have a zebrafish counterpart.
Orthologue genes shared between the zebrafish, human, mouse and chicken genome (Kerstin Howe et al)
The team developed a high-quality annotated zebrafish genome sequence to compare with the human reference genome. Only two
other large genomes have been sequenced to this high standard: the human genome and the mouse genome. The completed zebrafish
genome will be an essential resource that drives the study of gene function and disease in people.
Zebrafish are remarkably biologically similar to people and share the majority of the same genes as humans, making them an
important model for understanding how genes work in health and disease.
“Our aim with this project, like with all biomedical research, is to improve human health. This genome will allow researchers to
understand how our genes work and how genetic variants can cause disease in ways that cannot be easily studied in humans or other
organisms,” said study senior author Dr. Derek Stemple of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute.
Zebrafish research has already led to biological advances in cancer and heart disease research, and is advancing our understanding of
muscle and organ development. Zebrafish have been used to verify the causal gene in muscular dystrophy disorders and also to
understand the evolution and formation of melanomas or skin cancers.
Directions for Activity:
1.
Using two side-by-side notebook pages (or an 11” x 17”), draw 9-10 horizontal lines to create a timeline. Write “Day 0” on the
top line, on the left end. Measure 2 inches and make a tick mark to the right of Day 0 and write “Day 1”. See the example below.
More 
2.
Plot the remaining days (Day 2, Day 3, etc.) two inches apart on timeline until you reach the end of the last line.
3.
View these 2 websites on Zebrafish Development (stages). Type carefully, or download this document from the calendar and
click the link.
Early stages: http://www.neuro.uoregon.edu/k12/Table%201.html
Later stages: http://www.neuro.uoregon.edu/k12/Table%202.html
4.
Below the timeline, plot the Zebrafish developmental stages.
For example:
5.
At 0.2 hour, plot “1-cell stage”
At 0.75 hour, plot “2-cell stage”
View the website below on Human Development (stages). Type carefully, or download this document from the calendar and
click the link.
http://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/images/e/e5/Human_Carnegie_stage_1-23.jpg
6.
Above the timeline, plot all 23 human developmental stages of the timeline.
For example:
At 1 day, plot “human stage 1”
At 3 days, plot “human stage 2”
Debrief Questions
a. What are 3 things you notice about the development of zebrafish compared to that of human development?
b. What are some similarities between the two types of development?
c. What is the main difference between the two types of development?
d. Based on your answer to the question above, why do you think this is the case (i.e., what would cause the time
it takes for development to occur to be different between these two organisms?
e. How does this evidence support the theory that organisms share characteristics (i.e., suggest common
ancestry), but have changed across time (evolved from earlier forms)?