Download Activity: Invasion of the Snorks

Activity: Invasion of the Snorks
Objectives:
1. Perform the steps of protein synthesis to determine the characteristics of a Snork.
2. Create appropriate sketch of the Snork based on characteristics coded for in the mRNA.
Background:
You and your crew are on a mission to the far off planet of Snorkland in a distant solar system. Your job is to find and study the Snorks.
Snorks live underwater and your job is to use your knowledge of DNA replication and protein synthesis to complete the study of this
organism. They are an interesting organism because when a sample of “blood” is taken from them, the sample only contains a single
strand of mRNA but there is evidence that they have DNA and it has two strands. You must analyze each mRNA sample and determine
the rest of their genetic information to determine what the Snork looks like based on the “blood.”
Snork Characteristic Reference Chart
Characteristic
Amino Acid Sequence
Val – ser – leu
Body Covering
Val – ser – lys
Tyr – pro – gln – gln – lys
Body Style
Val – pro- thr – gln –lys
Legs
Head shape
Tails
Leu – leu –leu –pro
Leu –leu –ser –ala
Ala – val – val
Val –ala –ala
His – ile
His – his
Desc.
Hairless
Hairy
Plump
Skinny
3 legged
2 legged
Round
head
Square
head
Tail
No tail
Characteristic
Body color
Eyes
Mouth
Ears
Arms
1
Amino Acid Sequence
Ser – pro – val
Val –phe -tyr
Asn –ile –leu –leu – pro- thr
Asn –ile –pro –pro –pro – thr
Description
Blue pigment (hair/skin)
Red pigment (hair/skin)
Small square eyes
Large round eyes
Val – asn – asn – ala
Asn –asn –asn – ala
Phe – ser- gln
Circular mouth
Rectangular mouth
Pointed standing up ears
Phe – phe – gln
Round floppy ears
Arg –tyr –cys –lys
Arg –arg – asp –thre
Long spaghetti arms
Short stumpy arms
Directions:
1. Create the data charts in your lab book. Make sure to leave enough room to have all of the necessary information present.
2. Using the mRNA from the Snork, find the missing strand of DNA belonging to the Snork. From what we know about the Snorks,
the base pairing rules are the same as us.
3. Code for the missing complementary strand of DNA for the Snork.
4. Getting back to the mRNA sample and using a codon chart, translate the mRNA into the amino acid sequence. Remember that
AUG is always the start codon and it signifies the beginning of each translation. UAA is a stop codon and signifies the end of
translation. The vertical lines in the mRNA help to separate the traits of the Snork.
5. List all of the traits that are coded for in the mRNA sequence and using this information, create a sketch of the Snork that the
sample was taken from and report this information to your commander. We have included some photos of these notorious
Snorks in this top secret document.
“Blood” Sample from Snork 1:
Sequences
Template DNA
Complimentary DNA
mRNA
TAC
ATG
AUG | GUC AGC AAA | UAC CCC CAA CAG AAA | CUC UUA AGU GCG |GCU
GUU GUG | CAU CAU | GUU UUU UAC | AAU AUC UUA CUG CCC ACC | AAU
AAC AAU GCC | UUU UCU CAG | AGA UAU UGC AAG | UAA
Amino Acids
Met
Traits
Start
2
“Blood” Sample from Snork 2:
Sequences
DNA
Complimentary DNA
mRNA
AUG | GUA UCU AAA | GUU CCU ACU CAA AAG | CUU CUC CUC CCC | GUU
GCG GCU | CAU CAC |GUA UUU UAU | AAU AUU CUU CUG CCC ACA | AAU
AAU AAU GCA | UUC UCG CAG | CGU CGC GAC ACU | UAA
Amino Acids
Traits
Snork 2 sketch:
“Blood” Sample from Snork 3:
Sequences
DNA
Complimentary DNA
mRNA
AUG | GUC AGC AAA | UAC CCC CAA CAG AAA | CUC UUA AGU GCG | GUU
GCG GCU | CAC AUU | UCU CCC GUA | AAU AUU CUC CUC CCC ACC | GUU
AAU AAU GCA | UUC UUU CAA | CGU CGC GAC ACU | UAA
Amino Acids
Traits
Snork 3 sketch:
3