Download PS Webquest

NAME_______________________
DNA and Protein Synthesis WebQuest
A.Topic: Overview Go to: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/inheritance/traits/
Click on “What is a trait?” at the top and go through the animation. Answer the questions.
1. What are the different types of traits that can be inherited?
2. Give an example of a physical trait that can be influenced by the environment.
3.. Give an example of a behavioral trait that can be influenced by the environment.
4.. Give an example of a predisposition to a medical condition that can be influenced by the
environment.
5.. How can two parents WITHOUT hitchhiker’s thumb have a child who DOES have a hitchhiker’s thumb?
6.. What is the definition of complex traits?
B.Topic: Replication and Protein Synthesis
Go to: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/dna/# and click on DNA Workshop Activity
Click “protein synthesis” (upper right). Click “upzip”.
1. How much of the DNA molecule actually unzips in a real cell?
Base pair the nucleotides for just one half of the DNA. Read the script, answer the questions, and click “OK”.
2. About how many bases would a real mRNA molecule have?
3. Where does the mRNA go now?
Match the tRNA molecules to their base pair nucleotides on the mRNA. Answer the questions.
4. Which molecule has the codons?
5. Which molecule has the anticodons?
6. What molecules are attached to the tRNAs?
Click “OK” and continue matching the tRNAs. Read the script, answer questions, and click OK”.
7. Where does the first tRNA go?
Continue matching and answer questions.
8. How long will a real polypeptide chain get to be?
9. When does translation of the mRNA end?
C.Topic: Protein Synthesis
Go to: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/molecules/transcribe/
Click the button that says “click here to begin”
Use the keyboard to type the bases that would form the mRNA.
Follow the instructions to determine the order of the amino acids.
1. List the order of your amino acids.
2. How did the process know to end?
Read the script on the right side of the webpage.
3. Describe the process of transcription.
4. Describe the process of translation.
D. Topic: mRNA
Go to: http://www.wisc-online.com/objects/index_tj.asp?objid=AP1302
Read the animation page by page – just click the “next” button when you are ready to move on.
1. How does the mRNA leave the nucleus?
2. Is just one mRNA molecule made? Explain.
3. How many amino acids does each codon code for?
4. Describe the structure of a tRNA molecule.
5. Where does the energy to form the peptide bond between two amino acids come from?
6. Can a single mRNA be read more than once? Explain.
Now go to this site:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/dna/#Click on “DNA Workshop Activity” and a window pops up.
Click
on “DNA Replication” button and just follow the instructions of dragging the bases over to match into pairs to replicate
(copy) a portion of the DNA molecule into two identical copies.
What is the matching sequence you created?
C
A
T
__ __ __
G
G G
C
T C
C
__ __ __ __ __ __ __
Now on the same interactive window where you put together the DNA click on: “Protein Synthesis” (upper right button). This is
where you transcribe DNA to RNA and then have a ribosome read each ‘Codon” (which is triplet of nucleotides/bases), in order to
put the amino acids together to form a protein! This process is called translation.
When you transcribe DNA into an RNA molecule did you notice there is no Thymine in RNA? There is a different nitrogen base called
Uracil which is symbolized by the letter “U.” RNA is single stranded instead of double like DNA and is active outside of the nucleus.
When you complete the messenger RNA copy from DNA it will show you leaving the nucleus and thread itself through a ribosome
(which itself is mostly made of RNA). Follow directions and match up the codons of messenger RNA “mRNA” with anti-codons of
transfer RNA “tRNA”. They are complementary A with U and G with C. Read the text that pops up to understand it better.
What are the three amino acids you strung together for the protein (“polypeptide chain”)?
___________________ & __________________ & _____________________
Now go to this site: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/dna/firefly/
What Makes a Firefly Glow? An animated example of transcription and translation.
Read the information in animation to answer the following questions. Watch the animation and click on the “play” and
“more” buttons to continue through it.
1. What is the name of the enzyme (protein) that makes fireflies glow (generate light)?
_______________________________
2. What protein copies the luc gene into messenger RNA? ___________________________________
3. What is the process of making RNA copies of DNA (genes) called? ______________________________
4. After the mRNA copy of luc gene moves into the cytoplasm; what organelle is going to read it to make it into the
glowing protein? ___________________________
5. What is the process of making proteins called? __________________________
6. State two reasons why fireflies glow (stated the text below the animation panel):
#1 ______________________________________________________________
#2______________________________________________________________
Now please go to this site:
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/dna/transcribe/
For fun you can attempt to transcribe DNA into RNA and then translate the RNA
into an amino acid chain (a protein).
Follow the directions of the interactive program.
Cells use the two-step process of transcription and translation to read
each gene and produce the string of amino acids that makes up a
protein. The basic rules for translating a gene into a protein are laid out
in the Universal Genetic Code.
What is the amino acid sequence you created?
_______________ & _______________ & _______________ &
_______________ &
_______________ & STOP CODON.