Download Objectives / Concepts

Title of Lesson: Biotechnology And Biomedical Engineering
Grade level / course: High School
Objectives / Concepts
Lesson Abstract: Students will learn about Cells, DNA, genes, and their function
through a hands-on demonstration about simple DNA extraction from a common item
using simple chemicals and programmed simulations. Also they will learn about
applications of these concepts by learning about Gene cloning using Bacteria.
Standards Addressed: NA
Objectives: Students will understand DNA, genes, and expression, as well as the
structure of DNA and a way that bacteria are used for gene cloning in Biomedical
Engineering.
Prerequisite knowledge: Prior to this lesson, students must be able to:
 Calculate using basic operations
 Perform basic mouse manipulations such as point, click and drag
 Use a browser for experimenting with the activities
Teacher preparation: Make sets of required ingredients for the lab set up, each selfcontained so that the students don’t spill. Pre blend onions?
Required Materials
(What and how much)





Bicycle pump
Plastic tubing
Ballons
Water
Soda/Water bottles
with a hole for the
tubing
Media (software, websites,
overhead, transparencies,
video, etc)
 Internet access
 PowerPoint
(instructor)
Equipment (computer,
display, OHP, VCR, etc)


Projector
Computers
Safety (Precautions and reminders)
Watch students to make sure they follow instructions with handling the experiment at the
end of the lesson, be careful with the isopropyl alcohol.
Time
IceBreaker
9:00-9:10
Presentation Outline
Event
Overview/Lesson Preview
Cosmic Voyage Video Clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxXf7AJZ73A&feature=related
Building blocks are simple materials used in the construction of larger, more complex objects
For living things, the smallest unit of life is cell. In relation to the size of our world and the
size of the universe, they are specks within specks within specks, but they are still the
foundation for life.
Introduction: The cell is the basic building block of life
 All living things from bacteria, to fish, to trees are made up of at least one cell.
DNA, Genes,
The cell is made up of its own “organs” called organelles. Animal and Plant cells are the two
Cells, and
major kinds of cells, and differ by their organelles. Let’s look at some examples of them.
the Body
 Cell Wall (plant): Hard wall around plant cells that protects them in addition to their
cell membrane, but prevents them from moving easily.
9:10-9:30
 Cell membrane (both): Layer of fatty molecules that allow in nutrients and serves as a
barrier from things that aren’t wanted or are harmful (i.e. sickness).
 Cytoplasm (both): Watery, gel-like fluid that fills the cell. Nutrients are dissolved here
and it holds all organelles. It also supports some needed chemical reactions, like
glycolysis which helps mitochondria with aerobic respiration for energy production.
 Vacuoles (both): Membrane pockets throughout the cell used for storage. Plant cells
generally have one large vacuole at the center of their cell, while animal cells have, if
any, small ones scattered throughout the cell.
 Endoplasmic Reticulum (both): Organelle that is used to transport new organelles,
proteins, etc. around the cell, especially from nucleus to cell membrane or cytoplasm;
Made up of rough and smooth section, rough being lined with ribosomes to produce
proteins.
 Ribosome (both): organelle that is found throughout the cytoplasm of cells, used in
protein production. They are small factories where RNA is sent with code to be read
for protein production. This code tells molecules called tRNA to gather amino acids
(components of proteins) to build the proteins or organelles.
 Mitochondria (both): Organelle that uses a chemical process to generate energy for the
cell. They are like a power plant for the cell and use sugar to make a molecule used to
supply energy to reactions that the cell needs.

Golgi Body (both): Organelle that seals proteins in pockets of membrane for storage,
sorting, or other processes. Looks like the Endoplasmic Reticulum, but it is different i
function.
 Chloroplasts (Plant): Organelles used by plants for photosynthesis, which creates
sugars to be used to make energy. Are the reason plants’ leaves look green, the
chlorophyll in the inner structures (called Thylakoids) that is used to trigger
photosynthesis gives them the green color.
 Lysosome (both): Small membrane sack that contains enzymes and chemicals for
“trash disposal”; dismantles proteins and waste that is brought to it. The way certain
white blood cells fight infections is by eating the bacteria, virus, fungus, etc and then
dumping them into these to destroy them.
Continue to add to this list as needed or wanted
 Nucleus (both): Organelle with a double membrane like the cell membrane. It holds th
DNA of the cell, organizes protein production with mRNA, which leaves the nucleus
through holes in the membrane. When a cell divides, the DNA becomes bundled up
into chromosomes.
DNA and
Extraction
Simulation

9:30-9:55

Discuss DNA and it’s structure
o Introduce the building blocks of DNA
 Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine, and Thymine are nucleotides and make up
our genes. They pair A with T and C with G. Reading one side of the
DNA for the code - and reversing the other – gives the code for the
types of proteins the cells are supposed to make for each gene, which is
how our genes are expressed.
 RNA is used as a reader for the DNA and a messenger of its codes to
the ribosomes for protein production. It has the same nucleotides as
DNA, except that Thymine is replaced with Uracil.
 Used to make needed proteins in the cell as well as for on
organelle production where an accumulation of proteins are the
combined into the organelles that the cell needs.
Introduce the Sim: Load page and explain.
o DNA Can be extracted from everything, as you have seen in your classes. We’
do this virtually now
o Follow steps @
http://www.biologycorner.com/worksheets/DNA_extraction.html
o Commands for the program:
 A to cut the onion,
 S to blend the onion,
 D to Add a Salt/Detergent solution,
 F to add Isopropyl Alcohol,
 G to add DNA Buffer/Meat Tenderizer Sol.,

BREAK
 H to filter the beaker's contents,
 and J to transfer 2ml of the solution.
o Make sure to add the right amounts of solution, or the Sim resets, because if
you did this in real life, you wouldn’t be able to see the DNA at the end.
Resume the Sim after each text box comes up; it pauses.
BREAK!!!
9:55-10:10
Bacteria and Introduce Bacteria:
 Plant and Animal cells are from a type of cell called Eukaryotes, but there are also
Gene
Bacteria which are from a type of cells that are called Prokaryotic.
Cloning
 Bacteria have a few types of behaviors: there are those that eat other cells, those that
Intro
produce their own food and have something like benign symbiosis (like Lactobacillus
in our intestines), and those that are Pathogens that cause problems by producing
10:10 –
toxins that hurt organisms in their surroundings.
10:40
 Bacteria lack most organelles, like a nucleus, and they have both a cell wall and
membrane. They have plasmids, small loops of genes that are separate from the rest of
the Bacterial chromosome.
 Bacteria have the abilities to take in bits of DNA left around them, like loose plasmids
and add it to their own genetic code, thus allowing them to mutate quickly.
Introduce the beginning of Gene Cloning: We can use the mutation abilities of Bacteria to
change their behaviors, thus making them useful tools. By using altered plasmids (called
“vectors”), we can change a bacteria to become a factory for proteins for things like insulin or
antibiotics, or we can use it to make copies of genes that we want. Show video of the process:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acKWdNj936o
 Use Program to reinforce the ideas introduced in discussion. Walk students through th
process:
o Explain the Controls:
 Use A to insert plasmids,
 S to change to the first solution,
 and D to change to the last solution.
o Explain the process:
 Slow down the timing
 Insert plasmids. Some bacteria will take in plasmids, some will not.
 Move bacteria to the new solution. Bacteria without plasmids will die,
those with will make copies of themselves.
 Move bacteria to the final solution. The insulin gene in these plasmids
will cause the bacteria to produce insulin.
Explain applications for medicine:
Making Antibiotics
What is
BME?
Blood
Vessel
Demo
10:40-11:00
What is
BME?
Blood
Vessel
Demo
11:00-11:50
See Cornell’s Doc for more information on procedures.
Introduce with demo about arteries and heart function.
 Fill a soda bottle that has holes in the cap with water,
 connect tubing, one set with a balloon “capillary,” one of just tubing,
 connect tubes to bottles with holes in top, feeding tube through until it reaches the
water below.
Explain how having a flexible blood vessel allows for constant pressure in the blood stream,
making better blood flow possible. When the tubing (inflexible blood vessels) is used, blood
flow is reduced (air acts as blood, bubbles in water shows “blood pressure,” and that blood is
flowing.
 Demonstrate by pumping air through respective tube tracks
Talk to students about what BME is:
 Read definitions, explain with simpler meanings
 Describe specific examples of BME practices:
o Medical Imaging
 Includes researching better methods of using imaging technology for
medical treatment and diagnosis.
 Also deals with researching better imaging technology and methods to
improve the practice, such as for Cancer diagnosis.
 Video 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12ZD9Kuga7k
 Video 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCrETR1LjgU&feature=relmfu
o Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Implants:
 Includes designing prosthetic limbs for amputees and those born
without those limbs.
 Can design implants like ear and eye implants to help improve someon
with impaired vision or hearing
 Show Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=fvwrel&v=ppILwXws
Mng
 Video 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDD7Ohs5tAk
 Video 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmNpP2fr57A
o Pharmaceutical Research and Development
 Includes developing new medicines, like working with vaccines
(Pharmaceutical Engineering).
 For our purposes, also refers to tissue engineering (making tissue from
small amounts of cells) and genetic engineering (working with gene
manipulation, such as engineering plague-resistant crops).
 Video 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8GZ3Wmm9Ps
 Video 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-hBh8o5MNU
News: http://www.dukehealth.org/health_library/news/new-breast-cancer-drug-halts-tumorgrowth-better-than-standard-therapy
Reflections
11:50-12:00
What is the basic building block of life? What are the two types of cells? What kind of cell ha
almost no organelles?
What are some types of organelles in a cell? Which one holds DNA? Which one serves as an
energy producer? What are some plant cell organelles that aren’t in animal cells?
What makes up DNA? What does DNA do? What is a Gene?
How can Bacteria be used to clone Genes? Why would this be something important?
Assessments
Pre assessment:
Formative Assessment:
Summative Assessment (if applicable):
Bibliography
Footnoted list of resources used in support of the lesson