Download CHONPS Creature Creation

CHONPS Creature Creation Activity
Class Set-No Writing Please!
A mad scientist has been at work here in Parker, Colorado. He has created a special strand of DNA. He wants to
insert this strand into a fetal cell culture where the DNA, with the help of various enzymes, will then be
transcribed and translated into specific proteins. His hope is that the fetal cell will divide and divide, and a
creature will eventually be “born” with those specific traits coded for by the proteins that were made. He plans to
name his creature CHONPS. Why is this significant?
A young scientist gets a copy of this CHONPS DNA code on paper. It is your task to transcribe and translate the
DNA. Then use the attached charts to figure out what this CHONPS will actually look like. You then will create
your creature on cardstock by drawing, coloring, and clearly illustrating his or her traits. You must embellish your
creation as it must not just be a 2-D drawing. You must also include some sort of “scene” for your creature like a
day at the beach or at the prom. A 3-D model would be great as well and does not require a “scene”.
You will be transcribing and translating the left side of DNA only! Use the following chart to find out which amino
acids the mRNAs is coding for. Then determine the complementary tRNA that will bring that amino acid to the
ribosome in order to assemble the protein. You must complete the tRNA anticodon strand as well in order to
receive credit for this portion of the assignment.
If the MRNA codon is…
UUU, UUC
UUA, UUG, CUU, CUC, CUA, CUG
AUU, AUC, AUA
AUG
GUU, GUC, GUA, GUG
UGU, UGC
UGG
CGU, CGC, CGA, CGG, AGA, AGG
GGU, GGC, GGA, GGG
AGU, AGC, UCU, UCC, UCA, UCG
CCU, CCC, CCA, CCG
ACU, ACC, ACA, ACG
GCU, GCC, GCA, GCG
UAU, UAC
CAU, CAC
CAA, CAG
AAU, AAC
AAA, AAG
GAU, GAC
GAA, GAG
UAA, UAG, UGA
Then the amino acid it codes for will be…
Phenylalanine
Leucine
Isoleucine
Methionine-start; proteins always begin with this
Valine
Cysteine
Tryptophan
Arginine
Glycine
Serine
Proline
Threonine
Alanine
Tyrosine
Histidine
Glutamine
Asparagine
Lysine
Aspartic Acid
Glutamic Acid
STOP
Note: Methionine is an amino acid that codes for START. It is the signal that a new protein is about to be built.
Every protein you make will begin with methionine. There are three codons for STOP: UAA, UAG, and UGA.
They are signals to the ribosome that the protein is finished being built and it will detach from the ribosome.
Use the following chart to determine what traits are being coded for by the proteins that the CHONPS DNA
specified. If you have transcribed and translated correctly, you will have seven traits for your creature.
If the Amino Acid Sequence is…
Glycine-serine-threonine
Cysteine-tryptophan-arginine
Isoleucine-aspartic acid-glutamic acid
Phenylalanine-isoleucine-valine
Phenylalanine-isoleucine-cysteine
Phenylalanine-isoleucine-alanine-tyrosine
Alanine-tyrosine-histidine
Isoleucine-cysteine-tryptophan
Isoleucine-tyrosine-histidine-glycine-leucine
Phenylalanine-isoleucine-tyrosine-serine
Phenylalanine-isoleucine-tryptophan
Isoleucine-tryptophan-arginine
Isoleucine-arginine-glycine
Isoleucine-glycine-serine
Phenylalanine-isoleucine-histidine-arginine
Phenylalanine-isoleucine-glutamine-threonine
Phenylalanine-isoleucine-arginine
Isoleucine-serine-proline
Isoleucine-threonine-alanine
Isoleucine-alanine-tyrosine
Isoleucine-histidine-glutamine-serine-tryptophan
Phenylalanine-isoleucine-glycine
Phenylalanine-isoleucine-serine
Phenylalanine-isoleucine-proline
Phenylalanine-isoleucine-threonine
Isoleucine-glutamine-asparagine-lysine
Phenylalanine-isoleucine-asparagine-glycine
Phenylalanine-isoleucine-lysine-cysteine
Isoleucine-Asparagine-lysine
Isoleucine-lysine-aspartic acid
Phenylalanine-isoleucine-aspartic acid-tryptophan
Phenylalanine-isoleucine-glutamic acid-serine
Then the Trait being coded for is…
Two eyes
One eye
Three eyes
Hairless
Straight hair
Freckles
Short nose
Long nose
Female
Striped skin
Curly hair
Plump
Skinny
Two legs
Polka-dotted skin
Yellow skin
Hairy
One leg
Three legs
Six legs
Male
Red hair
Black hair
Brown hair
Orange hair
Needs glasses
Blue skin
Green skin
Big ears
Big mouth
Orange skin
Red skin
Make sure to mark the traits that you have determined your creature to have on your code sheet.