Download Cootie Central Dogma Activity

Ch. 13 Cooties Central Dogma Activity
Introduction: This activity is designed to give students hands-on experience with transcription and
translation. The goal of this activity is for students to model and understand the relationship between a DNA
code, a gene, a protein, and the effect of changes in gene sequences that influence physical variation in
organisms.
Materials: students should work in groups of 2
Cootie genome, answer sheet (each student must have their own), cootie body parts, cootie DNA (7 strips of
paper), genetic code, colored pencils
MAKE YOUR COOTIE
STEP 1: Get Your DNA
Your teacher will have set up a station with 7 containers. Each container is labeled with a different cootie
trait. Within each container is a piece of paper that represents a gene (segment of DNA that codes for a
protein) that will contribute to the formation of that particular trait.
1. Choose 1 piece of paper from each container; you will have a total of 7 pieces of paper.
2. Copy the DNA sequences from your pieces of paper onto the Cootie Genome worksheet.
3. After you have copied the DNA, return the pieces of DNA back to their respective container.
STEP 2: Transcription
4. On your Cootie Genome worksheet, transcribe your DNA sequences into mRNA sequences following
the complementary base pairing rules.
STEP 3: Translation
5. Use the Genetic Code table and translate your mRNA sequences into amino acid sequences.
Abbreviate the amino acids! Start with met (methionine) and stop as soon as you reach the STOP
codon.
6. Using TABLE 1 on the back of this worksheet, identify which specific body trait correlates to your
amino acid sequences and write this on the Cootie Genome sheet.
STEP 4: Cootie Construction
7. Using the information on the Cootie Genome worksheet, build your cootie. The body parts are
organized and separated into different containers with labels.
8. Once you have built you cootie, complete the rest of your worksheet. Draw and color the body traits
of your cootie. Name your cootie.
STEP 5: Clean Up
9. Take apart your cootie and organize the body parts back into the correct containers.
10. Turn in your worksheet.
Table 1: Cootie Genome
GENE
ALLELES
Amino Acid Sequence
BODY COLOR
Blue
Green
Red
Pink
ser-phe-tyr-trp
ser-ala-tyr-trp
ser-phe-gly-trp
thr-phe-tyr-trp
HEAD COLOR
Blue
Green
Red
Pink
arg-val-pro-phe
phe-val-pro-phe
arg-lys-pro-phe
arg-val-his-phe
TYPE OF EYES
Lashes
Plain
Swirls
Dots
ile-his-arg-leu
ile-his-his-leu
thr-his-arg-leu
ile-his-arg-ile
HEAD
ADORNMENT
Flat Antennae
Textured Antennae
Hat
Bow
ala-lys-gly-his
ala-lys-gly-cys
ala-lys-gly-tyr
ala-lys-gly-ser
TYPE OF
MOUTH
Lips
Buckteeth
Tongue
Curl
TYPE OF LEGS
Feet
Shoes
Rollerblades
Hands
NUMBER OF
LEGS
1
2
3
4
5
6
arg-ser-phe
arg-ser-thr
arg-ser-arg
arg-ser-ile
trp-cys-ser-val
val-cys-ser-val
trp-val-ser-val
trp-cys-val-val
phe
phe-arg
phe-arg-pro
phe-arg-pro-lys
phe-arg-pro-lys-leu
phe-arg-pro-lys-leu-ile
Ch 13 Cooties Central Dogma Activity
1. BODY
DNA
mRNA
A.A.
BODY TRAIT
2. HEAD
DNA
mRNA
A.A.
BODY TRAIT
3. EYES
DNA
mRNA
A.A.
BODY TRAIT
4. HEAD ADORNMENT
DNA
mRNA
A.A.
BODY TRAIT
5. MOUTH
DNA
mRNA
A.A.
BODY TRAIT
Name __________________________
6. TYPE OF LEGS
DNA
mRNA
A.A.
BODY TRAIT
7. NUMBER OF LEGS
DNA
mRNA
A.A.
BODY TRAIT
My Cootie’s Name