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MAKE A MAMMAL PROJECT
Biology: Cell and Genetics
Written by: B.E. Shapiro Zoo Magnet, NHHS
Adapted by: E.S. Snider SOCES
Motivator: What does it look like? Draw a mammal with five important
traits, based on the DNA strand given to you.
Version 1
Objectives: Upon completing this project students will be able to
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Understand the job of DNA in the creation of proteins (protein synthesis)
Explain and show how DNA, RNA and Ribosomes are used to make proteins
Have a vocabulary of genetic and protein synthesis vocabulary
Decode strands of DNA to determine characteristics based on proteins
Create an original picture to represent the DNA sequences and characteristics
Understand that DNA codes for proteins that make traits in organisms
Standards: Cell Biology: 1. Life depends on many chemical reactions that happen in specific parts of
cells called Organelles. To understand this, you must know:
CB1d: the main idea (Central Dogma) of molecular biology shows how information moves from DNA to
RNA during Transcription, and Translates into proteins on ribosomes in the cytoplasm.
CB1h: the major groups of (macro) molecules: Proteins, Carbohydrates, Nucleic Acids and Lipids; and
how these are built from smaller parts.
Genetics: 4 Genes are a set of directions located in the DNA of each organism that explain the exact
series of amino acids in proteins. To understand this, you must know:
G4a: the general way ribosomes create proteins, using tRNA to translate genes that mRNA carry.
G4b: how to predict the unique proteins a series of DNA represents using RNA codons.
G4c: changes (mutations) affect DNA, and may or may not change an organism or its proteins.
G4e: how proteins are formed from amino acids.
Genetics: 5 A cells genetics can be changed by bringing in DNA from other cells.
G5a: the general shape and way DNA, RNA and proteins are used.
G5b: the pairs of bases, how DNA makes exact copies of itself, and the way DNA is transcribed to
mRNA.
Expected outcomes: Students will make a picture of a mammal based on a DNA code.
Each group will decode a DNA strand, locate five proteins for mammalian traits and show the
traits in the above mentioned picture.
DIRECTIONS AND PROCEDURES:
You are Professor Charles Xavier, a scientist in charge of the top secret “MAMMAL
PROJECT.” The goal of this project is to recreate an image of the mammal from the DNA
database that shows the proteins and characteristics each protein represents.
You are given a strand of DNA called Strand X (the downstream or complimentary, noncopied strand) of an unknown mammal. You must reproduce the DNA of this animal and find
the proteins that it makes from this DNA. Each protein creates a different characteristic in the
mammal that you must show.
1. Get out the page titled DNA Strand X: Mammal 1. Notice the DNA and RNA is listed in
columns, as below. These are really one continuous strand.
DNA A
DNA X
mRNA
tRNA
Amino Acid
2. DNA X  DNA A: When you have finished that, you will recreate DNA strand A by pairing
the DNA X with it’s complimentary (partner) base pair (A with ) (G with ). Finish the
whole DNA Strand A before moving on.
3. DNA A  mRNA: Match the DNA Strand A with the partner mRNA in the third column.
Remember in RNA A matches with ___, and T still matches ___, C and ___ still match. Notice
the pattern between Strand X and the mRNA. It will speed up the process if you use the mirror
idea for quick copying.
A
T
A
C
G
T
A
T
T
U
A
U
G
C
G
C
G
G
T
A
C
G
G
C
G
4. Cut out Introns: Part of the mRNA does not leave the Nucleus. These parts are called
INTRONS. There are 5 introns in the mRNA strand. They follow one of two patterns:
UAUGCGCGG
or
UAUGCGGCCCUA. .
You must find all FIVE and put a single line through them (see left), because they are not used
in making the proteins.
5. mRNA codon  Amino Acid: With this done, you should have sets of 3 base pairs called
CODONS ready to be made into Amino Acids as they match with tRNA. Use the sheet titled
CODONS FOUND IN MESSENGER RNA to Create Amino acids FIRST for each set of 3
mRNA bases. Put these in the column labeled Amino Acids using only the first 3 letters of
each, or add an A to the end if it is an Acid. . Ex: Leu is Leucine, Lys is Lycine and Asp is
Asparagine, but AspA is Aspartic Acid and GluA is Glutamic Acid.
6. mRNA codon  tRNA anticodon: Finish by matching the tRNA ANTICODON to the
mRNA CODONs (A with __) (G with __).
7. List proteins: You should now have a series of amino acids. These are not necessarily
proteins. All proteins start with the amino acid Methionine and end with a STOP codon.
Locate the 5 chains of Amino Acids and list them on a separate sheet of paper
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2.
3.
4.
5.
Met MetMetMetMet-
-
-
-
- STOP
- STOP
- STOP
- STOP
-STOP
8. Draw the organism: Using the traits listed below, match them to the sequence of amino
acids listed below, write the characteristic next to the sequence you wrote down in step 7, and
choose the characteristic that matches.
Met-Thr-Cys-Pro-Try-Gly-Tyr-Stop
Met-Thr-Cys-Glu-AspA-Iso-AspA-Thr-Stop
Met-Ala-Gly-Ser-Glu-Thr-Phe-Stop
Met-Val-GluA-Glu-Iso-Arg-Cys-Pro-Arg-Stop
Met-Leu-Ser-Iso-His-Arg-Stop
Eyes near center of face (like you)
Long fur
Short limbs (legs/arms)
No canine teeth
1 Horn