Sessions+7+and+9

Day 3: Continuity of Life, Natural Section  Session #7: The Gene is the Basic Unit of Inheritance   …connected to…   Day 4: Continuity of Life, Genetics   Session #9: Mutations Alter Genes and are the Source of New Variation **Session Leaders:** K. Joy Karnas and ??? FOSS Populations and Ecosystems Investigation #8 (Adaptations)  -    Variation is the range of expression of a feature in a population  -    An adaptation is any trait of a organism that helps it survive and reproduce in its environment  -    Variation in a population helps the population survive when the environment changes FOSS Populations and Ecosystems Investigation #9 (Genetic Variation)  -    Gene are the basic units of heredity  -    Genes code for features of organisms  -    Genotype vs. phenotype **Other Activities**  -    Paper clip activity to illustrate mutations and pattern recognition of enzymes  -    Crime scene gel electrophoresis to illustrate how variations in a populations are used to solve crime (very popular exercise from year 2)  -    Use of yeast strains carrying various mutations and environmental pressures (e.g. UV light) to explore the effects of mutations on organism survival **Outline of Activities:** Day One (Session #7) 1.   Simulation to determine the transfer of genetic information during breeding and the traits that result (FOSS #9) 2.   Describe interaction of dominant and recessive alleles (FOSS #9) 3.   Use Punnett squares to predict the proportion of offspring that will have certain traits (FOSS #9) 4.   Investigation of how genetic alterations arise (Paper clip activity) Day Two (Session #9) 1.   Science Application (Crime scene gel electrophoresis) 2.   Explain how adaptations help organisms survive in a specific environment (FOSS #8) 3.   Set-up yeast experiment 4.   Reflect on patterns in biology **Rationale:** Understanding the concept of a gene, its structure, inheritance patterns, and the effects of genetic alterations is key to understanding both the diversity of life, how different organisms are suited to different environments, and how traits expressed by members in a population can change over time. These two sessions bridge earlier sessions that deal with reproduction and survivability to later sessions that explore adaptations and natural selection. I will be interested to see the FOSS simulation of the transfer of genetic information during breeding and possibly use this as the introduction to the topic. The paper clip activity is useful in illustrating the types of genetic mutations that can arise and how these mutations can drastically alter a population. It also connects to the crime scene investigation on the second day that uses gel electrophoresis to visualize differences in nucleotide patterns. In consultation with Andre Walther (CCC), the Science in Motion program has developed a yeast study that explores the effects of gene mutations on the ability of a yeast population to survive environmental challenges (UV light), and I think this would be a great way for teachers to investigate the effects of mutations and the danger of UV exposure. Finally, a discussion of patterns in biology will be a nice way to pull together things that the teachers have learned in this session, as well as other sessions (e.g. flower structures).