1. What is a GM Crop.
GM crops are genetically altered crops to grow better or to produce larger crops.
2. List 2 arguments FOR the growing of GM crops
a)Hold an adequate source to feed the rapidly expanding population
b)Resistant crops
3. List 2 arguments AGAINST the growing of GM crops.
a)GM crops might pose health risks for certain people.
b)Harm the environment
4. Practice this simulation until you get the largest ears of corn. How many times did it take you?
It took me four turns to get the largest possible crop.
5. List two foods and describe how they are being modified.
a)Cheese: Scientists are now experimenting with making cheese out of rennet, and extract of purified milk.
b)Bananas: Scientists are testing with making bananas a vector for edible vaccines.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Epigenome
IDENTICAL TWINS: PINPOINTING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ON THE EPIGENOME
1. Often, the physical characteristics of genetically identical twins become increasingly different as they age, even at the molecular level. Explain why this is so. (use the terms "environment" and "epigenome")
A: Even though identical twins are identical, their experiences in their epigenome are the same and their environment changes as they grow up.
2. Name 3-4 environmental factors that influence the epigenome.
A: Diet, physical activity, exposure to toxins ,and stress.
3. What is an imprinted gene?
A: An epigenomic tag that was not cleared to a blank state.
YOUR ENVIRONMENT, YOUR EPIGENOME
1. Discuss factors in your daily life (ie. Diet, exercise, stress etc.) that could be affecting your epigenome
A: Parents' diet, my diet, my physical activity habits, parents' physical activity habits, non-smoking parents, lightly drinking parents.
LICK YOUR RATS
1. Explain how a high-nurturing mother rat shapes her pup's epigenome, and what that pup's response to stress will be.
A: Licking the pup will activate it's GR gene which helps to lower stress.
2. In rats, does licking by the mother activate, or deactivate her pup's GR gene?
A: Activate
3. Explain how cortisol and the GR protein work together in the brain to relax a rat pup. You may draw a diagram.
A: Cortisol and GR protien work together because during the fight or flight situation cortisol is released and binds to the GR protien that then releases a calming signal.
4. The rat nurturing example shows us how parental behavior can shape the behavior of their offspring on a biochemical level. Relate this to humans and think about the personal and social implications. Record your thoughts.
A: How much your mother shows that she is there for a child allows said child to become able to calm down faster and be able to talk to it's mother.
NUTRITION & THE EPIGENOME
1. Explain how the food we eat affects gene expression.
A: Nutrients from our food are turned into methyl groups and these methyl groups can harm or help us.
2. Can the diets of parents affect their offspring's
A: Certainly, if you take rats, one fat mother and one normal mother were fed differently, the fat mother got a healthy diet and the normal mother was fed fat rich diet and the fat mother's kid was fat and the skinny mother's kid was normal.
EPIGENETICS & THE HUMAN BRAIN
1. How does Dietary methyl influence gene expression?
A: Dietary methyl can influence gene expression because the brain would send signals to the body based on how healthy the food is for your body and the epigenome will add tags according to the signals that it receives from the brain and depending on how you eat a faster metabolism gene might be in your future.
2. Why do Toxins affect gene methylation?
A: Toxins can change gene expression because if a parent smokes, the child will keep the genetic experiences of smoking and it might change the appearance of the child or coil genes where they normally would be coiled, or relax a gene that would not normally be able to be relaxed or read.
1. Often, the physical characteristics of genetically identical twins become increasingly different as they age, even at the molecular level. Explain why this is so. (use the terms "environment" and "epigenome")
A: Even though identical twins are identical, their experiences in their epigenome are the same and their environment changes as they grow up.
2. Name 3-4 environmental factors that influence the epigenome.
A: Diet, physical activity, exposure to toxins ,and stress.
3. What is an imprinted gene?
A: An epigenomic tag that was not cleared to a blank state.
YOUR ENVIRONMENT, YOUR EPIGENOME
1. Discuss factors in your daily life (ie. Diet, exercise, stress etc.) that could be affecting your epigenome
A: Parents' diet, my diet, my physical activity habits, parents' physical activity habits, non-smoking parents, lightly drinking parents.
LICK YOUR RATS
1. Explain how a high-nurturing mother rat shapes her pup's epigenome, and what that pup's response to stress will be.
A: Licking the pup will activate it's GR gene which helps to lower stress.
2. In rats, does licking by the mother activate, or deactivate her pup's GR gene?
A: Activate
3. Explain how cortisol and the GR protein work together in the brain to relax a rat pup. You may draw a diagram.
A: Cortisol and GR protien work together because during the fight or flight situation cortisol is released and binds to the GR protien that then releases a calming signal.
4. The rat nurturing example shows us how parental behavior can shape the behavior of their offspring on a biochemical level. Relate this to humans and think about the personal and social implications. Record your thoughts.
A: How much your mother shows that she is there for a child allows said child to become able to calm down faster and be able to talk to it's mother.
NUTRITION & THE EPIGENOME
1. Explain how the food we eat affects gene expression.
A: Nutrients from our food are turned into methyl groups and these methyl groups can harm or help us.
2. Can the diets of parents affect their offspring's
A: Certainly, if you take rats, one fat mother and one normal mother were fed differently, the fat mother got a healthy diet and the normal mother was fed fat rich diet and the fat mother's kid was fat and the skinny mother's kid was normal.
EPIGENETICS & THE HUMAN BRAIN
1. How does Dietary methyl influence gene expression?
A: Dietary methyl can influence gene expression because the brain would send signals to the body based on how healthy the food is for your body and the epigenome will add tags according to the signals that it receives from the brain and depending on how you eat a faster metabolism gene might be in your future.
2. Why do Toxins affect gene methylation?
A: Toxins can change gene expression because if a parent smokes, the child will keep the genetic experiences of smoking and it might change the appearance of the child or coil genes where they normally would be coiled, or relax a gene that would not normally be able to be relaxed or read.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)