Genetic Technologies - The good, the bad, the JUST PLAIN CREEPY!!!
Now that we understand how DNA is expressed as proteins and that DNA is a UNIVERSAL genetic code (meaning that it is read the same way in ALL living organisms, for instance, the codon AUG will ALWAYS code for methionine whether it is found in a human or a plant), we can look at how this understanding is applied to science TODAY!!
As an introduction we watched and discussed a series of videos about these genetic technologies. Tomorrow you will be reading a variety of articles about these technologies and reporting out to the class your findings. For today though - here were some of the videos and a brief description of my discussion that followed them.
First was a look at how Peter Parker gets his "spider powers." While this is not REAL (sorry to burst your bubble if you thought that A. Spider man is real or B. you have ANY chance of becoming spider man if you are bitten by a spider), it DOES take a genetic look at how it happens (again.... this COULDN'T happen like this!!!)
The idea is that Peter Parker is bit by a spider and somehow the DNA from the spider is integrated into his own DNA. There are a few flaws in this. The main flaw being that in order for DNA from one organism to be integrated into another would require this to happen in a GAMETE or the Fertilized zygote. Even if the spider DNA was incorporated into Peter's DNA, it would be limited to ONLY those somatic cells.....
Next up.... An old school look at cloning.
Before you were even THOUGHT of.... one of my FAVORITE authors, Michael Crichton, wrote the Jurassic Park books. The thing I LOVE about Michael Crichton is that he was a medical doctor. This meant that all his books, while fiction, had pieces of REAL science in them. The "Mr.DNA Video" took a really interesting look at DNA and the possibility of cloning. While the NEXT video showed why this is NOT possible (with Dino DNA), it IS a reality with other animals.
This information, though, does NOT stop people from CLAIMING to have cloned Dinosaurs.....
This is a great example of why you can't believe everything you see on the internet....
Ok.... SO - some REAL science is the cloning of mammals. Here is a news clip about the first MAMMAL cloned. A sheep named Dolly.
and what happens when we extend this to HUMANS?!?!?! Scary....
Some Less creepy and actually beneficial genetic technologies
More about this and other genetic technologies tomorrow!!!
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