I have to start teaching a new module on Monday, Molecular Biology. My intro lecture has to grip the students (for many it is a dull subject). What would you curious folk like to know about DNA/Genetics that would get you hooked on the subject? Then I can steal your ideas to get my students excited. Help, I am drying up here!!

Humans have 23 Chromosomes and Apes have 24 right?

Having sat through a dull DNA lecture once i really feel for your students


why don't you just throw a sickie

Lleena said:

23 and 24 pairs, right. Humans 46 and apes 48.

Good link the students to gorrilas

p0pRocks said:

I'd love too No I wouldn't actually I want to at least give those that are interested a fighting chance. It's the whole term anyway, this is just lecture 1

PREDOMINANT said:

Tell them you wont take any "apeing" around in class.

So who has 47?

Lleena said:

like it (they are gonna hate me )

47? Nuttin, they come in pairs. one set from mummy and one from daddy so you can't have an odd number. Except in certain cases.

PREDOMINANT said:

2the9s?

Lleena said:

Shouldn't laugh but, yea I guess so

PREDOMINANT said:

How about they take swabs from each other and try to identify the culprit!!? There's always a culprit in every class!

PREDOMINANT said:

Oh well good luck, prepare for some sleeping students

I actually found it reallt interesting to tell the truth But then again i didn't have a whole term on it

PREDOMINANT said:

Trisomy 21?

VoicesCarry said:

Top of the class, that's exactly why you shouldn't laugh! Also Trisomy 13 and 18 too. All would result in 47 chromosomes.

PREDOMINANT said:

Yes, but trisomy 21 carries certain properties with it that I associate so closely with 2the9s.

PREDOMINANT said:

I dont know what that is.!

As for your lecture, do this:

-start a thread in GD and ask everyone here to write as much as they know about DNA
-print the results, bring 'em to class ---> instant fun!

VoicesCarry said:

That was kind of the idea!! But from the other angle - without humiliating orgers

Just watch CSI: Invesigation.

luv4u said:

Forensics?

PREDOMINANT said:

PREDOMINANT said:

Testing DNA to check if your father and mother are REALLY your parents.

luv4u said:

Paternity tests on Maury.

luv4u said:

We don't like to instal theese kinds of ideas in young students. They tend to come up with this on their own.

VoicesCarry said:

And 1/2 the time the girl lies on the show. Desparate for money.

Paleontolists in Great Britain have found, it is believed, a new species of dinosaur related to the T. Rex. Why not actually liven up the lecture by inviting along a T. Rex as a guest speaker?!

What I sometimes show students is a many-paged book. A thousand pages or so. Tell them to think that each page holds a thousand letters. Which makes a million letters in that book. Then say that you need approx 3000 books to equal the same amount of information which is contained by all chromosomes.
Of which there are 22 pairs plus X and Y
of which all are present in each cell in our body (except the ones you know, explain how & why later).
human body contains 3 zillion cells
And if you take all DNA contained in a human and lay it out in a straight line, you could go to the moon and back (or sumthing, dunno the exact comparison)

When a cell divides all 3 bill letters are copied for the new cell.

And then i usually would use some examples of when one of those 3 billion letters is wrong, you could get diseases like cystic fibrosis.

Alledged harmful radiation by cell-phones

99% of human and chimp DNA are homologues (more or less)
Only 30000 genes, many less then thought, examples of other organisms (flowers) with many more genes)

and other trivia i can't remember just now.

PREDOMINANT said:

have you ever done any work on Chromosonal disorders? ever heard of Turner Syndrome? that's what I have

AlfofMelmak said:

Good stuff!!

I will definitely use the book analogy (if I may?) it just so happens the core text is just over 1000 pages!

Some of the other stuff is outside the LO's but thanks for the help.

Talk about da different genes amongst humanz geographically!! How one can trace where their ancestorz came from, the life they led and da food they ate n stuff like dat. I read "The Seven Daughters of Eve" and it was incredibly interestingz!!

lilmissmissy said:

Mitochondrial DNA, Got Yaz