Digital LAB: blood cell, impact of DNA

the instruction is in the document. I need you to answer the question from 1-21.

Main points

❏      Be sure to make a digital copy of this LAB and change the filename part of mckendricksj to your last name and first initial.

❏      Do all work on this document and turn in the digital document.

❏      Review the questions.

❏      BE SURE TO READ THE WHOLE DOCUMENT

❏      If there is trouble there are other resources such as video and text.

❏      Understand that a cell is essential and a micro-machine.

❏      Understand what DNA is and what it does.

❏      Understand the protein codes and transcription and translation done by RNA.

❏      Understand the impact of DNA and RNA on our daily and long term lives.

❏      The information contained here assumes you do not know these things.

❏      The answers are based on what is here in this document.

The idea in this section is to give an overview of the connections of the cells. Then to assess the basic skills of observation by checking the reading and viewing digital images. It assumes you have learned about the cells and the DNA basics already and can recognize common structures and know the functions already. If you have not, there is enough information in this document as well as a video, and two references notes docs to gain a bigger or  better understanding. Those are assessed in questions 1-20. In the end we have an understanding of a cell and that  DNA is a structure, which stores data, the cell is a micro-machine. Both are not just sitting/static, they are in fact carrying out a function automatically by timed actions as well as responses to the environment.  This concept goes far beyond a basic/simplistic view of DNA as a blueprint for life. That explanation is inadequate. Especially when we know that DNA is reactive code and what it can do is amazing.

Take for example all life for 3.5 billion years as we know it is built on the basic model of  DNA and RNA.That means it is a module which works for every life which ever was. Next to consider is the idea that DNA stores a lot of information in a very small package. For humans, that is a binary code of 3 billion base pairs for a combined 6 billion parts times estimates between 35 and 100 trillion cells. Now the next number is stunning, a human with an approximate average estimate of 72 trillion cells which is 2 meters of DNA in each cell equaling 72 trillion meaning in a human body there may be 154 trillion meters of DNA or for the imperial system in the United States 462 trillion feet of DNA in a human body but it could be more. That is a lot of data instructions which respond and do things.

Beyond the basic structure of the Cell, DNA, and amazing reactive storage we are able to see DNA in the small for question 21 which focuses on the idea of your own DNA being reactive to life you live. This is far beyond knowing the parts. It is knowing what the parts do, make proteins, and also react to give us life experience such as being happy, hungry, and loving as well as many other things.

The cell is currently described as the smallest or fundamental unit of life. It is stated currently because there is a lot of innovative and predictive work which is beginning to see that simple definitions of things such as life are limited to what can measure and what has been discovered. That is, the basic theory of life states that life has metabolism, growth, response, self regulating stable processes, heredity, reproduction, and cell(s), However, we may not see all that there is. That is,  if we consider the many forms that life may take here or way out in space there is a strong possibility that we do not know enough to define all life everywhere. That is exciting because we may have so much still to discover. Now back to the basic idea about the cell called cell theory, a cell is the smallest fundamental unit of life and:

1. The cell has a membrane. That means it is closed to a certain extent to things. It has an inside.


2. Inside the cell are a variety of organelles which have a function within the cell.


3. A cell has DNA which stores commands for use to produce proteins which function as tools.


4. A cell has processes which function to store, feed, change, and replicate.


5. A cell self regulates.


6. A cell has respiration which is the intake, the processing, and waste of resources.


7. A cell exists as a single unit or joins with other cells.

When viewing cells we may refer to the two basic parts such as animals or plants. However, there are some which are not part of either. For example, fungi. This albeit helpful for the LAB is a very simple explanation of what a cell is about. For the purpose of this LAB section, the basics are all that is needed. 

 For information there is a series of videos which can be very informative if you believe you need them.  

1. Video. Paul Andersen The cell. Bozeman Science

For text based information on cells and DNA which can be very informative if you believe you need them.  

1. c3.anthbio/phys.mckendricksj: The Cell and Cell Division basics


2. c2.anthbio/phys.mckendricksj.DNA,RNA basics

For the LAB course it is expected that the students are covering or have covered these materials however, I linked them above just in case some students have no access to this information : ) 

Now on with lab 5.1 the cell.

We can start with a basic idea, a cell. In this case an animal cell, a body cell, a blood cell. The animal we will discuss is a human. A human has several types of blood cells. The primary being erythrocytes and the others are leukocytes. Erythrocytes are red blood cells and leukocytes are white blood. Consequently the two blood cells have functions within the system for the human body. One... the red blood cells carry resources and the other the white cells protect. This is a very general view and the reality for them is far more complex. However, microbiology is an interesting yet different course. Therefore we will not go too deep into that. The reason why the two blood cell types can occur is that it is coded in the DNA for them to express their code as what they are. Interestingly, a cell in the body for an individual has the same DNA as every other body cell. It is amazing that in every cell of your body there is an almost exact copy of all your DNA. Note, the cell becomes what it is, different from other cells, based on location and production. That is, cells near other cells tend to become what they are near when they are produced. A basic cell, a stem cell, can become many types of cells by being near the other when they reproduce. This is simply stated but begins the study. Please look over the following images.

In this LAB section there are reasons why we start with the idea of blood. The blood information can grow and is relevant to many topics for example, inheritance, true dominance, recessives, and codominance. Blood groups are coded in the DNA for example, ABo is the reference meaning that human blood types are a combination of the blood phenotypes A, B , or o which is referred to as the ABo blood group. Human blood has genotypes which we receive from each parent and have two total either AA, Ao, AB, BB, Bo, oo. Additionally blood has Rh factors which allows us to review the difference between recessives and absence.  This adds to the number of blood groups in some systems as well as refines the genotypes. However, for the purpose of the  LAB this works.

The transfer of the DNA to offspring is known as inheritance. The idea was started By Gregor Mendel. Gregor Mendel had two laws. It is important to note Gregor Mendel because when he discovered traits he established the foundations of the ideas of inheritance which are traits from parents. That idea, signaled the existence of some place in the body to store the traits. That is he predicted DNA. The first of Mendels’is great ideas is the principle law of segragation, stating that offspring inherit their traits from their parents. Consider the trait, the upper case T and the lower case t. Let us say, trait T and trait t are different. If there are two parents, and they each have a trait, the offspring inherit the trait from the parent. It does not mean the trait will be obvious but it will be there. A more thorough lesson about Mendelian Genetics comes later. For now this is showing where DNA resides. The top bubbles are parents and the bottom bubbles are the individual offspring A, B, and C.

That being said,  we know that traits come from the parents just not how they express or show. The goal for this section is to establish a pattern of life, to cells, to DNA, to inheritance, and then back to what is DNA such that all life by definition has its own DNA replicated from its own original cell.  The main thing about DNA is that it codes for proteins which are tools the body can use to make things and make things happen. For example, we know hw body is made of proteins but so are the enzymes which help to be hungry or happy. Watch the following video and assess the ever changing DNA expression is affected by our relationships and has on our health.

Videohe epigenome at a glance.  

Please review Img 7. Amino Acids and Protein Synthesis because these sections are for the questions 10-18.

1.In this LAB what is the essential smallest living unit? (2 pts)

2. In this LAB what 2 types of blood cells are mentioned? (2 pts)

3. In this LAB what is the reference to joined cells? (2 pts)

4. In this LAB what is referenced as a single cell? (2 pts)

5. In this LAB what is the blood group for humans? (2 pts)

6. In this LAB what factors add to the blood groups in this system? (2 pts)

7. In this LAB not counting Rh, how many genotypes for blood are there and list them? (2 pts)

8. In this LAB where are the strands of DNA located within the cell? (2 pts)

9. In this LAB Img 6. Predict the principle law of segregation  of bubbles B and C? (2 pts)

10. In this LAB, name this structure on a DNA Molecule circled and labeled 1 on the drawing In the In LAB anthbio.mckendrciksj.aminoacidsandproteinsynthesis. (2 pts)

11.In this LAB, nName these pairs labeled 2 on the drawing anthbio.mckendrciksj.aminoacidsandproteinsynthesis. (2 pts)

12. In this LAB, name this part labeled 3  on the drawing anthbio.mckendrciksj.aminoacidsandproteinsynthesis. (2 pts)

13. A. In this LAB, name this structure labeled A and state why it is called that on the drawing 14. anthbio.mckendrciksj.aminoacidsandproteinsynthesis.(2 pts)

15. B. In this LAB, name this structure labeled B on the drawing anthbio.mckendrciksj.aminoacidsandproteinsynthesis and state why it is named that.(2 pts)

16. C. In this LAB, list the mirror/complementary pairs for the entire gene labeled C  on the drawing anthbio.mckendrciksj.aminoacidsandproteinsynthesis (2 pts)

17. D. In this LAB, describe what is different about this mRNA sequence labeled D when compared to the DNA Triplet labeled B  on the drawing anthbio.mckendrciksj.aminoacidsandproteinsynthesis (2 pts)

18. E. In this LAB, describe what is different about this tRNA sequence Labeled E when compared to the mRNA codon and what is it called.(2 pts)

19. What is the mirror for the DNA strand? Fill in the row for codons and another for anticodons (2 pts)

20. What does it code for? (2 pts)

21. Using ideas from the video, How does the idea that DNA is reactive not just a blueprint for life change the idea how important a life decision can be to expressing better or difficult aspects of DNA. For example, stress related diseases including mental health? ( 10 pts).