This hands-on activity is designed for students to demonstrate the concepts of bonding amino acids to create proteins, and to model protein synthesis. This activity cab be used as an assessment of the students' understanding of peptide and disulfide bonds formed during protein synthesis, and the structure of an amino acid (R-group plus the common structure that all amino acids share). Students will demonstrate the process of dehydration synthesis by combining amino acids. They will synthesize one molecule of the protein ADH (antidiuretic hormone) by reading the mRNA sequence, cutting out the -OH on the carboxyl group on amino acid one, and the -H on the amino group of amino acid two. These two pieces (-OH and -H) will combine to form a water molecule. The students will connect the two amino acids by taping a peptide bond label between the carbon of the carboxyl and the nitrogen of the amino group on amino acid. This process is continued until the stop codon on the mRNA is read. If the synthesis is done correctly, the student will produce eight peptide bonds creating one chain, and eight molecules of water. If this activity is used for biology, the tRNA, and rRNA molecules can be added to the process.

This exercise from The Biology Project is designed to introduce students to the events that occur in the cell cycle and the process of mitosis that divides the duplicated genetic material, creating two identical daughter cells. It includes tutorial readings and multiple choice questions to test students' knowledge.

This resource describes the four parts all cells have in common. It includes diagrams, a video, practice questions, a study guide, flash cards, interactive assessments, and articles on real world applications.

This short video lesson describes the human genome by comparing DNA to a detailed manual for building a person out of cells -- with 46 chapters (chromosomes) and hundreds of thousands of pages covering every part of you. Assessment questions and links to additional resources are included.

Before this lesson, students should have an understanding of how DNA fingerprinting is completed.  During this lesson, students will use scaffolded questions to analyze text (2 weblinks) about DNA evidence exonerating wrongfully convicted people and the injustices involved in the original convictions.  The text analysis and questions provide a basis for the seminar that follows.

Fundamentals of Biology focuses on the basic principles of biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, and recombinant DNA. These principles are necessary to understanding the basic mechanisms of life and anchor the biological knowledge that is required to understand many of the challenges in everyday life, from human health and disease to loss of biodiversity and environmental quality.

Students will come to understand that in sexually reproducing organisms, such as humans, typically half of the genes come from each parent. Students will examine a fictional pedigree and determine which gene is responsible for a given trait. The genetic information for individuals is depicted as a jigsaw puzzle.

This resource is packed with information on the Human Genome Project and how it affects society.

Using this resource, students explore the topics of genetics and medical/pharmaceutical biotechnology through a real world simulation. Students use hands on, inquiry based lessons to explore this emerging field of science. Students will discover and apply their knowledge of genetics, heredity, DNA, dominant and recessive traits, Mendel's laws, punnett squares and more to understand current and future uses of biotechnology.

This resource provides directions for how to extract DNA from living organisms such as green split peas.

The Genetics Student Edition book is one of ten volumes making up the Human Biology curriculum, an interdisciplinary and inquiry-based approach to the study of life science.

The Lives of Cells Student Edition book is one of ten volumes making up the Human Biology curriculum, an interdisciplinary and inquiry-based approach to the study of life science.

This resource is part of The Ladder of Life lesson plan. This resource lists the steps the teacher needs to take to implement the lesson.

Students will breed fruit flies through several generations and record their data using mathematical models in order to demonstrate the inheritance of trait variations.

This brief video lesson describes DNA and its role and importance in living organisms. This is a very comprehensive overview of how DNA determines form and function, manages protein synthesis within individuals, and ultimately drives evolution. Discussion/assessment questions and suggested supplemental resources are also included.

Scientists have investigated how often mutations occur in many organisms. How often a mutation appears in the DNA of the organism or in the gene pool of a larger population of that organism is referred to as the mutation rate. Compare information in charts about DNA.

Review all diagrams and charts for Investigations 1 through 4 for junco populations DNA.

Construct a model showing accumulation of differences in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) due to accumulation of mutations across three generations.