In this unit we learned about genetic codes, DNA replication, the making of proteins, various mutation types, and gene expression and regulation. DNA is deoxyribonucleic acid, and it is made up of nucleotides, which are made of a nitrogen base (adenine, thymine, guanine, cytosine), a phosphate, and a sugar. The nitrogen base adenine pairs with thymine, and guanine pairs with cytosine. In order for DNA to be replicated, it first unzips, then matching nucleotides are added to each DNA strand, and this results in two identical DNA strands. Proteins are made in two basic steps called transcription and translation. Transcription occurs in the nucleus, and first the DNA unzips, then nucleotides are matched to form an RNA strand, and finally messenger RNA is sent to ribosomes in the cytoplasm. Translation occurs in a ribosome, and first the ribosome reads the RNA 3 bases at a time and translates it into amino acids, resulting in chains of amino acids which will fold up to become proteins. Point mutations are substitution (of a base pair) and framshift mutations (insertion or deletion of base pair). Genes are expressed only when that specific cell needs a certain gene to be expressed, or turned on. Gene expression must be regulated, thus something called a lac operator controls which genes at which times will be expressed. The lab link below taught me the most information this unit, and really helped me grasp the concepts that were slightly confusing before. Protein Synthesis Lab
I have been growing as a learner and refining my study skills as the semester has gone by. Some of my strengths for this unit were making sure to try to fully understand all the do now's and write all diagrams or drawings Mr. Orre did on the whiteboard. I also did a good job of studying these concepts by catering to my type of learning. I prefer to use flashcards, so I made many flashcards this unit to help ensure my success. Some of my setbacks were that I forgot to do my CFU maybe once or twice, and this caused me to fall a bit behind. I also feel I could have watched the vodcasts more actively this unit. My unit reflections have improved, just as I have throughout this year. Below is a link to my first unit reflection. My unit reflections now explain the concepts learned instead of listing them, I evaluate myself as a student more effectively now, and I really try to recap everything instead of simply trying to answer the unit reflection prompt questions. Unit 2 Reflection
To me, to be a good student is to pay attention in class, actively do all homework and classwork, ask lots of questions, and find a balance between academics and other activities outside of school. I feel I am a better student than I was at the start of the semester. At the start of this year, I was not used to the schedule of classes I had, and also the amount of outside school activities I would have to attend. I have adjusted to these things and become able to find that good balance between life and academics. I feel I still need to work on asking questions however. I am a generally shy person in class because I like to stay quiet to help me focus, but I need to learn how to ask questions when I cannot understand something. I would like to continue to learn about the making of proteins, because this process fascinates me. I would also like to continue learning about DNA in general as well as mutations. Overall, this unit has helped me realize my growth as a student and how far I have come since the beginning of this semester.
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