Unit 6 Reflection

       This unit was all about bioethics and biotech. Biotech is the study and manipulation of organisms to benefit humans. The four applications of biotech are industrial, agricultural, medical, and diagnostic. Gene therapy, breeding, GMOs, genetic testing, and fermentation are examples of biotech. PCR amplifies the DNA region and will make millions of copies of a DNA sequence. The steps of PCR are the DNA denatures, anneals, extends, and repeats the cycle all over again. Gel electrophoresis uses electricity to separate DNA fragments by size. We did a lab with gel electrophoresis and here is a picture of various dye DNA fragments sorted by size. The link to the lab analysis is also below. I learned a lot from this lab, such as you have to be extremely precise when inserting the dye into the wells. Also, I learned whih dyes have larger and smaller fragments of DNA.
Candy Eectrophoresis Lab

We learned about recombinant DNA is when a faulty gene is replaced with a healthier gene, resulting in a GMO. Bioethics are when you have to consider your own values and try to answer an ethical question as advances in technology are made. Bacterial transformation is another concept we learned. We did an experiment and added arabinose to a colony of bacteria, resulting in glowing bacteria. Here is a link to the experiment and a picture of the bacteria. This lab taught me about what certain items you can introduce to bacteria to  either kill it, make it grow, or make it glow. 

pGLO Lab 

        I still have unanswered questions however. I wonder what in the arabinose makes the bacteria glow. I would like to find out why certain items cause other items to react one way or another. I wonder about the bacteria and what causes it to smell so pungent. I would like to learn more about gel electrophoresis because that was my favorite lab so far this year. Our class left our gel running for too long while we were at an assembly, so I still have some unanswered questions due to the lack of data. 

     My new years goals were to study in advance for biology tests and to get more sleep. I have been doing well in studying because I have already started preparing for the upcoming unit 6 test. However, my sleeping goal is not doing so well. My late basketball practice times and amount of homework, even when I do it during lunch and tutorial, have been forcing me to go to bed late. I will continue to  try to get more sleep as best I can.