As a team, stake a claim about whether or not the government should allow Gene Therapy research. Justify your choice.

Gene therapy is the process of inserting genes into cells of an individual in order to correct a gene product that is inherited. It has been practiced in a limited manner. Our team does not think that the government should allow for Gene therapy research because its not right. It could have some benefits, but you don't know where gene therapy could do.  Since it hasn't been researched enough, you never know what the outcome might be. It has been associated with several deaths and cancers. It shouldn't be allowed if all its going to do is make a person die or become sick than they already are. Also, all the deaths and cancers arising have slowed the development on new therapies. Its not right to spend time on one kind of therapy, when you could be researching something else that would help a human better. Functional genes are inserted into sperm or egg cells, and that seems pretty dangerous. Those genes being inserted could cause a serious problem. Also, with Gene therapy, you are going against God's wishes. Its his choice on how he wants a person to turn out to be. Its not right to go back and try to make genes better, because it could end up killing a person. It is not ethical because it is a form of human engineering. Humans should not be messed with. Because of the deadly outcomes, the government should stay away from Gene therapy research.

Kharishma Patel, Jeswina John, Miranda Juergens, Deepthy Varghese

Medical Microbiology, 8th period, Rickard

Discuss genetic mutation:

A. Point mutations (including base pair change), frameshift mutations (including insertion and deletion), and nondisjunction:

A point mutation is a simple change in one of the bases of the gene sequence. For an example, using a sentence, where one letter in a sentence, such as this example, where we change the 'c' in cat to an 'h': 

Original	The fat cat ate the wee rat.
Point Mutation	The fat hat ate the wee rat.

 

In a frame shift mutation, one or more bases are inserted or deleted. Because our cells read DNA in three letter "words", adding or removing one letter changes each following word. This type of mutation can make the DNA meaningless and often results in a shortened protein. An example of a frame-shift mutation using a sentence is when the ’t’ from cat is removed, but we keep the original letter spacing:

 

Original	The fat cat ate the wee rat.
Frame Shift	The fat caa tet hew eer at.

 

Nondisjunction is when chromosomes fail to split apart during cell division. This is where an chromosome goes to both daughter cells, and nowhere else. Nondisjunction is when there are errors made in chromosome numbers. Common examples are, Trisomy 21, Down syndrome, and monosomy x.

B. Mutations that result during mitosis (body cells) and meiosis (gametes or sex cells)

Mutations in mitosis will be unavoidably inherited, unless a mutation occurs for it by duplicate descendants of a single-celled organism. Mutations in mitosis can include any mutations that revolve around chromosomes, such as Down’s syndrome. Cancer can also be a mutation. In meiosis cell division results in haploid sex cells. Mutation can occur in either parent as a legacy of its coming into mitosis or at the time of zygote formation. This is where nondisjuction is.

C. Results of these mutations in the individual as well as in the offspring

The organism can come out with having Down Syndrome, genetic disorders, differences in skin colors, eyes, multiple fingers, etc. Frame shift and nondisjunction may affect the offspring. 

Kharishma Patel, Jeswina John, Miranda Juergens, Deepthy Varghese

Medical Microbiology, 8th period, Rickard

Team stakes a claim about whether or not the government should allow Designer babies and why.

Designer babies should not be permitted by the government, because it’s wrong and unethical on so many levels. If the government were to allow parents to actually do it, then you don’t know what the consequences would be. A new disease may pop up that nobody knows about and has no cure for. Also, why would you change how a baby looks if you don’t know how they are going to look like in the first place? They may turn out to look better than you thought they would be. To some religions, it might not be moral. It is God’s job to create human beings, and it’s his decision on whether he wants to give a baby blue eyes or brown eyes. The traits that a baby naturally has are God’s gift. It is not right to not accept what God gives you. It’s also not in our hands to make a baby look like how they want. As for diseases, babies who have Down syndrome or any disease similar to it are God’s little angels for the world. God made those little kids to bring light to our life, not to ruin their own life. There is always a good future stored for them. These kids are also the sweetest kids you will ever meet, and there is nothing wrong with them, because they still have the same feelings we do. Also, if people were constantly picking out the most desirable traits, there would be no diversity whatsoever. A whole generation may end up looking the same, and there would be no individuality. There would be no flaws that make a person naturally beautiful. Poor families might not be able to afford making designer babies, so they may end up feeling like their baby is not good enough. Last but not least, it doesn’t matter how a person looks on the outside. All the matters is if a person has a good personality. If you give the government the ability to let people design babies, then you are also giving the government the permission to lose individuality. Therefore making designer babies should be prohibited. 

-By Kharishma Patel, Deepthy Varghese, Jeswina John, and Miranda Juergens  

8th period, Medical Microbiology, Rickard

Analyze how protein synthesis works in terms of:

A.        Transcription of DNA and picture

Transcription is the process of copying the DNA. In a eukaryote, the DNA never leaves the nucleus. The copy is called mRNA. Transcription usually takes place in the cytoplasm of a prokaryote and in the nucleus of a eukaryote. This whole process is performed by an enzyme known as RNA polymerase. In order to make RNA a polymerase must first:

1. Bind to the DNA sequence at a specific sequence (the promoter)
2. Unlink and untangle the two strands of DNA
3. Use one of the DNA strands as a blueprint or guide
4. Match the new nucleotides in the right sequence in the DNA strand (G with C, A with
5. Bind the new RNA nucleotides together to form a copy of the DNA strand (mRNA)

B.     Various types of RNA and picture

The three types of RNA are known as mRNA, tRNA, and the rRNA. The RNA, mRNA, is also known as the messenger RNA. It contains information on the primary sequence of amino acids in a protein to be synthesized. It is the “blueprint” for the protein product. The mRNA carries the code into the cytoplasm where protein synthesis occurs. The anti-codons are used to “read” the mRNA codons. During the life of mRNA, it may be processed, edited and transported prior to translation. Eukaryotic mRNA molecules require extensive processing and prokaryotic mRNA does not. TRNA is known as the transfer RNA. It contains about 75 nucleotides, 3 anti-codons, and one amino acid. The tRNA reads the code and carries the amino acid to be included into the developing protein. There are at least 20 different tRNA’s - one for each amino acid. Part of the tRNA doubles back upon itself to form several double helical sections. The tRNA "reads" the mRNA codon by using its own anti-codon. Each codon is "read" by various tRNA's until the appropriate match of the anti-codon with the codon occurs. Last but not least, rRNA is known as ribosome RNA. In the cytoplasm, ribosome RNA and protein combine to form a nucleoprotein called a ribosome. The ribosome serves as the location and carries the enzymes necessary for protein synthesis. There are about equal parts rRNA and protein. The ribosome attaches itself to mRNA and provides the stabilizing structure to hold all substances in position as the protein is synthesized. Several ribosomes may be attached to a single RNA at any time.

b.       Translation and picture

In the process of translation, the ribosome synthesizes the proteins using the mRNA copy produced in transcription. A tRNA molecule transports amino acids to the ribosome. An anticodon attaches to a codon in the mRNA. A transfer RNA molecule transports other amino acids. A different transfer RNA molecule bonds with the mRNA at the ribosome. These codes must match. Finally a bond is formed between the amino acids. The ribosome then moves along the messenger RNA and exposes a new codon. (PICTURE WITH TRANSCRIPTION!)

C.        How amino acids are supplied

Amino acids are supplied from the food that goes in our mouth and our diet. It is important to eat certain foods which contain a lot of protein because if you don’t eat enough protein, then your body won’t have the efficient amounts of amino acids to perform their duties. High protein foods include meat, poultry, nuts, beans, seeds, etc. At cellular levels, every protein has to be linked to 3 amino acids.  

D.       How amino acids are linked

Amino acids are the basic building blocks of protein. There are 23 total amino acids, but only 20 of them are common. An amino acid links up to another amino acid by a condensation reaction to form a bond that is known as the peptide bond. This process continues until a polypeptide chain is formed.

E.        A codon chart and its function

A codon chart gives the genetic codes and arranges them in a tabular form of the codons for each amino acid in translation of mRNA into protein. It also shows the start and stop codons. The function of the codon chart is to tell the mRNA and tRNA which specific amino acid to get.

-By Kharishma Patel, Deepthy Varghese, Jeswina John, and Miranda Juergens  

8th period, Medical Microbiology, Rickard