gizm
Student Exploration: DNA Profiling
Directions: Follow the instructions to go through the simulation. Respond to the questions and
prompts in the orange boxes.
Vocabulary: DNA polymerase, DNA profiling, gel electrophoresis, gene, mutation, non-coding region,
polymerase chain reaction, primer, short tandem repeat
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
In 1985, Darryl Hunt was convicted of murder. While Hunt was in jail, a new method for analyzing DNA
evidence was invented. The DNA evidence on the victim did not match Hunt’s DNA but did match that of
another prisoner. After 19 years spent behind bars, Hunt was finally declared innocent and released from
prison in 2004.
1. DNA is used to tell people apart. What aspects of The aspects of the DNA that would make this
DNA do you think make this possible? possible are alles, genes, different ratios of
nucleotides and possible mutations.
2. What are some possible uses for technology that can Some possible uses of technology that can
identify people based on their DNA? identify people are analyzing genetic make-ups
and comparing variations for species.
Gizmo Warm-up
DNA profiling does not just compare people’s entire genome side by side.
Instead, a very particular part of the DNA is compared. In the DNA Profiling
Gizmo you will learn about the differences in DNA that make DNA profiling
possible and you will use that knowledge to design your own DNA profiling
test.
Click on the crime lab in the Forensic training section. You are looking at a strand of DNA. DNA contains
genes and non-coding regions between genes. Click on Non-coding A.
1. You are looking at a portion of the non-coding A They are different, some have less and some
section for three different people. Are these sections more in the pairs.
the same or different? Explain
2. Click Previous then click on Gene A. Are there Yes, there is a difference between the three
differences in gene A for the three people? because in the 12th place of DNA number 2
has a different complimentary pair.
Reproduction for educational use only. Public sharing or posting prohibited. © 2020 ExploreLearning™ All rights reserved
This study source was downloaded by 100000843580952 from CourseHero.com on 03-15-2022 08:04:47 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/100825547/Student-Exploration-DNA-Profilingpdf/
, Activity A: Get the Gizmo ready:
Forensic training ● Click on Forensic training and Start again.
Introduction: In this activity, you will learn about the principles and techniques that make DNA profiling
possible. Genes code for specific traits. In people, the DNA sequences for most genes are nearly identical,
since any change could result in a harmful disorder. The areas between genes do not code for any essential
traits, so a change to the DNA sequence doesn’t have any major consequences. As a result, these regions
tend to be very different for different people.
Question: How can the differences in DNA be exploited to perform DNA profiling?
1. Observe: Click on non-coding A. What do you see in the middle of each of the three DNA sequences?
In the middle of each of the three DNA sequences, I see repetition of base pairs.
2. Compare: Turn on Show short tandem repeats (STRs). An STR is a short, repeated sequence of DNA,
like TAAA. They can be repeated any number of times without affecting the traits of the person. Different
people usually have different numbers of repeats.
What does this do to the length of each person’s non-coding regions?
What this does to each persons non-coding regions is that it extends it, therefore the more
STR’s the more extension.
3. Create: Your goal is to make copies of the STR region. To do this, you will make primers that surround the
STR region. A primer is a short sequence of DNA that acts as a starting point for DNA replication.
Click Next. Click on person 1’s DNA to separate the two strands. Drag along the AAGGC nucleotides, and
then the TCGCC nucleotides to create primers. Click Next. The Gizmo will add the same primers to the two
other people.
What do you notice about where the primers attach in each person?
What I noticed about the primer in each person was that, the placement was the same in all
three people, top and bottom.
4. Observe: Click Next. An enzyme called DNA polymerase uses the primers as a starting point to copy the
DNA. Copying DNA using primers is a technique called Polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
Click Next again. The DNA segments are copied millions of times.
What do you notice about the lengths of the copied DNA strands?
What I notice about the lengths of the copied DNA strands was that its different for each
person.
Reproduction for educational use only. Public sharing or posting prohibited. © 2020 ExploreLearning™ All rights reserved
This study source was downloaded by 100000843580952 from CourseHero.com on 03-15-2022 08:04:47 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/100825547/Student-Exploration-DNA-Profilingpdf/
Student Exploration: DNA Profiling
Directions: Follow the instructions to go through the simulation. Respond to the questions and
prompts in the orange boxes.
Vocabulary: DNA polymerase, DNA profiling, gel electrophoresis, gene, mutation, non-coding region,
polymerase chain reaction, primer, short tandem repeat
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
In 1985, Darryl Hunt was convicted of murder. While Hunt was in jail, a new method for analyzing DNA
evidence was invented. The DNA evidence on the victim did not match Hunt’s DNA but did match that of
another prisoner. After 19 years spent behind bars, Hunt was finally declared innocent and released from
prison in 2004.
1. DNA is used to tell people apart. What aspects of The aspects of the DNA that would make this
DNA do you think make this possible? possible are alles, genes, different ratios of
nucleotides and possible mutations.
2. What are some possible uses for technology that can Some possible uses of technology that can
identify people based on their DNA? identify people are analyzing genetic make-ups
and comparing variations for species.
Gizmo Warm-up
DNA profiling does not just compare people’s entire genome side by side.
Instead, a very particular part of the DNA is compared. In the DNA Profiling
Gizmo you will learn about the differences in DNA that make DNA profiling
possible and you will use that knowledge to design your own DNA profiling
test.
Click on the crime lab in the Forensic training section. You are looking at a strand of DNA. DNA contains
genes and non-coding regions between genes. Click on Non-coding A.
1. You are looking at a portion of the non-coding A They are different, some have less and some
section for three different people. Are these sections more in the pairs.
the same or different? Explain
2. Click Previous then click on Gene A. Are there Yes, there is a difference between the three
differences in gene A for the three people? because in the 12th place of DNA number 2
has a different complimentary pair.
Reproduction for educational use only. Public sharing or posting prohibited. © 2020 ExploreLearning™ All rights reserved
This study source was downloaded by 100000843580952 from CourseHero.com on 03-15-2022 08:04:47 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/100825547/Student-Exploration-DNA-Profilingpdf/
, Activity A: Get the Gizmo ready:
Forensic training ● Click on Forensic training and Start again.
Introduction: In this activity, you will learn about the principles and techniques that make DNA profiling
possible. Genes code for specific traits. In people, the DNA sequences for most genes are nearly identical,
since any change could result in a harmful disorder. The areas between genes do not code for any essential
traits, so a change to the DNA sequence doesn’t have any major consequences. As a result, these regions
tend to be very different for different people.
Question: How can the differences in DNA be exploited to perform DNA profiling?
1. Observe: Click on non-coding A. What do you see in the middle of each of the three DNA sequences?
In the middle of each of the three DNA sequences, I see repetition of base pairs.
2. Compare: Turn on Show short tandem repeats (STRs). An STR is a short, repeated sequence of DNA,
like TAAA. They can be repeated any number of times without affecting the traits of the person. Different
people usually have different numbers of repeats.
What does this do to the length of each person’s non-coding regions?
What this does to each persons non-coding regions is that it extends it, therefore the more
STR’s the more extension.
3. Create: Your goal is to make copies of the STR region. To do this, you will make primers that surround the
STR region. A primer is a short sequence of DNA that acts as a starting point for DNA replication.
Click Next. Click on person 1’s DNA to separate the two strands. Drag along the AAGGC nucleotides, and
then the TCGCC nucleotides to create primers. Click Next. The Gizmo will add the same primers to the two
other people.
What do you notice about where the primers attach in each person?
What I noticed about the primer in each person was that, the placement was the same in all
three people, top and bottom.
4. Observe: Click Next. An enzyme called DNA polymerase uses the primers as a starting point to copy the
DNA. Copying DNA using primers is a technique called Polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
Click Next again. The DNA segments are copied millions of times.
What do you notice about the lengths of the copied DNA strands?
What I notice about the lengths of the copied DNA strands was that its different for each
person.
Reproduction for educational use only. Public sharing or posting prohibited. © 2020 ExploreLearning™ All rights reserved
This study source was downloaded by 100000843580952 from CourseHero.com on 03-15-2022 08:04:47 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/100825547/Student-Exploration-DNA-Profilingpdf/
