This unit focused on four main concepts: DNA replication, protein synthesis, mutations, and gene expression/regulation. DNA has to be replicated identically because all cells have the same DNA. It has to unzip and fill in the bases missing in the base pairs. This is done by the DNA Polymerase, and now there are two identical strands of DNA. Protein synthesis is the process of making a protein. RNA is heavily involved in this process. The synthesis starts with transcription. DNA is unzipped again and this time, the RNA Polymerase copies the gene to mRNA (messengerRNA). Thymine is replaced with uracil, and after this is over, the mRNA goes to a ribosome. Now, translation can begin. The ribosome, or rRNA, reads the mRNA three bases at a time. These three bases are called a codon. One codon translates to one amino acid, and the animo acids formed are chained together by the ribosome. The chain folds and becomes a protein. This whole process can also be referred to as "walking the dogma". Mutations can be harmful or helpful to organisms and there are different types. Point mutations only affect one or two bases at a time. Substitution switches one base for another. Framshift mutations, like insertion and deletion, can add or subtract one or two bases in a sequence. Also, inversion and translocation involves DNA or chromosomes breaking and bonding with itself or other chromosomes. Finally, gene expression is the process of DNA being used to produce a phenotype. Gene expression has to be regulated, otherwise, ears would grow from your stomach, or eyes could grow on the top of your head. In prokaryotes, a operon, with a promoter, operator, and other parts, is used to regulate the expression of genes. Eukaryotic regulation uses proteins (called transcription factors) to control transcription. After that, the DNA is separated into exons, used DNA, and introns, unused DNA. DNA can wrap around proteins called histones to form nucleosomes.
My strengths were completing the vodcasts on time and basically understanding the concepts by the time I got to class. During class, I was able to completely understand the concepts with Do Nows, recapping the vodcast, and labs. I think that I can do better on labs and not make mistakes I can avoid. During the DNA extraction lab, for example, I was not able to extract DNA, probably because of an error I had made during the process. Also, I should do my textbook notes early and not procrastinate on them until the last minute.
I am a better student than I was before because I have gotten better at managing the class over time. I can now follow along with the vodcast and pause less often. It is now easier for me to write Relate and Reviews, and I realize that they help a lot, especially now studying for the final. I believe that I am a good student because I do my work, understand the concepts taught to me, and be efficient and thorough with my work. I took the VARK questionnaire, and it said that I have a multimodal learning preference, and I wasn't sure what to do with that result. In conclusion, I am getting through the class, but I can always get better than I am now.
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