PTC Tasting Lab

Do Now:

Explain the difference between homozygous and heterozygous

gene versions?
Aim:

How can some people taste the PTC

chemical while others can not?
Vocabulary
Alleles - the two copies of a gene
The Genetics Behind PTC

Geneticists determined that there is an inherited component that influences how

we taste PTC. Today we know that the ability to taste PTC (or not) is conveyed by
a single gene that codes for a taste receptor on the tongue. The PTC gene,
TAS2R38, was discovered in 2003.

There are two common forms (or alleles) of the PTC gene. One of the common
forms is a tasting allele, and the other is a non-tasting allele. Each allele codes
for a taste receptor protein with a slightly different shape. The shape of the
receptor protein determines how strongly it can bind to PTC.
Tasting PTC

Each student will get a PTC paper test strip. You will place
the strip on your tongue and close your mouth. Write
down what you taste on your lab worksheet.

How many students in the class tasted PTC?

Bar Graphs

A Bar Graph (also called Bar Chart) is a graphical

display of data using bars of different heights.

Bar graphs are used when the data is in categories.

Gráficos de barras

Un gráfico de barras (también llamado gráfico de

barras) es una visualización gráfica de datos que
utiliza barras de diferentes alturas.

Los gráficos de barras se utilizan cuando los datos

están en categorías.
Imagina que acabas de hacer una encuesta entre
tus amigos para encontrar qué tipo de película les
gustó más:
Podemos demostrarlo en un gráfico de barras como este:
The Genetics Behind PTC Tasting