Biology and Geology / ESO4

Cells and Genetics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utEQA1T1_LI

The Animated Genome

 Inside each cell is a code of instructions for life, this is your genome . Unfolded , it’s
six feet long, yet 30 000 times thinner than a strand of hair, trimming it is not a good
idea.

 All your cells have the same genome, but different parts are active in different

cells .Your genome is made of DeoxyriboNucleic Acid, or DNA.

 It is the parts list and the instruction manual for life and can make a complete part of
you from scratch.
 English uses 26 letters, Morse code uses 2, computers use 2, your genome uses 4

chemicals: A denine, T hymine, G uanine, and C ytosine. These forms words that are
three letters long

 Each word codes for a building block of a protein (Translation animation). The word

TGA means stop and finishes a sentence (protein synthesized).

 Each sentence in your genome is called a gene and codes for a protein .

 Genome codes for proteins, proteins make us live, so you can watch this film. You

breathe, you move, you think, because many proteins are working very hard

 Your genome has billions of letters, with 20 000 sentences coding for 20000+proteins.
2 % of the genome codes for building proteins, 30% regulates when to build these
proteins, and a great part is unknown.

 Genome is a fancy word for all your DNA. Your genome makes you who you are. For

example the normal hemoglobin gene contains the word GAG, with a single letter

error hemoglobin folds differently causing sickle cell anemia (mutation)

 The way you live can influence how the genome works (2:33 epigenetics) Some genes

increase the risk of adult diabetes ., however, with diet and exercise you can
overcome the genome and prevent diabetes. Being a couch potato does not help your
genome!.

 DNA has two complementary strands, A always matches T , G always matches C. It’s
like an object and its mold, pressed together you can create one from the other.

 When the cell divides the strands replicate creating two double strands. If there is a

matching error, a protein repairs it, keeping the genome intact.

Biology and Geology / ESO4
Cells and Genetics

 With a faulty repair protein errors acumulate, this is the cause of many cancers. It’s like
having a horrible repairman wreck your home.

 During cell division the genome gets condensed into groupings called chromosomes .

You get 23 from your father and 23 from your mother, to make 23 pairs(karyotype).

 If you get a faulty gene from one the good copy (could) compensates, this is why you
don’t marry your sister. Many errors in DNA are harmless, they don’t lead to
disease and are passed on (mutation).

 Analyzing these errors you can trace a piece of DNA back to an individual (family tree)

useful to get suspect in and out f jail and also to trace ancestors.

 Your DNA is pretty durable, it can last for 100.000 years, if you don't get cremated.
99,9% of your genome is identical to the genome of the person next to you.

 Every living thing on Earth as DNA. (% similar) mouse ( 85 %), butterfly ( 49 %),

banana 41 %). You have a genome, therefore you are alive .

GENOME and CHROMOSOMES http://www.yourgenome.org/facts/what-is-a-chromosome

http://www.yourgenome.org/facts/what-is-a-genome
https://www.yourgenome.org/facts/what-is-a-telomere

1) How many cells are there in our bodies?

37,1 trillion cells
2) How many pairs of nucleotide bases are there in the human genome?
3 billion nucleotide pairs
3) This number of letters, if printed, would.... (choose a comparation)
Fill 200 500-page telephone directories
4) What is a nucleosome?
A nucleosome is an estructure wich is formed by a single length of DNA wrapped
many times around lots of proteins called histones. Then these coil up tightly to create
chromatin loops.
5) What is a telomere?
Telomeres are distinctive structures found at the ends of our chromosomes.They
consist of the same short DNA sequence repeated over and over again.
6) What is an autosome? How many pairs of autosome do we have in our cells?
Autosomes are non-sex chromosomes.. 22 pairs.