Would You Want To Know?

IF you were to have a disease in the future, would you want to know about it? If there was a way to find out that in 30 years, you will suffer from Alzheimers big time, would you want to know??

Genetic testing and disease: Would you want to know?
In the above article, a story is told about a girl who is on her way to have her genes tested to see if she has inherited the Huntington's gene that her parents have, or if she is at risk of developing it in the future. Huntington's is a pretty nasty disease that makes people lose coordination and get jerky movements and lose control. They can become depressed and psychotic. This all leads to the end, where they develop dementia and have to have complete and total care.

Let's ask this again. If you had a disease like the one presented above...would you want to know?

The Human Genome Project is the organization which research on people's genes goes on in order to figure out whether or not they will have these diseases in the future. Since 2003, this organization has identified over 20,000 genes out there.

But here's something to consider...
Gene testing could become a requirement for everyone in the future. This is so that people can know what to prepare for and expect in the future.

Personally, I don't think I would want to know what the future holds for me. I would imagine that the Human Genome Project costs a lot, so I wouldn't like to put forth all the money that could help with future diseases into FINDING OUT about them. I think that knowing what is to come would give me the chance to figure out what happens in the disease(s) that I would develop and I may fall into a depressed state. I'll let it surprise me later!

Questions about GATTACA!

Questions about GATTACA!

Choose several of the following questions to discuss in a blog post reflection on the movie GATTACA. This reflection will become an artifact on your portfolio page 2 as part of your awareness of the effects of science upon society.

1. The following terms were used in the movie. How do they relate to the words we use: degenerate and invalid?

        De-gene-erate: His genes weren't the same as they were recorded as so that he could do what he did.

        In-valid: He's just not right for the position because his DNA wasn't "right", or "valid".

        Borrowed Ladder: The main character borrowed genes and DNA from his brother.

2. Why do you think Vincent left his family, tearing his picture out of the family photo, after winning the swimming race against his brother?

Vincent still didn't have that good feeling of belonging. He thought winning the contest would make him feel better, but he just felt bad about it still, wanting to be like his brother, and be able to go into space. But his DNA still said he wasn't good enough for it.

3. Describe the relationship between Vincent and Anton.

The two are brothers, so sharing DNA wouldn't be as incredibly hard as complete strangers. But the two shared will power. The older brother always won the races when they two went swimming, but Vincent had the will power and showed Anton that he could do anything he could do, too.

4. When Jerome Morrow said to Vincent/Jerome, “They’re not looking for you. When they look at you, they only see me,” what did he mean? Can you find any parallels to this type of situation in real life?

When "they" look at Vincent, they only see Jerome Morrow. This is because he had to use other DNA than his own to get to where he was with the space studies and to be involved. In real life, I don't think of using someone else's DNA, but perhaps when someone uses another person's techniques, it is recognized. Like dancing. If I studied under the same teacher my entire dancing career, chances would be that we would share similar dance interests and techniques.

5. Choose your favorite character from the film. Explain why you choose that person. Would you want to be that person? Why? Why not?

My favorite character from this film would have to have been Vincent. I choose him because it was interesting that he went to such lengths to get what he wanted, and to see just how badly he wanted to be involved and feel the feeling of belonging, and how it changed his life. I don't think I would want to be him. I'm not too interested in space, and I wouldn't want to have to hide a secret of borrowing DNA to get to where I want to be. I think I would bust and try to confess to someone.

6. At the end of the film, you are told that the Doctor knew about Vincent all along. Why did the Doctor go along with the fraud? What would you have done if you were the Doctor?

I think the Doctor went along with the fraud because he believed in Vincent. He believed that he could make it, but that his DNA was all that was holding him back. I think I would have done the same thing, but made sure that his original DNA would be alright, too, so that if anything happened, there wouldn't be any troubles.

7. The technology to do what was done in the movie is definitely possible within the next fifty years. Do you think that Vincent’s world could eventually happen in America? Why?

Definitely. The world is under constant change and there's no telling what the future may hold. We can only imagine it.

8. What do you think is wrong with the society portrayed in "GATTACA"? What is right?

 The people are setting things at too strict a setting. So strict that even the slightest difference in DNA will prevent people from getting to where they want to be in life. Some of the people even give in and commit suicide, thinking that they aren't worthy because of one mistake they may have made or have no control of.

9. What were the screenwriters trying to tell us through the episode of the 12-fingered pianist? Is anything wrong with engineering children to have 12 fingers if, as a result, they will be able to make extraordinarily beautiful music?

Every person has a chance to make it somewhere in their life. All they have to do is believe and try, and they can make it anywhere.

10. You and your spouse are having a child and are at the Genetic Clinic pictured in the movie. What characteristics would you want for your child and what would you ask to be excluded? Why would you make those choices?

 If I were to be going to a clinic much like the one in this movie, I would want my child to be very good at math and science. I'd want them to have talent in art. I would absolutely want them to have ability to hear music and dance. Too feel the music. But I would not want them to have the characteristics that would make them feel the need to be wanted. I would want my children to be independent and strong. I want them to be able to do something without the world making things more difficult than they had to be.

11. Picture yourself as either Vincent, Jerome, or Anton. Would you have acted the same or done things differently if you were in the same world as them?

If I were Vincent, I probably would have done the same. It is an extremely wicked idea and I can't imagine myself using someone else's DNA to get to where I want to be, but I do know that when I want something really bad, I will fight for it until I can accomplish just that.

12. How does the society in GATTACA resemble the type of society America was during the height of the eugenics movement?

DNA. Scientific theories. Everything has to be proven.

Bacterial ID lab questions

Bacterial ID Lab

Completing this virtual lab and answering the following questions helps meet Standard 3: Lab Skills.

First, go to:

http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/vlabs/bacterial_id/index.html or the iPad app

In this virtual lab you will assume the role of a lab technician in a modern molecular biology laboratory.  As such, you are responsible for providing lab results to medical doctors for use in diagnosing their patients.  Be sure to follow the steps of the procedure in order and to make use of the notes on the right side of the computer screen.  As you work through the lab, answer the following questions:

1. As the medical technician in charge of this investigation, what are you trying to determine about the tissue sample provided to you?

I am trying to determine whether or not the sequence contains a significant level of similarity to another known sequence.

2. How did you prepare the DNA to be used in this investigation?

I prepared the DNA to be used here with positive and negative reactions. The positive was the controlled reaction.

3. Describe how PCR is used to make copies of DNA sequences. Use the animation and notebook entries in the PCR Amplification step to guide your answer. Note that you may replay the animation as needed.

The PCR separates strands of DNA. The double stranded DNAs are undone by enzymes and pretty much have new functions. They serve as different templates.

4. Summarize the technique used to purify the PCR product.

When the PCR product is put into the gel, it can be cut out by using a centrifuge and microfiltering it all out!

5. What is produced during the sequencing prep PCR run? Use the animation and notebook as needed in thinking through your answer.

Copies are made, and that's how you are identified.

6. Describe how the automatic sequencer determines the sequences of the PCR products.

It is done several times (thousands) so that an accurate answer comes out.

7. What does BLAST stand for?

Basic Local Alignment Search Tool

8. What conclusions did you make using the results of the BLAST search?  Did these conclusions support a clinical diagnosis for the patient (what disease did they have)?
It's very easy to figure out what disease each of them had and the conclusions did support a clinical diagnosis. The diagnosis was bartonella henselae.