DNA fingerprinting, a biotech process, has dramatically improved criminal investigation and forensic medicine. It has also led to significant advances in anthropology and wildlife management.
Lesson Plans
These lesson plans combine compelling content, cutting-edge science, and inquiry-based, career-oriented learning for teachers to integrate into their existing biology, chemistry, and physics courses. Click "Submit a Lesson Plan" on the sidebar to the right to share your favorite lessons with other teachers and to help us bring biotechnology to life in classrooms across the nation!
Students will be able to:
- Extract crude DNA from most cell types
- Use procedures to answer many different questions about DNA and cells
Relevant to Illinois Standards of Learning
12.A.4c: Describe processes by which organisms change over time using evidence from comparative anatomy and physiology, embryology, the fossil record, genetics and biochemistry
12A.5b: Analyze the transmission of genetic traits, diseases and defects
Students will be able to:
- Discuss a method for to determine how closely related selected species are.
- Describe a method for separating proteins by size, using electrophoresis.
Relevant to 12.A.4c: Describe processes by which organisms change over time using evidence from comparative anatomy and physiology, embryology, the fossil record, genetics and biochemistry.
Students will be able to:
- Describe the effectiveness of the enzyme Beano®, a-galactosidase, in producing glucose from different beans under different conditions.
- Explain the properties of Beano® as related to their investigations and to real-world technology applications.
Relevant to ILS12.A,4b: Describe the structures and organization of cells and tissues that underlie basic life functions including nutrition, respiration, cellular transport, biosyntheses, and reproduction.
Students will be able to:
- Describe the principles and outcomes of immunoprecipitation testing.
- Explain the significance of the antiserum-serum interaction in the assay.
- Describe potential uses of immunoprecipitation assays.
- Explain the factors limiting the usefulness of immunoprecipitation assays.
Relevant to 12.B.4a: Compare physical, ecological and behavioral factors that influence interactions and interdependence of organisms.
Students will be able to:
- Discuss a method for to determine how closely related selected species are.
- Describe a method for separating proteins by size, using electrophoresis.
Relevant to 12.A.4c: Describe processes by which organisms change over time using evidence from comparative anatomy and physiology, embryology, the fossil record, genetics and biochemistry.
