DNA Fingerprinting

Go to this site and watch the animation on the Southern Blot technique.

Next, go to this site and watch a second animation on the technique as it applies to forensics.

For more details on what goes on inside the gel, go to this site.

Next, go to this site to run a virtual lab and catch a candy thief!

Then go to this site and see how DNA fingerprinting is applied in several fields, including a murder case and two paternity cases.

Then go to this site and read the tutorial on the process. Click on the DNA Forensics Problem Set button at the bottom of the tutorial and complete the problem set (6 problems).

Finally, go to this site and complete the karyotyping activities for the three cases. While karyotyping is not the same thing as DNA fingerprinting - it is still a good thing to know :-)

Tags: Biology, Forensics by docfleetwood
No Comments »

Gene Therapy Success Case

Researchers have improved the vision in four people with a certain type of hereditary blindness by injecting them with a virus to change their DNA.  Read more about the story at this NewScientist page or listen to an NPR podcast with one of the researchers.

Tags: Biology by docfleetwood
No Comments »

Genes for Music and Language

Scientists have published findings in the Journal of Medical Genetics that suggest they have found genes on chromosome 4 that may be related to your musical abilities.  These abilities may also be related to language.  Read more at this World Science article.

Tags: Anatomy, Biology by docfleetwood
No Comments »

Is it Possible to Decide Before You Think?

Researchers say that your brain makes decisions up to 10 seconds before you consciously know it.  This may be another indicator of the predictive power of a hierarchical temporal memory system.  Perhaps it even explains deja vu?  Read more at this WebMD article here.

Tags: Anatomy, Thinking by docfleetwood
No Comments »

Train to Boost Your Intelligence

Do you remember playing ‘Concentration’ as a kid? Or maybe some Old Maid? Perhaps you should break out those games now to boost your intelligence…

Researchers have found that exercising your ‘working memory’ can boost your fluid intelligence. Read more here: WebMD Boost Intelligence

Tags: Anatomy, Thinking by docfleetwood
No Comments »