Tools for Determining Heredity of Traits and Diseases

Throughout our study of human genetics, we have seen that geneticists and genetic counselors use three tools to predict the passing of traits using punnett squares,

diagramming carriers and those from a family who have a disease as well as the carriers through using a Pedigree chart

 and now after our genetic disorders research and presentations we will look at karyotypes and how they can help to diagnose what a patient has or what they have died of by looking at the chromosomes of patients.

We will complete an activity in class through matching up chromosomes for practice and then we will go to the following site for diagnosing three patients by sorting their chromosomes.  

http://www.biology.arizona.edu/human_bio/activities/karyotyping/karyotyping.html

Genetics Talks on TED Talks

Juan Enriquez on Genomics and our Future

http://www.ted.com/talks/juan_enriquez_on_genomics_and_our_future.html

Eva Vertez- Then 18 years old holds a talk on cancer medicine. Amazing!
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/eva_vertes_looks_to_the_future_of_medicine.html

Paul Rothemund - Details of his job and the ability for creating tiny machines that assemble themselves!!!
http://www.ted.com/talks/paul_rothemund_details_dna_folding.html

Paul Root Wolpe-It's time to question Bio Engineering!
http://www.ted.com/talks/paul_root_wolpe_it_s_time_to_question_bio_engineering.html

Cancer Warrior Online = NOVA
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/cancer/program.html

GATTACA

Have a look at the trailer for the movie, it is pretty good.

For those of you who need to finish watching the movie, here is a link: http://online-movie-db.info/watch.php?vid=Gattaca

So, after we have finished watching the movie, we began discussing the character's and their actions. You were all provided with questions about the movie and you need to choose at least three of those questions to write a response to about the movie.  

Don't forget to include your impressions of the movie, opinions, thoughts, and perhaps a link to the trailer or a picture of the film in your blog post to go along with your reflection.

The other part that I want you to include in your blog post is an analysis of how Cracking the Code of Life and GATTACA were similar and different. Of course one was fiction and the other non-fiction, but what did each of them make you think about? Did they provide different or similar information?  What about the characters in each?