Curriculum Map

Genetics

Author:
Ella L. Ingram, Associate Professor of Applied Biology, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Terre Haute, Indiana

This Curriculum Map provides a list of highly relevant and engaging content from throughout AccessScience for use in enriching your teaching. Site assets such as tables, graphs, diagrams, photos, and animations have been mapped to standard topics taught in an introductory Genetics course. Use the "Copy Link" functionality to paste a direct link from each asset into your school's learning management system for easy incorporation into your curriculum.

Course Topics

Structure of Genetic Material
Asset Description
Diagram This figure, from the article on sister chromatid cohesion, depicts the cohesion of sister chromatids during mitosis and meiosis.

Suggested use: Provide in the discussion of cohesion of sister chromatids in mitosis and meiosis when reviewing DNA replication and cell division.
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Animation This animation illustrates the different levels of DNA packaging and chromatin remodeling that allows for gene expression.

Suggested use: Assign prior to discussing DNA packaging and chromatin remodeling, and gene expression.
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Diagram This figure from the article on DNA shows the structure of a double-stranded DNA molecule.

Suggested use: Show when reviewing the double-helix structure of DNA and base pairing.		 copy link
Animation This animation portrays the proofreading action of DNA polymerase during DNA replication. It shows the removal of nucleotides at the 3' end by 3' exonuclease when an error in base-pairing occurs. The continuation of synthesis in the 5' to 3' direction is shown.

Suggested use: Assign prior to demonstrating the proofreading function of the enzyme DNA polymerase.		 copy link
Ideogram This figure from the Chromosome article depicts a typical human female karyotype. Some centromeres are shown.

Suggested use: Support a demonstration of a normal human karyotype.		 copy link
Biography This biography of Barbara McClintock explores the development of her work on transposable elements. She won the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Suggested use: Assign as background information prior to discussing advancements in the study of genetics, or discussing "jumping genes."
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Diagram This figure from the Crossing-over (genetics) article illustrates one model of crossing-over, based on breaks in both chromatids (the Holliday model).

Suggested use: Show when discussing the Holliday model of cross-over and recombination.		 copy link
Image This figure from the article entitled Role of telomeres and centromeres in meiotic chromosome pairing illustrates the formation of a telomere bouquet, chromatid pairing, and association of telomeres with the nuclear membrane during meiosis.

Suggested use: Show when discussing meiosis.		 copy link
Biography This biography describes the work of Thomas Hunt Morgan in establishing the chromosome theory of heredity and making the fruit fly the model organism for genetics. He won the 1933 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine.

Suggested use: Assign after discussing the discovery of genes on chromosomes, the chromosome theory of heredity, or the advancement of genetics as a science.		 copy link
Research Methods
Asset Description
Animation This animation spotlights the technique of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to locate genes.

Suggested use: Show when discussing cytogenetic methods of identifying genes and sequences on DNA.		 copy link
Diagram This figure from the article Metatranscriptomics illustrates the process of identifying the metatranscriptome of environmental samples.

Suggested use: Provide when explaining analysis of RNA sequences using metatranscriptomics.		 copy link
Animation This animation illustrates how DNA microarrays are constructed and used in genetic research.

Suggested use: Assign to explain the definition, techniques, and functions of DNA microarrays.		 copy link
Image This image from the article on genomics shows the complexity and information on a gene chip with probes that identifies 47,000 transcripts.

Suggested use: Show in the discussion of gene expression as demonstrated by probe hybridization on a DNA chip.		 copy link
Animation This animation explores the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique used in amplifying DNA.

Suggested use: Show to explain the definition of polymerase chain reaction and demonstrate the technique.		 copy link
Biography This biography of Barbara McClintock explores the development of her work on transposable elements. She won the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Suggested use: Assign as background information prior to discussing advancements in the study of genetics, or discussing "jumping genes."
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Animation This animation shows how genes are isolated and cloned for eventual insertion into bacterial cells using restriction enzymes.

Suggested use: Show to demonstrate recombinant DNA technology used in creating plasmids.		 copy link
Animation This animation describes an early genetic engineering experiment (1973) in which frog genes were expressed in E. coli. Frog rRNA was inserted into a plasmid containing a tetracycline resistance gene.

Suggested use: Assign to view how Ecor1 endonuclease was used to insert frog genes into bacterial vectors (plasmids).		 copy link
Gene Expression
Asset Description
Animation This animation depicts the initiation of RNA synthesis by RNA polymerases.

Suggested use: Show when discussing the initiation of RNA synthesis by the binding of RNA polymerase to the promoter.		 copy link
Animation This animation explains RNA splicing, the mechanism that removes introns from pre-messenger RNA and splices together the exon transcripts to make messenger RNA.

Suggested use: Show in the discussion of post-transcriptional modifications of pre-messenger RNA.		 copy link
Diagram This figure from the article entitled Histone modifications, chromatin structure, and gene expression illustrates the concept of histone modifications and shows their influence on gene expression.

Suggested use: Refer to this diagram in the discussion of chromatin regulation by the complex process of histone modifications and its possible implications.		 copy link
Diagram This figure from the Exon article shows the process by which a single gene codes for an amino acid sequence. It depicts exons and introns, capping, splicing, and the addition of poly-A tail.

Suggested use: Provide in the explanation of mRNA processing; and the production of proteins by the coding of exons.		 copy link
Diagram This figure from the article Alternative RNA splicing depicts the process that allows an organism to determine which parts of its DNA are translated into proteins.

Suggested use: Display this diagram to explain the process of alternative splicing that allows for the production of various proteins from the same mRNA.		 copy link
Micrographs This pair of microscopic images from the article on homeotic genes illustrates the influence of Hox genes on developmental processes.

Suggested use: Provide to illustrate the outcome of defective Hox genes.		 copy link
Diagram This figure from the article Maternal influence depicts the modification of gene expression known as genomic imprinting.

Suggested use: Show in the discussion of imprinting and the paternal influence on gene modification.		 copy link
Genetic Mapping
Asset Description
Diagram This figure from the article on simian virus 40 shows an example of a genetic map; in this case, the circular ds-DNA polyomavirus SV40 genome.

Suggested use: Show as a schematic representation of a genetic map.		 copy link
Diagram This figure from the article Sex-linked inheritance depicts the genetic map of the human sex chromosomes, showing both genes and diseases known to be associated with the chromosomes.

Suggested use: Provide to demonstrate the genes and diseases genetically mapped on the X and Y chromosomes.		 copy link
Diagram This figure from the article on recombination illustrates typical patterns of crossing-over.

Suggested use: Provide in the discussion of gene recombination that occurs in meiotic tetrads.		 copy link
Biography This biography explores the life of Alfred Sturtevant, the U.S. scientist who figured out how to perform simple genetic mapping.

Suggested use: Assign as background information on the topic of genetic mapping.		 copy link
Diagram This figure from the Human genetics article depicts a simplified genetic map, showing how the relative locations of genes correspond to cytogenetic maps, physical maps, and DNA sequences.

Suggested use: Provide to illustrate a genetic map.		 copy link
Genome Analysis
Asset Description
Briefing This short article introduces the epigenome as a concept of genetic investigation.

Suggested use: Assign to define "epigenome" and explain the implications of the subject on genetic studies.		 copy link
Diagram This figure, from the article entitled Neandertal genome, shows the relationship between the human genome and the Neandertal genome over time.

Suggested use: Show to demonstrate the ancestry of Neandertal and human genomes.		 copy link
Diagram This figure from the Human genome article illustrates the hierarchy of steps involved in information acquisition from genomes.

Suggested use: Support a discussion of the steps of analyzing a genome in order to genetically map it and find its sequence.		 copy link
Diagram This figure from the article on plant phylogenomics depicts the application of genomic information to understanding evolutionary history, using a simple plant example.

Suggested use: Show to demonstrate how phylogenomics depicts genetic evolution.		 copy link
Genetic Pathology
Asset Description
Diagram This figure from the article Chromosome aberration depicts seven different aberrations, both before and after, and the meiotic process that resulted in each.

Suggested use: Support an introduction of the types of chromosome aberrations.		 copy link
Diagram This figure from the Mosaicism article illustrates the development of chromosomal mosaicism during mitosis.

Suggested use: Assign to illustrate nondisjunction during mitosis leading to mosaicism.		 copy link
Biography This biography of Murray Barr describes his work researching chromosome defects, particularly related to sex chromosomes.

Suggested use: Assign to learn the story of the Barr body discovery and the contributions of Murray Barr to genetic sciences.		 copy link
Diagram This figure from the article on mutations shows different mutations that can occur during DNA replication.

Suggested use: Have students compare and contrast four types of chromosomal mutations: deletion, duplication, inversion, and translocation.		 copy link
Biography This biography describes Hugo de Vries's work on mutations, a rediscovery and extension of the work of Gregor Mendel.

Suggested use: Assign to learn about the botanist and geneticist Hugo de Vries's discoveries on hereditary and his Mutation Theory.		 copy link
Chart This flowchart from the article entitled The role of metal ions in DNA damage summarizes a common mechanism of mutagenesis.

Suggested use: Refer to this flowchart to explain the role of metal ions in creating reactive oxygen species that can cause DNA damage and the preventative role of antioxidants.		 copy link
Genetic Disease and Medical Applications
Asset Description
Biography This biography of George Church explores his work on the Human Genome Project and advocacy for genetically based medicine.

Suggested use: Assign to learn about George Church's role in the initiation of the Human Genome Project and other multiple biotechnology ventures.		 copy link
Video Biography Church won the 2011 Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science for his innovative and creative contributions to genomic science. This video reveals his motivations.

Suggested use: Assign to learn about Church's contribution to the technology used in DNA sequencing and other biotechnology.		 copy link
Electropherogram
 This figure from the Criminalistics article depicts the use of capillary electropherograms for DNA comparison in a forensic setting.

Suggested use: Assign to illustrate how DNA capillary electrophoresis is used in forensic biology.		 copy link
Diagram This figure from the Sex-linked inheritance article illustrates the inheritance of red-green color blindness, a typical sex-linked trait, using pedigree analysis.

Suggested use: Show this pedigree to illustrate the patterns of sex-linked inheritance in the sex chromosomes, X and Y.		 copy link