NHGRI Teacher Resources- Central Dogma

Teachers’ Domain

The DNA Learning Center’s (DNALC) website,

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s DNA interactive (DNAi) website, and

The University of Utah’s Genetic Science Learning Center website

• http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/lsps07.sci.life.stru.celltrans/
• Teachers’ Domain is a free educational resource produced by WGBH with funding from the NSF, which houses thousands of media resources, support materials, and tools for classroom lessons. One of these resources focuses on the topics of transcription and translation. This resource is an interactive activity that starts with a general overview of the central dogma of molecular biology, and then goes into more specific details about the processes of transcription and translation. In addition to the interactive activity, the resource also includes a background narrative and discussion questions that could be used for assessment. Although the material is designated as appropriate content for grades, 9-12, it would serve as an excellent introduction to the topic for biology majors, or would be well suited for non-biology majors at the post-secondary level.

• http://www.dnalc.org/resources/3d/
• http://www.dnai.org/a/index.html
• http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/dna/
• The DNA Learning Center’s (DNALC) website, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s DNA interactive (DNAi) website, and the University of Utah’s Genetic Science Learning Center website listed below contain excellent narrated animations describing transcription and translation. These animations are useful as a lecture supplement or for students to review on their own. The DNALC animations cover central dogma, transcription (basic and advanced), mRNA splicing, RNA splicing, triplet code, and translation (basic and advanced). The DNAi modules,” Reading the Code” and ”Copying the Code,” describe the history of the process, the scientists involved in the discovery, and the basics of the process, and also include an animation and interactive game. Particularly useful to students are the interactive animations from the University of Utah that allow one to, for example, “Transcribe/Translate a Gene” or examine the effects of gene mutation as they “Test Neurofibromin Activity in a Cell.”

Contributors

Scitable

NHGRI Genetics Terms iPhone App

• http://www.nature.com/scitable/study-center
• The Nature Education website, Scitable, is a great study resource for students who want to learn more about, or are having difficulty understanding, transcription and translation. The site contains a searchable library, including many “overviews” of transcription, translation, and related topics. Students have access to a Genetics “Study Pack” which provides explanations, animations, and links to other resources. In addition, Scitable has an ask an expert feature that allows students to submit specific genetics-related questions.

• The Genetics Terms iPhone app provides an easily transportable and accessible reference for your students. Many times the unfamiliar vocabulary is the major stumbling block to student comprehension. This app gives them a handy reference to common terms used in describing the components involved on transcription and translation.

• Kari D. Loomis, PhD
• Mars Hill College
• Luisel Ricks, PhD
• Howard University
• Mark Bolt, PhD
• University of Pikeville
• Cathy Dobbs, PhD
• Joliet Junior College
• Changhui Yan, PhD
• North Dakota State University
• Solomon Adekunle, PhD
• Southern University

The Central Dogma

of Molecular Biology

Transcription and Translation

Teacher Resources

University of Buffalo

Case Study Collection

The Central Dogma Animation

by RIKEN Omics Science Center

http://sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/cs/collection/detail.asp?case_id=597&id=597

“Decoding the Flu”

“This "clicker case" was designed to develop students' ability to read and

interpret information stored in DNA. Making use of personal response systems

("clickers") along with a PowerPoint presentation, students follow the story of

"Jason," a student intern at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).

While working with a CDC team in Mexico, Jason is the only person who does

not get sick from a new strain of flu. It is up to Jason to use molecular data

collected from different local strains of flu to identify which one may be causing

the illness. Although designed for an introductory biology course for science or

non-science majors, the case could be adapted for upper-level courses by

including more complex problems and aspects of gene expression, such as the

excision of introns.”

The 'Central Dogma' of molecular biology is that 'DNA makes RNA makes protein'. This anime shows how molecular machines transcribe the genes in the DNA of every cell into portable RNA messages, how those messenger RNA are modified and exported from the nucleus, and finally how the RNA code is read to build proteins.

The video was made by RIKEN Omics Science Center (RIKEN OSC http://www.osc.riken.jp/english/ ) for the exhibition titled 'Beyond DNA' held at National Science Museum of Japan.

Protein Synthesis Animation from Biology-Forums.com

Translation is the process of producing proteins from the mRNA. This

YouTube video shows the molecular components involved in the process.

It also animates how the peptide is elongated through interaction

between mRNA, ribosome,tRNA, and residues.