DNA from the Beginning Study Guide

Civil rights meets biotechnology in a instructional activity that scrutinizes the collection of DNA of citizens who have been arrested, but not yet convicted of a crime. Real-life cases are examined in which the DNA of a relative was...

Does the human body evolve as quickly as human culture? With a stellar 15-minute video, explore the trait of lactose intolerance. Only about 1/3 of human adults seem to still have the enzyme lactase and therefore, the ability to digest...

Adaptations must be made as environments change. This fabulous presentation features Icelandic icefish, a transparent, scaleless specimen that even has colorless blood. Genetics and adaptations concepts are explored as scientists study...

DNA molecules hold the secrets that make us unique. The fourth of 12 lessons explores the structure of DNA by building candy models. After building the models, young scientists break their models to begin the process of DNA replication....

What happens when a non-native species is introduced onto an island? Santa Cruz Island, part of the Channel Island chain located off the coast of southern California, provides the perfect laboratory for young environmental scientists to...

Has your class ever been astounded by the complexity of DNA analysis? Have they ever asked why genetic engineering has become so important to our daily lives? Young scientists perform DNA extraction on strawberries and explore how the...

Ever wonder how they solve those mysterious murders in TV crime dramas? The second of four units in a Biotechnology series introduces scholars to the many methods of DNA analysis. Pupils create and run their own gel electrophoresis...

The chances of a DNA mismatch occurring in DNA fingerprinting is one in a billion. Here learners see how using the differences in people's DNA, specifically Short Tandem Repeats (STRs), cutting them out using restriction enzymes, and...

No, you didn't get your genes from the local clothing store. Learn where they really come from by watching this video as it explores how the genes found in all plants and animals today have arisen over billions of years of mutations from...

A pinch of adenine, a dash of thymine and ta-da, you have life! Well, it's not quite that simple, but through this series of activities and experiments young scientists learn about the structure of DNA and how it contains the recipe for...