*GATTACA

Why do you think Vincent left his family, tearing his picture out of the family photo, after winning the swimming race against his brother?

I think that they left him out because he wanted them to think of his brother was still the best.

Describe the relationship between Vincent and Anton.

 Anton and Vincent relationship was that Anton is better then him so Vincent always came after him.

When Jerome Morrow said to Vincent/Jerome, “They’re not looking for you. When they look at you, they only see me,” what did he mean? Can you find any parallels to this type of situation in real life?

I think it meaning that when they see him, he is perfect because jerome has the perfect DNA. And yes because someone can change their outer appearance.

Choose your favorite character from the film. Explain why you choose that person. Would you want to be that person? Why? Why not?

 My favorite person was Vincent because he had the drive to accomplish his dream.

At the end of the film, you are told that the Doctor knew about Vincent all along. Why did the Doctor go along with the fraud? What would you have done if you were the Doctor?

The doctor went along with the fraud because i think he wanted vincent to accomplish dream. If i was the doctor i would have also get him go because its shouldn't matter he he does not have perfect DNA.

  

The technology to do what was done in the movie is definitely possible within the next fifty years. Do you think that Vincent’s world could eventually happen in America? Why?

I believe that it can happen, because we are getting so advanced with technology its just a matter of time.

What do you think is wrong with the society portrayed in "GATTACA"? What is right?

I believe that it is not right, they should not be ranked on the DNA. It doesnt tell you who is a good person or really wants this job. 

   

What were the screenwriters trying to tell us through the episode of the 12-fingered pianist? Is anything wrong with engineering children to have 12 fingers if, as a result, they will be able to make extraordinarily beautiful music?

 i dont think it is wrong to engineer your children, it would just make them better. However it would be a little weird to have 12 fingers. 

You and your spouse are having a child and are at the Genetic Clinic pictured in the movie. What characteristics would you want for your child and what would you ask to be excluded? Why would you make those choices?

I would want to make my children with the best looks and talents, and good health

  

Picture yourself as either Vincent, Jerome, or Anton. Would you have acted the same or done things differently if you were in the same world as them?

If i was jerome i would kill myself. Vincent- i would not have done anything different. Anton- i would try to get along with my brother.

How does the society in GATTACA resemble the type of society America was during the height of the eugenics movement?

America wants people to be perfect, good looks and brains!

DNA Sequencing Activity*

I think that most likely that all of them have a disease because they all have changes in their DNA. However I don't think that Carol is that messed up because she is just missing one base which caused everything to shift over. Bob should have something to worry about because he is already missing amino acid because he is not getting enough protein. And Abby just has one base change, so it shouldn't be a big deal.

Abby: GAG-->GTG point mutation Glu( +)-->Val(hydrophobic) 

one base change

Bob: AAG-->TAG LYS-->STOP end of the protein= Truncation mutation

missing amino acid because it's not getting enough protein 

Carol:  DNA is not that messed up but it is missing a base therefore it made everything             shift over, which is called a Frameshift mutation.

normal: ACT CCT GAG

              | | /   ///    ///

Carol:  ACC CTG AGG 

Different ways to make a baby

 Makin babies!

• When i heard about all the ways you can make a baby, I was amazed! I had no idea you can reproduce in so many ways. Well of course everyone knows a the nature way with sex. But the other 18 ways are just crazy.

1. Nature sex
2. single sperm is injected into the mothers egg.
3. of mother with sperm
4. with egg and sperm donors, using surrogate mother
5. Vitro fertilization using egg of mother and sperm of father
6. Intra cytoplamic sperm injection
7. Freezing embryos for womans later use
8. Premplantation genetic diagnosis
9. egg donor
10. sperm donor
11. egg and sperm donor
12. surrogate using parents 
13. surrogate and egg donor
14. surrogate and sperm donor
15. egg, sperm from baby father
16. surrogate using egg anf sperm donors.
17. Cytoplasmic transfer
18. Nuclear transfer/ cloning

The one that i think is pretty amazing is taking eggs from a woman and freezing them then later fertilzing them with mans sperm,  returning the embryos to her uterus days later. Therefore you could have a baby at whatever age you want. The other one that  interests me  is cloning. I think that it is so crazy that we got so advanced, that it is a possibly.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/baby/glossary.html#frozen

DNA LAB*

 




 

Getting DNA from wheat

• First, I added 20 ml warm water to the wheat and mix for 3 minutes . I noticed the wheat got very thick. then after i added 1 ml (1/4 teaspoon) of detergent and mix gently every five minutes. It looked like watery bread crumbs and it also turned more yellow. The i used a pipette to remove foam from the top of the solution After that i put 14 ml of alcohol down the side so that it forms a layer on the top of the water. It helped the DNA get out from the wheat. Next, i let it sit for a few minutes and white stringily DNA appeared where the water meet the alcohol. Then i used a little wooden stick to to remove the DNA. We thought the over all DNA looked like a booger! Ahaha....it formed into to four layers 1st- the wheat 2nd- the detergent 3rd- white layer (dna) 4th- alcohol *

Olga and Greg predigee.*

Questions

1. Do autosomal dominant disorders skip generations?no, they can but its not likely
2. Could Greg or his mother be carriers of the gene that causes myotonic dystrophy? no, because his mother is over 50 and there is no signs of her having myotonic dystrophy
3. Is there a possibility that Greg’s aunt or uncle is homozygous for the myotonic dystrophy (MD) gene? yes, because one of his aunt and uncles has this disease 
4. Symptoms of myotonic dystrophy sometimes don’t show up until after age fifty. What is the possibility that Greg’s cousin has inherited the MD gene?50/50 because the mother has it
5. What is the possibility that Greg and Olga’s children could inherit the MD gene? no chance because neither of the parents have it.

DNA

DNA- nucleic acid that contains genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms.

DNA is locates in the cell nucleus, however a small amount is found in mitochondria. Every person has the same DNA in their body.

4 Chemical Bases: Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine, and Thymine
base pair :Guanine- Cytosine

Their are attached to sugar molecules and phosphate molecules, they are called nucleotide( back bone). Nucleotide have two long strands that are form a spiral thats called double helix. These base pairs form ladder's rung and the sugar and phosphate form the vertical side of the ladder like figure.

Proteins attach to DNA and help the starnds coil ip into the chromosome when the cell gets divide

Replicate: DNA can make copies of itself. Each cells divides because each new cell need to have a exact copy of DNA present in the old cell.


http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/handbook/basics/dna

Eugenics*

What is eugenics?

Study or belief in the possibility of improving the human species of a human population, 

discouraging reproduction by persons having genetic defect or having a inheritable undesirable traits.

What were the social origins of eugenics?

  Scientists wanted the population to be able bodied and mentally stable. They thought the sterilization of the defective adult could help prevent more people. So basically they want moat of the population to not have human flaws.

What were the scientific origins of eugenics? 

In the 1800's positive eugenics,and negative eugenics came about. The sterilization law pasted in 1907. Therefore the bad eugenics people shouldn't be making babies.

What research methods were used to study eugenics and what were their flaws?

 Researchers discovered how to study the family tree, thats will go way back. They would study all their medical history. Then a researcher, Mendel t

ried experiments of genetic mixing. Brain capability was very hard to measure then because DNA was not discovered. They had difficulties figuring out blood types, eye color, and mental disorders.

How did eugenics research impact U.S society today?

Racial tensions is everywhere, I don't think we'll ever get rid of it. 

Also the way that people look, many people do or want to change their looks. But good things about it is 

more babies live, we figured out some ways to cured diseases.