Single-celled+prokaryotes

=Unit 2 Overview of Lecture and Discussion Topics:=

With an understanding of the conditions of early Earth and the requirements for life, students now move on to the first life forms on the planet, prokaryotes. Fossil evidence of these first life forms is discussed. Prokaryotic cell structure and function is discussed. Students conduct activities to discover the transfer of genetic information and gene regulation in prokaryotes. The unit concludes with a discussion of how prokaryotic cells obtain energy and reproduce.

Activities and Laboratories:

 * Using an activity from Kristen Dotti ([|Catalyst Learning Curricula]), students use string and Post Its® to discover the three methods that genetic information is exchanged in prokaryotes (SP 1).
 * Using another activity from Kristen Dotti, students use pool noodles to model prokaryotic gene expression (SP 1, 6 and 7). [[file:Prokaryotic gene expression.pdf]]
 * [|Kim Foglia]’s Paper Plasmid Lab.
 * This is a paper demo on the process of cloning a gene into a plasmid. It reviews the concepts of restriction enzymes, "sticky ends", cloning, and transformation (SP 1).
 * [[file:Paper Plasmid Info.doc]]
 * [[file:Paper Plasmid Insructions.pdf]]
 * [[file:Plasmid puc18 DNA Seq.pdf]]
 * [[file:GFP Seq.pdf]]
 * Big idea # 3 Laboratory Investigations:
 * Biotechnology Lab 1: [|Transformation]. Students will perform a transformation experiment in which they transform a bacterial cell to contain a plasmid containing a gene which can be expressed so as to produce protein products which make the cell “glow”. Students will then study the structure of the plasmid and make predictions regarding growth on various agar plates (LB plates, plates with ampicillin and arabinose added). They will then examine the bacterial growth afterwards and collect quantitative data. They will calculate transformation efficiency. Students will then plan a controlled experiment that they think would improve the transformation efficiency. The entire laboratory study will be documented in the laboratory research notebook (SP 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
 * From the BioRad site:
 * The [|Microbes and Health Kit] allows you to set up a scenario in which students get to discover the cause of a new disease called "Yogurtness" — an affliction of "healthy" milk that causes it to become acidic and thick. What causes Yogurtness?™ Your students join Robert Koch, Louis Pasteur, and the founders of modern microbiology in a thrilling search to find the bacterial culprit behind this new disease. Using microscopes, agar plates, and their powers of observation, students identify the bacteria used to produce yogurt.
 * Bean Brew
 * [|Prokaryotic Genomes] (from Kristen Dotti's Catalyst Learning): Students build models of inducible and repressible operons from pool noodles.

Chapters from Campbell and Power Points:

 * 25. The History of Life on Earth || [[file:Earth before life.ppt]] ||
 * 27. Bacteria and Archaea || [[file:Chapter 27 Bacteria.ppt]] ||
 * 18. Regulation of Gene Expression (prokaryotic only) || [[file:lac operon.ppt]] ||
 * 20. Biotechnology || [[file:Biotechnology.ppt]] ||
 * 9. Cellular Respiration: Harvesting Chemical Energy (anaerobic only) || [[file:Chapter 9 Cellular Respiration.ppt]] ||
 * 12. The Cell Cycle (prokaryotic only) || [[file:Chapter 12 The Cell Cycle.ppt]] ||