DNA Fingerprint

DNA is unique for everyone. The only exception is if a person has an identical twin.
DNA fingerprints are used for identifying a biological mother/father to connecting a person to a crime.
The “crime” that was committed was a crime of confection. One of Jimmy's seven sisters licked his holographic lollipop.
The saliva found on the sucker, left by the the lick, will connect the criminal to the crime.
The restriction enzyme cuts the long DNA in different locations. Where it cuts depends on the code in the DNA molecule and the code in the enzymes.
Agarose gel is a thick, porous, jelly-ish substance.

Electrophoresis is the process of moving molecules with an electric current. When the

process is over the fragments are distributed in the gel depending on their lengths.

Smaller fragments of DNA move more easily than longer strands?

You need to place a nylon membrane over the gel to absorb the DNA because the agrose

Probes attach themselves to the DNA fragments on the nylon membrane. They attached only where their code encountered a certain sequence of code among the various fragments.

The probes are radioactive.





Based on the DNA fingerprint, Honey Sweet is the culprit of this crime.

Click on the Link “DNA Workshop” (if this link won't load, scroll down to the bottom where it says "try the non-java script version)
Once you’re there, go to the link “DNA Workshop Activity” and practice with DNA replication and protein synthesis.

Browse the DNA Workshop site.


At the DNA Workshop activity you can go through the DNA Replication and Protein Synthesis process.

Find an Article about DNA

Go to http://www.thegenesite.com/

15. Read an article about genetics at this site that you might find interesting, or use the "Search" box in the upper right hand corner to search for DNA fingerprinting.

Title of Article __What is DNA?__ Author and Date _____December 5, 2010_______

Summarize what the article was about. Write this in a paragraph format.

DNA is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. Almost every cell in the body has the same DNA. DNA bases become pairs, A with T and C with G, to become units called base pairs. Each base is also attached to a sugar molecule and phosphate molecule. These components together become a nucleotide. Nucleotides are organized in a couple of long strands that form a double helix. The structure of the double helix is almost like a ladder. DNA can replicate and copy itself. Each strand of DNA in the double helix can serve as a pattern for duplicating the sequence of bases. It is important when cells divide because each new cell needs to have an exact copy of the DNA present in the old cell.