DVD- Cracking the Code- DeCode and Iceland

Controversy in IcelandA. deCODE a biotechnology company may use health, genealogical, and genetic information of 270,000 residents.

B. Why did deCODE choose Iceland?Low genetic diversity in the population

Successes: ID of genes for various diseases

Problem: Privacy is in jeopardy

1866 Mendel’s work is published 1886 Advances in microscopes=chromosomes 1880’s 1890’s Mitosis/meiosis 1900 Correns confirms Mendel’s work early1900’s Sutton and Boveri-Chromosome

Theory of Inheritance Early 1900’s Mutations discoveries led to gene

mapping 1920’s-1940’s Avery, McLeod, McCarty –DNA

carries information 1952-Watson and Crick-double helix

Mendel is the starting point for Genetics (the study of heredity and variation)

1860’s used garden peas Identified patterns of inheritance His work was ignored until Correns in

1900’s confirmed his work Genes (units of inheritance)occur in pairs

and control traits

Chromosome numbers in sexual reproduction

Diploid number (2n)- 46 for humans

Homologous chromosomes – one set from Mom and one set from Dad (23 each for humans)

Haploid number (n)- 23 for humans

Sutton and Boveri –Chromosome Theory of Inheritance = genes are carried on chromosomes

Fruity Fly studies led to discoveries: Terms: Mutation (inherited change in gene)Allele (alternate forms of a gene)Phenotype (observable features of genes)

Until 1940’s proteins were thought to be the source of genetic material

Proteins are abundant in the cell and are diverse in structure and function BUT

Fruit Flies, bacteria, and viruses led to the discovery that DNA

Alphabets (Genetic Code) DNA is made of nucleotides (A,T, G, C) RNA is made of nucleotides (A, U, G, C) Watson and Crick-double helix with

complimentary relationships A-T(U) G-C Transcription- DNA to RNA

Central Dogma of Genetics

Translation- RNA to protein