In this video segment adapted from NOVA: "Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial," students will learn how modern genetics and molecular biology offer compelling support for evolution. The video features an interview with biologist Ken Miller. [3:26]
This classroom lab allows students to develop skills of the scientific method while exploring the characteristics of enzymes.
This activity is a classroom experiment where students gather data on which foods contain starch. They use observation and develop their own hypothesis to create a question they would like to discover about starches.
Explore some different areas of study in the life sciences.
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Chimpanzees and humans turn out to be very similar - if you look at their DNA. When scientists determined the entire genetic code of both humans and chimpanzees, they found that we have over 98% identical DNA. Learn more about molecular evidence for evolution in this learning module produced by CK-12.
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This digital textbook covers core life science concepts and includes interactive features, real-world examples, and videos.
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This simulation provides the opportunity to practice performing a ligation
reaction in a virtual lab setting. This process uses the enzyme DNA ligase
to attach two DNA fragments using complementary blunt or sticky ends
generated from a restriction enzyme digest.
At the beginning of a DNA, DNA replication, and mitosis unit, students are given a short science news article summarizing a recent research paper. This assignment links the article to figures and key techniques from a related journal article, requiring students to apply and transfer the knowledge they gained in the unit.
This group learning activity involves students in an engaging review of concepts of microbiology. The review is set up as a power point presentation in the style of the "Jeopardy" gameshow where students groups compete against each other to answer review questions.
This is a clearinghouse for biotechnology information, companies, and events. Explore the literature and molecular databases presented here.
In this activity, students are assigned different alleles of the gene for phenylalanine hydroxylase to research using OMIM (Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man). They are then asked to both explain and illustrate how this mutation may cause the disease phenylketonuria (PKU).
In this activity students explore the evolution of proteins by comparing 2D and 3D alignments of orthologs and paralogs.
Watch how NJ high school students apply basic principles of molecular biology to solve real research problems, and publish their own genome research at GenBank, the international genomic sequence database.
Students are given a figure from a journal article of a northern blot, and are asked to interpret the results, demonstrating an understanding of both the northern blot technique and RNA processing in eukaryotic cells.
By examining the progress of a genetic eye disease, students learn about eyes, genetic disorders, and neurons in this case designed for clickers and large lecture sections.
An active problem-based assignment that uses the Genbank database to teach the basics of molecular biology and molecular evolution
An interactive lecture that uses flash animations showing the researcher and their experiments that were used to develop the basic concepts in Mendelian genetics. Includes multiple choice questions students can answer in class.
In this video, learn how fetal surgeons can help repair a birth defect of the spine known as Spina Bifida.
This module introduces students to the basics behind translation of a messenger RNA sequence into protein. In addition to text and movies, there are interactive shockwave animations that allow students to move ribosomes and tRNAs to perform translation.
All cells, organs and tissues of a living organism are built of molecules. Some of them are small, made from only a few atoms. There is, however, a special class of molecules that make up and play critical roles in living cells. These molecules can consist of many thousands to millions of atoms. They are referred to as macromolecules (or large biomolecules).