Search:   Spelling

Sub-Topics DNA Epigenetics Also Try Biotechnology Microbiology Stem Cells Books College level - Basic Biology (Farabee) Includes Introduction to the Nature of Science and Biology, Chemistry 1 (Atoms and Molecules), Chemistry II (Water and Organic Molecules), Cells (Origins and Cellular Organization), Transport in and out of Cells, Cell Division (Binary Fission, Mitosis, Meiosis, and Sexual Reproduction), Laws of Thermodynamics, Reactions and Enzymes, ATP and Biological Energy, Cellular Metabolism and Fermentation, Photosynthesis, Introduction to Genetics, Gene Interactions, DNA and Molecular Genetics, Human Genetics, Protein Synthesis, Control of Gene Expression, Plants and their Structure, Flowering Plant Reproduction (Flower Structure, Fertilization, and Fruits), Plant Hormones and Nutrition, Animal Cells and Tissues, Animal Organ Systems and Homeostasis, the Integumentary System, the Circulatory Sytems, Lymphatic System and Immunity, the Digestive System, the Nervous System, the Endocrine System, the Reproductive System, the Muscular and Skeletal Systems, the Respiratory System, the Excretory System, Development of Evolutionary Theory, The Modern View of Evolution, Biological Diversity (Classification, Viruses, Bacteria, Archaeans, Protists - Stem Eukaryotes, Fungi, Nonvascular Plants and Nonseed Vascular Plants, Seed Plants, and Animals), Human Evolution, Population Ecology, Community and Ecosystem Dynamics, the Biosphere and Mass Extinctions, and Glossary. 12-02 Games Genetic Mastermind Provides a game that helps teach concepts in genetics. 6-01 Lesson Plans Cell Basics (Ebiomedia.com) Provides guides and graphics for studying the basic structures of cells. 10-04 Cell Processes (Ebiomedia.com) Provides guides and graphics for studying cell processes. 10-04 Cells (Franklin Institute) Provides a lesson plan on the cell. "In your classroom, you and your students can make a model of a cell and some of its parts." 5-02 Cells - Grades 1 - 6 on Molecules and Cells (San Diego State University) Provides 6 elementary school level lessons on molecules and cells. Cells and Chemistry (Utah State Office of Education and Utah State Office of Higher Education) "The generic (universal) cell and its functions and involvement in chemical changes illustrates life processes." 5-02 Genetics - Grade 10 (British Columbia Ministry of Education) Provides a lesson plan for the 10th grade level. The materials are called an Integrated Resource Package. 2-01 Genetics Lessons (University of Kansas Medical Center) Provides lessons related to genetics and ethics related to biotechnology. 1-04 Organisms - Basics (Ebiomedia.com) Provides guides and graphics for studying the basic structures and processes in micro-organisms and other small organisms. 10-04 Lists Cells - Dictionary of Cell Biology (Virtual Library of Biochemistry and Cell Biology - Fenteany) Provides explanations of basic cell structure and activity at an advanced high school or beginning college level. 2-01 Cells and Biochemistry (Awesome Library) Provides information on cells and more. 1-04 Genomes Research - Resources (US Department of Energy and the Human Genome Project) Provides sources of information from centers conducting research in genetics. Human Genome Map - Chromosome 21 and Base Pairs (BBC News) Provides a drawing of base pairs and another drawing of the relationship among base pairs, chromosomes, DNA, human cells, and genes. 5-00   Human Genome Map - Status (Macmillan Publishers - Nature) Provides an update on mapping all 23 human chromosomes, especially chromosomes 21 and 22. 5-00   Materials A Leaf from Far, Far Away and Very, Very Close (Florida State University - Davidson) "View the Milky Way at 10 million light years from the Earth. Then move through space towards the Earth in successive orders of magnitude until you reach a tall oak tree just outside the buildings of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Tallahassee, Florida. After that, begin to move from the actual size of a leaf into a microscopic world that reveals leaf cell walls, the cell nucleus, chromatin, DNA and finally, into the subatomic universe of electrons and protons." 9-02 Chromosomes - Photos and Diagrams (Atlas of Genetics and Cytogenetics in Oncology and Haematology) Provides photos, diagrams, and other information on chromosomes X, Y, and 1-22. 2-02 News -01-12-06 Tobacco Plant Manufactures Plague Vaccine (Scientific American) "Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) is one of the oldest known diseases of the plant world. Plague--known as the 'black death' in medieval Europe--is one of the oldest diseases afflicting humans, and has become a focus of concern in recent years because of its potential use as a bioweapon. Now scientists have transformed TMV to infect host plants and produce immunizing proteins rather than debilitating leaf shrivel, turning greenhouse tobacco into a biofactory for plague vaccine." 3-05 -02-28-08 New Clue in Motor Neurone Puzzle (BBC News) "Researchers say they have made the most significant breakthrough for 15 years in the quest to understand the fatal condition Motor Neurone Disease (MND)." 02-08 -03-15-07 Scientists Discover 6 Million New Genes in the Ocean (PBS News) "Scientists spent two years trawling the oceans for bacteria and viruses, and in the process discovered 6 million new genes, doubling the number known on Earth and holding promise for new antibiotics and alternative energy sources." "The newly discovered genes include those that help microbes use the sun's energy in new ways, help them use nitrogen and protect them from ultraviolet light, the scientists reported." 03-07 -05-08-07 Disease, Genes, Diet, and Lifestyle (MSNBC News) "The primary determinant of the degree of improvement was not age, disease severity or genetics; it was the degree of change in diet and lifestyle. In other words, the more people changed, the better they got." "In summary, genetics does play an important role in health and well-being, and for some, more so than for others. However, in most cases, diet and lifestyle modifications can override genetics if you're willing to make big enough changes. Most of the time, nurture trumps nature, but it's not always easy." 05-07 -06-14-07 Study Changes Long-Held DNA Beliefs (PBS News) "A four-year international study of the human genome has prompted scientists to rethink some of their most basic ideas about how DNA functions." 06-07 -08-06-07 Genes Help Us Select Friends (MSNBC News) "A forthcoming study in the Archives of Psychiatry says that we can add how we choose our friends to the growing list of traits strongly influenced by genetic factors. A team of Virginia Commonwealth University researchers found that genes, alongside environment, strongly influence who we choose as friends. The researchers studied the peer groups of approximately 1,800 male twins, having each subject describe the level of social deviance among their friends, such as how many of their friends got drunk, used or sold drugs, or damaged property. The research showed that an individual's selection of friends--whether they chose to socialize with fewer or more socially deviant peers--was shaped by genetic factors." 08-07 -09-16-07 Powerful New Strategy to Link Genes With Diseases (MSNBC News) "A powerful new strategy promises to speed up the effort to link genes to specific diseases. Can you say 'transcriptome'?" "Sifting through the 25,000 genes that make up the human genome to find the causes of disease may take a lot less time now, thanks to a new approach described Sunday in the online edition of the journal Nature Genetics. The technique applies the latest computer technology to a mountain of genetic data amassed over the past 25 years. But rather than focusing on the genes themselves, researchers are turning their attention to a new type of code: the human transcriptome." " 'Looking one step down the line at the immediate output of genes has proven much more efficient than combing through the genome itself,' says the study's lead author John Blangero, a scientist at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research in San Antonio, Texas. That immediate output is an RNA transcript, a molecule that translates each gene into a different protein. By measuring how much RNA a gene produces, researchers can determine how active that gene is. The RNA output of all genes taken together is referred to as the human transcriptome." 09-07 -10-10-05 Glowing Mosquitoes to Fight Malaria (BBC News) "A protein that makes the sex glands and sperm of male mosquitoes glow could help reduce malaria infection rates, UK scientists say." "They used the protein to tag male mosquito larvae, the genes of which can be manipulated to make them infertile." "As malaria is spread only by female mosquitoes, the scientists hope sending such sterile males into the wild could help kill off infective populations." 10-05 -11-04-04 Nicotene Gene Discovered (Independent) "A single gene could be responsible for determining how easily people become addicted to smoking, according to a report published today." 11-04 -12-11-05 Bacteria Adapt by Swapping Genes (Scientific American) "Bacteria, like all organisms, have to make a living in an ever changing world. They face shifting climates, varying food supplies and--horror of horrors--antibiotics. How do they adapt? According to the results of a new study, simply by copying the successful innovations of their relatives." "The team revealed that the bacteria do this by using a process known as horizontal gene transfer, in which a cell passes genetic information to another cell that is not its offspring." 12-05 Bio-Fuels From Genetics (MSN.com) "J. Craig Venter, who gained worldwide fame in 2000 when he mapped the human genetic code, is behind a new start-up called Synthetic Genomics, which plans to create new types of organisms that, ideally, would produce hydrogen, secrete nonpolluting heating oil or be able to break down greenhouse gases." 11-05 Marine Life - Sampling and Discovering Microbes (Sorcerer2Expedition.org) Provides information on a project designed to find new microbes in the oceans for genetic research. 11-05 Papers -03-18-05 The X Chromosome Mapped (Chicago Tribune) " An international team of researchers announced Wednesday that they have cataloged all the genes on the female X chromosome, a technical feat expected to enable fresh insights into women's health and add a genetic component to the debate over differences between the sexes." " With more than 1,000 genes and 160 million base pairs of DNA, the X looms like a giant next to the stunted Y chromosome that produces males. The Y chromosome--78 genes, 23 million DNA subunits--was completely sequenced in 2003." "Because males carry only one X chromosome, they are particularly vulnerable to diseases carried by defective X genes. Women who carry such defective genes are usually protected by their backup copy of the X, but if their sons inherit that disease-causing X they are in trouble." 3-05 -03-23-05 Link Found Between Religion and Genes (ABC News) "Recent studies with twins show that while environmental factors play a big part in determining a person's degree of faith early in life, later on genetics take over and become a dominant factor as people make the transition into adulthood and either strengthen or reduce the role of religion in their lives." 2-05 -Genetics Basics (Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation - Weber) Provides a basic foundation of knowledge in genetics. Some sample comments from Dr. Weber's guide include:  "Our bodies are comprised of trillions of microscopic units called cells. Cells in turn are built up from many specific types of molecules, both large and small. The large molecules or macromolecules include polysaccharides, nucleic acids and proteins." "Each protein is a linear polymer of a specific sequence of 20 different amino acids. DNA is also a linear polymer comprised of 4 types of nucleotides. The sequence of amino acids in each protein is encoded by a segment of DNA called a gene. Three consecutive nucleotides in a gene encode a single amino acid in the corresponding protein. The genetic code is universal among all living things." DNA is an exceptionally ancient and stable molecule. It is passed from one generation to the next with only very gradual change. The nucleotide sequences of chimpanzee (our closest living relative) and human DNA are about 98.5% identical despite the fact that our last common ancestor lived about 6 million years ago. Similarities in DNA nucleotide sequences can be detected between all free living organisms including reptiles and plants, worms and fungi, and humans and bacteria." 1-04 Bacteria - DNA Sequencing (Howard Hughes Medical Institute) Provides steps for DNA sequencing, PCR purification, and more. Select "Bacterial ID Virtual Lab" to view the animations. Requires free Shockwave software. 1-04 Basic Biological Structure Revealed (applesforhealth) Researchers have determined the intricate structure of the ribosome, an ancient biological machine that turns genetic blueprints into working cell parts. 10-01-99. Bees - Males Have Half the Chromosomes (NationalGeographic.com) "Bees, wasps, and ants from the group of insects known as the hymenopteran order and other invertebrates have males with only half the usual complement of chromosomes. These insects and invertebrates comprise 20 percent of all animals." 10-04 Bioinformatics Definitions and History (Bioinformatics) " 'The mathematical, statistical and computing methods that aim to solve biological problems using DNA and amino acid sequences and related information.' " 1-04 Cells - Inside a Cell (Genetic Science Learning Center) Provides a diagram and explanation of each part of a cell, including nucleus, lyosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes, mitochondria, cytoplasm, cell membrane, and golgi complex. 1-04 Chromosomes - What They Are (Genetic Science Learning Center) Provides a picture and explanation of chromosomes. 5-00 Cloning and Bioethics (US Department of Energy and the Human Genome Project) Discusses ethical, legal, and social implications of genetic research. College and Professional Level - Medical Research Articles (PubMed.org) "PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine, includes over 15 million citations for biomedical articles back to the 1950's. These citations are from MEDLINE and additional life science journals. PubMed includes links to many sites providing full text articles and other related resources." 2-05 DNA Testing for Genetic Disorders (CBSNews.com) Provides DNA information to help predict genetic disorders that may be controlled by diet. The test may cost around $600. 11-03 Dinosaur "Flesh" Found in a Surprise Discovery (CBS News) "In an announcement that conjured up thoughts of the movie 'Jurassic Park,' researchers revealed they had recovered soft tissues that resemble blood vessels and even cells from a 70-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex." "They don't know if they'll be able to recover DNA — the blueprint to life that was the key to recreating the giant animals in the fictional film." 3-05 Editorial - Christopher Reeve Enboldened Many of Us (MSNBC.com) "People who never met Christopher Reeve were emboldened by his crusade." 10-04 Engineered Plant Increases Carbon Dioxide Uptake (GreenCarCongress.com) "In research recently completed at Emory University School of Medicine, scientists have discovered a mutant enzyme that could enable plants to use and to convert carbon dioxide more quickly, effectively removing more greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere." 02-06 Gene Map of the Human Genome (NCBI) Provides information on recent research to sequence human genomes. Genes - An Introduction (Athro, Limited) Provides an introduction to concepts related to genetics. 12-00 Genes - An Introduction (U.S. Department of Energy and The Human Genome Project) Provides an introduction to genes. 1-04 Genes - Tools Used in Genetic Research (US Department of Energy and the Human Genome Project) Provides information and drawings to illustrate results from the use of different tools in genetic research. Genes Control Aging (EurekAlert.org) "Two University of Colorado at Boulder researchers working with GenoPlex Inc. in Denver have identified a biological switch that controls lifespan in tiny worms, a finding that could have applications for mammals, including people." Discusses DAF-2 and DAF-16. College Level. 9-02 Genes and Miniaturization - Beyond Biology (US Department of Energy and the Human Genome Project) Describes how information from genes applies to miniaturization and helping humans. Genetic Data Use Limited (applesforhealth) Troubled that technological advances may be exploited by employers, President Clinton signed an executive order banning the federal government from using genetic information in any hiring or promotion. 02-11-00. Genetics - Basic Information (Genetic Science Learning Center) Provides diagrams and explanations of chromosomes, DNA, genes, proteins, cells, and inheritance. Also provides experiments that can be conducted in the kitchen. 5-00 Genetics Current Events (Genetic Science Learning Center) Provides information on occasional news stories related to genetics. 1-04 Genetics Glossary (National Human Genome Research Institute) Provides definitions of the key terms, such as base pairs. 6-00 Genetics Help With the Study of Fast Evolution of Crabs (National Geographic Society - Krause) Describes how the rapid evolution of the Jamaican tree crab was studied with the help of genetic material. 1-02 Genome Mapping - Select Research Articles (Macmillan Publishers - Nature) Provides select research articles on mapping the human genome. 6-00 Genome Mapping by Organism (Nature) Provides genome research summaries for humans, mice, rats, elegans, tuberculosis, and other organisms that have been mapped. 6-00 Genomes - Types of Genome Maps (US Department of Energy and the Human Genome Project) Provides information and drawings to illustrate different ways of portraying genetic sequences. 1-04 Hodgkin, Dorothy Crowfoot (University of California San Diego) "Concentrating first on her contributions to science, she is known as a founder of the science of protein crystallography. Hodgkin's contributions to crystallography included solutions of the structures of cholesterol, lactoglobulin, ferritin, tobacco mosaic virus, penicillin, vitamin B-12, and insulin (a solution on which she worked for 34 years), as well as the development of methods for indexing and processing X-ray intensities." 1-04 Homo Sapiens Sapiens (Roper) Summarizes the known genetic history of current humans, as well as migration and climate patterns. Written at the college level. 06-03 Medicine and the Genome Projects (CNN - Feig) Summarizes implications of the human genome project, considered a major milestone for medicine. 2-01 New Theory Rejects Single-Ancestor Doctrine (Scientific American) "Instead of one universal evolutionary tree, picture a three-trunk stand sharing a communal root system. A new theory of cellular evolution published in the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences rejects Charles Darwin’s Doctrine of Common Descent—the idea that all organisms are derived from a single primordial ancestor. Instead, Carl Woese of the University of Illinois-Champaign proposes that the three cell types that comprise life on earth arose from three forms of proto cells that swam together in a dense genetic soup, freely sharing their DNA." "Indeed, such DNA swapping was the driving force in the evolution of unicellular organisms, Woese argues. Biologists have traditionally credited this so-called horizontal gene transfer with just a minor role in cellular evolution. But Woese asserts that only by sharing their genes—or evolutionary inventions, as he calls them—could simple cellular organizations have given rise to more complex cell designs. In the beginning, he says, primitive cells 'did not have stable genealogical records.' But eventually, these lines—including the three that spawned all extant life forms—reached what Woese terms the "Darwinian threshold," the point at which a lineage matures to genetic stability. Here the cellular organization became fixed, leading to a traceable cell line via reproduction. 'Crossing a Darwinian threshold leads to a more solidified, organized cellular design,' he explains." 12-05 Plan to Put Human Gene Bank on the Moon (ABC News) "Imagine if an asteroid plunged into Earth, killing all life in a giant fireball, or hostile aliens from a far-away planet launched an invasion and wiped out all life on our planet? Or what if a mutant, deadly plague spread from person to person and animal to animal and caused a vast extinction?" "To get an idea of what the Alliance to Rescue Civilization has in mind, consider its acronym — ARC. The concept is to establish a genetic Noah's Ark of sorts or a protected stash of genomes from Earth's wide array of species and individuals. The concept is somewhat similar to the Frozen Zoo project, based at the San Diego Zoo, and the London-based Frozen Ark, where researchers collect genetic material from rare and threatened animal species and store it in liquid nitrogen for future research." "The difference is this genetic library could one day be used to revive the human species. And it's not just the Alliance to Rescue Civilization that has pondered such a moon-based bank. Bernard Foing, chief scientist with the European Space Agency, said it's an idea that his agency has discussed for some time." 3-05 Plan to Put Human Gene Bank on the Moon (ABC News) "Imagine if an asteroid plunged into Earth, killing all life in a giant fireball, or hostile aliens from a far-away planet launched an invasion and wiped out all life on our planet? Or what if a mutant, deadly plague spread from person to person and animal to animal and caused a vast extinction?" "To get an idea of what the Alliance to Rescue Civilization has in mind, consider its acronym — ARC. The concept is to establish a genetic Noah's Ark of sorts or a protected stash of genomes from Earth's wide array of species and individuals. The concept is somewhat similar to the Frozen Zoo project, based at the San Diego Zoo, and the London-based Frozen Ark, where researchers collect genetic material from rare and threatened animal species and store it in liquid nitrogen for future research." "The difference is this genetic library could one day be used to revive the human species. And it's not just the Alliance to Rescue Civilization that has pondered such a moon-based bank. Bernard Foing, chief scientist with the European Space Agency, said it's an idea that his agency has discussed for some time." 3-05 Preimplementation Genetic Diagnosis (Genetics and IVF Institute) Describes the PGD procedure. "Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) offers an alternative to more traditional methods of prenatal genetic testing (chorionic villous sampling or amniocentesis), and allows genetic analysis to be performed on early embryos prior to implantation and pregnancy. This provides couples at risk for certain genetic diseases the opportunity to know that any pregnancy they achieve should be unaffected." 6-02 Search GeneBank, Genomes, Proteins, and Structures (National Center for Biotechnology Information) "Established in 1988 as a national resource for molecular biology information, NCBI creates public databases, conducts research in computational biology, develops software tools for analyzing genome data, and disseminates biomedical information - all for the better understanding of molecular processes affecting human health and disease." 2-02 Telomeres (TelDB) "Telomeres are the physical ends of linear eukaryotic chromosomes. They are specialized nucleoprotein complexes that have important functions, primarily in the protection, replication, and stabilization of the chromosome ends." Also discusses telomerase. College level. 9-02 Projects Biology - Genetics Projects to Promote Scientific Inquiry Skills (Genetic Science Learning Center) Provides three thematic challenges, with resource materials, to help students gain inquiry skills. 1-04 Cell Growth Patterns (Conway and Stuart) Provides an interactive method to show a variety of patterns of cell growth. 6-02 Chromosomes and Genetics (Utah Museum) Provides basic information about chromosomes, DNA, stem cells, and related topics of interest. Visitors sometimes misspell as chromosones, cromosomes, or cromosones. 5-02 DNA Workshop (PBS.org) "An embryonic cell divides again and again. Where there was one cell there are two, then four, then eight,... Each holds all the genetic information needed to create a human being. How, exactly, do these cells make copies of themselves?" 4-03 Genetic Mastermind Provides a game that helps teach concepts in genetics. 6-01 Genetics Projects to Promote Scientific Inquiry Skills (Genetic Science Learning Center) Provides three thematic challenges, with resource materials, to help students gain inquiry skills. 1-04 Problems (Science4kids) Teaches science and genetics through problem solving. 1-01 Projects in Genetics (School.Discovery.com) Provides two genetics projects. Pass It On "Drawing red and white beans from a jar is an easy way for students to see how chromosome pairs determine whether a person is male or female. The activity also helps them understand that the assortment of chromosomes that pass from parents to offspring is random. For best results, have students work in groups of five." Productive Plants "In this activity, students design a scientific investigation to test a variable in the growth and reproductive rate of plants. Then they consider how using genetically modified plants (designed to grow rapidly from seed to seedling to plant) would affect their experiment. For maximum impact, select at least one experiment for the class to test." 1-04 Research Human Genome Database (National Center for Biotechnology Information) Provides database information on human genes, the human genome project. College level. 06-03

Italian, Russian, Greek, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean,   Index, New, Search Engines, Dictionary, Bookstore, Licenses, Email Us, About Us, Link to Us, or Privacy Policy.